Traveling between Buffalo, NY and Providence, RI, we stopped at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA.
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| Big Bling (2016, by Martin Puryear) was commissioned by Madison Square Park Conservancy in New York City, then it was moved to Kelly Drive in Philadelphia before arriving at Marshall Street Park for a 5-year stay; the Big Bling earring can also represent a shackle of the enslaved, or a beacon of hope |
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| An electrical box on the street is covered with MASS MoCA stickers |
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| MASS MoCA is located in buildings (1860-1890) constructed for the O Arnold and Company print works for fabric, then in 1942 the site was purchased by Sprague Electric Company that modified the building interiors for the design and manufacture of electronics until 1985; in 1986 the idea of an art museum was conceived and MASS MoCA opened in 1999 |
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| Countdown I, II and III (2021, by Rose B Simpson) is part of the Ceramics in the Expanded Field exhibit on the first floor of Building 4 |
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| A piece from Restless Animal Kingdom (2020, by Jessica Jackson Hutchins), a performance work with four dancers who interacted with 5-6 ceramic items (as seen on a video), some of which were wearable |
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| Teddy Bear Caryatid (2021, by Francesca DiMattio) (KSS) |
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| Teddy Bear Caryatid detail |
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| Lego Caryatid (2021, by Francesca DiMattio) (KSS) |
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| Lego Caryatid detail |
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| Chair #8 with shards, part of The Pursuit of Love (2021, by Nicole Cherubini) (KSS) |
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| Untitled (List) (2018-2019, by Kang Seung Lee) pays tribute to Singaporean-born Chinese ballet dancer and choreographer, Goh Choo San, who died in 1987 of an AIDS-related illness; although internationally known, his identitification as queer was not proclaimed |
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| The hammock is embroidered with a list of San's work in 24k gold thread |
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| Castillos (2021, by Armando Guadalupe Cortés) is a site- specific installation, enveloping the columns in a wood and adobe structure in reference to buildings in Mexico (KSS) |
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| Objects in Castillos reflect the influence of many cultures on post-colonial identities in the American Southwest and Mexico (KSS) |
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| Entry to the Close to You exhibit, with Love (2008/2021, by Maren Hassinger) consisting of pink plastic bags inflated with human breath and filled with love notes (KSS) |
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| Wall Drawing 793A (January 1966, by Sol LeWitt) (KSS) |
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| Wall Drawing 684A (June 1999) and Wall Drawings 631 and 631 (January 1990) (KSS) |
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| Wall Drawing 335 (May 1980) & Wall Drawing 340 (July 1980) (the camera could not handle the "op art" of straight lines!) |
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| Wall Drawing 414 (March 1994), do you see a 3D effect? (KSS) |
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| In the Light of a Shadow (2021, by Glenn Kaino) takes up the second floor of Building 5; it was inspired by a connection between protests from all around the world |
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| Suspended rocks can be either an asteroid field or a meteor shower created by rocks thrown in protest (KSS) |
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| Many of the rocks have sails made from found postcards that symbolize both memory of and promise of life experiences |
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| The end of the room has a "mirror" in the shape of a wall in Northern Ireland that is inscribed "You Are Now Entering Free Derry"; the mirror is pocked with dents created by rocks being thrown against it, and the mirror also allows you to become part of this universe you just explored |
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| S-334473 (2019, by Sarah Oppenheimer), located on the second floor of Building 6, is actually kinetic art and we should have turned this sculpture on its axis (KSS) |
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| A sign on the wall encouraged you to look out at River Street and see the multi-family Victorian rowhouses in which Sprague Electric Company employees lived; they are now part of The Porches Inn (2001) |
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| Untitled (1991, by Louise Bourgeois) |
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| The Couple (2007-2009, by Louise Bourgeois) (KSS) |
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| Forever in Your Debt (2018-ongoing, by kelli rae adams) includes over 900 ceramic bowls that can hold the equivalent of the average student loan debt ($37,000) in coins; the insides of the bowls are red |
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| Bowls will be filled with coins (about $40 worth per bowl) until the "debt" is paid and no more red is seen |
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| You can donate at kelliraeadams.com, and you will be given your bowl/money back at the end of the installation (KSS) |
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| A quick visit to Skyspace, one of several such venues created by James Turrell; this one is titled C.A.V.U. (2013-2021) |
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| In the re-purposed water tank, Skyspace does have an oculus that can open, but at this time it remains closed (KSS) |
We were fortunate to get a reservation for the Into the Light (James Turrell) exhibit, thanks to a last-minute cancellation. No photos are allowed on the first floor of Building 6; so how does one describe art made with light? There were framed pieces that seemed to show a sliver of light, but as you walked past the "picture," it was as if you were seeing a three-dimensional object. There were several dark rooms with varying degrees of light that you were meant to experience while your eyes adjusted. Two rooms required further timed reservations, and we were able to visit Perfectly Clear (1991), the largest Ganzfeld chamber created so far by Turrell. "Ganzfeld" refers to the loss of depth perception when experiencing a lack of aural and visual stimulation, such as during a whiteout. In this huge room, we experienced whiteouts of blue and pink, with two occasions of strobe light flashes.
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| Us (2002, by Jarvis Rockwell) displays the artist's massive collection of toys and figurines, which he considers as avatars for ourselves (KSS) |
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| More of Us, that were displayed on about a dozen glass panels (KSS) |
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| Us can be viewed from above or below |
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| Words, words, words are seen in part of Inflammatory Posters (1979-1982) and Ribs (2010) with vertically running letters that arch over Barricade (2004), a horizontal running letter sign, are some of the works of Jenny Holzer, who started by pasting single-sentence Truisms on anonymous street posters throughout downtown Manhattan in 1977 |
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| Deconstructed Piano is part of No Experience Required, showcasing part of the collection of unusual musical instruments created by Gunnar Schonbeck |
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| Square Contrabass Guitar (by Gunnar Schonbeck) is another of these instruments that are actually played by professionals and amateurs |
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| Cosmic Latte (2017, by Spencer Finch), on the second floor of Building 8, represents the Milky Way, and it also mimics the undulations of the Hoosic River flowing next to MASS MoCA |
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