art nerd

Today I went to a conference hosted by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I graduated from last year. I specifically went to hear Sally Fallon speak about traditional foods. It was pretty good - and apparently the kids had a crazy time in Central Park playing in the creek and then stocking up on treats at Trader Joes. But, what I could not wait for was our afternoon in the Met. Seriously, I think the Met is the best museum in the world, better than the Louvre even. There was something for everyone.

Kids can never get enough of Egypt. We studied it last year, and it remains a favorite.

And to see REAL canopic jars! Wow - it all becomes so much more real to them. I was amazed at what they remembered and I had forgotten (like which organs went where).

Much time was spent in the Medieval and weapons area. There was some great armour from both eastern and western cultures. The boys began making plans about how they will decorate their houses with double barrelled pistols and swords when they grow up. That will be great.

We saw and loved Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali, Degas, Manet....

Elliot refused to believe that this Chuck Close was a painting. The art history geek in me loves to see my kids in actual awe of visual culture.

This automated piece by Tinguely was interesting enough as a sculpture, but when it came alive... eyes popped and brains began working, thinking and planning on how they could make something like this. It was a favorite. And brought back great memories of hitch hiking in France to see this.

And to see your first (Action) Jackson Pollock seems like a huge milestone. Don't they look excited? (They actually were, but by this point we had a little museum head that had to be cured by some mondo cupcakes in the cafe). I remember when I saw Autumn Rhythm for the first time. I was 20.

Taking a family portrait in an Anish Kapoor piece was irresistible.

After a nice stroll home through a very dark Central Park, I peeked into the apartments on 5th Ave. and wondered what I need to invent, write, sell, conjure up, to live there.