I wanted to go to the Phoenix Art Museum to see their three temporary exhibits. First we saw Cézanne and American Moderism, the first exhibition to examine fully the influence of Paul Cézanne (1839–1906) upon modern American artists from 1907 to 1930. The exhibition explored the critical function American artists and others played in establishing the reputation of Cézanne, who has been universally acclaimed as the definitive bridge between late 19th-century Impressionism and the modern art movements of the 20th century.
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| Bathers, 1890 - 1900 |
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| Mont Sainte-Victoire Seen from the Bibémus Quarry. c. 1897 |
The museum offers an audio handset you can rent to listen to the decription of the paintings and sketches. You can listen to an adult or kid version. I started off listening to the adult version, but found it way more informative than I needed. So I switched to listening to kid version which was still very informative, but more entertaining and fun. The kid version was presented like being on a game show, where a host would ask you questions about what you learned and observed, then you could dial in again to your handset to find out if you answered the questions correctly. The kid version definitely resonated more with my inner-child.
The second exhibit was Extending the Runway: Tatiana Sorokko Style. The exhibition features a collection of more than 60 garments and accessories from Sorokko’s extraordinary couture wardrobe. Tatiana Sorokko was the first Russian model to achieve international success. Moving from Moscow to Paris in 1990, she walked the runways for major designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Issey Miyake, Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs, and Calvin Klein, among many others. For over a decade, Sorokko graced the covers and editorial pages of European and American magazines such as Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, Elle and Cosmopolitan. Her influence as an international style setter and taste maker extends well beyond the runway; Sorokko was named to the International Top 100 Best Dressed list by American Vogue in 2000 and the Best Dressed Women of All Time list by Harper’s Bazaar in 2007.
Tatiana Sorokko
Balenciaga
Alaia Coat
Feather Opera Dress
Westwood Gown
The third exhibition was Creative Continuum: The History of the Center of Creative Photography.
The year was 1975. Gerald R. Ford was president, a little company named Microsoft was founded, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway and Jaws was making a big splash in movie theaters. And in Tucson, a lifelong dream was realized.
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| Aaron Siskind, Terrors & Pleasures of Levitation, No. 99, 1961 |
Founded by legendary photographer Ansel Adams and then University of Arizona President John P. Schaefer, The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona was the vision of two men who wanted to create an institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, interpreting and managing all materials that are essential to understanding photography and its history. Today, 35 years later, the Center has acquired more archives and individual works by 20th century North American photographers than any other museum in the nation.
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| Max Yavno, Cable Car, San Francisco, 1947 |
Creative Continuum charts the Center’s dynamic evolution, beginning with the inaugural exhibition of works by Ansel Adams, Wynn Bullock, Harry Callahan, Aaron Siskind and Frederick Sommer through today’s contemporary artists that are reinventing the medium. This special look at the Center’s history is an exciting and engaging “who’s who” of American photography and features works by Richard Avedon, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Louis Carlos Bernal, Tseng Kwong Chi, Imogen Cunningham, Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Roy DeCarava, Andy Warhol and Edward Weston.
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| Rosalind Solomon, Bananas, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1980 |
In addition to nearly ninety photographs, Creative Continuum also includes a sampling from the Center’s Voices of Photography video oral history project, rare archival objects from the vault and examples of past exhibition catalogues.
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| Edward Weston, Nude, 1936 |
After spending the afternoon at the museum we headed to my husband's favorite place, AZ88 in Old Town Scottsdale. He thinks they make the best martinis and burgers anywhere. We both get a kick out of their art installations. They are constantly changing the art on the walls and what hangs from the ceiling. So we love to see what they will have on display every time we visit. That is the art...the art of surprise.
The painting has a life of its own.
I try to let it come through.
JACKSON POLLOCK
