Vancouver Art Gallery and the God Kids

One of the joys of my travel has been going to Art Galleries and Museums around the world. .  Art galleries are a very special space. Truly artistic in themselves,  the architecture and presentation of the art within is itself an art. Curators are to art like the conductor is too symphony.  The cafe’s and art stores there are  also wonderful places. Vancouver Art Gallery is really fine.
I chide myself that when I’m in the city I don’t go to the Vancouver Art Gallery enough.  I loved the Monet exhibit last year. I”ve always loved the Emily Carr.
When I phoned Kevin and Anna about going to church with the God kids (Kendra, Alex and Izak) Kevin answered and told me, “They’ve got coughs so we thought we’d go to art gallery instead. They’re over their colds but we thought their coughs might be disturbing in the church.”
“Count me in,” i said immediately. Art galleries and museums are themselves a kind of secular church.
We met there in the plaza.   The kids were fascinated by the dirt at the base of the trees planted in the cement.  Kendra likes to hold my hand when we walk. It was particularly gritty.
On the first floor of the gallery was the visiting Royal Collection. Lots of sketches and portraits from the Queen’s own home.  Were it not for Kevin’s keen eye I might have missed the only picture of Da Vinci in the collection.  Sir Edwin Landseer who mostly painted animals was my favourite.
Across from this was a ‘clever’ show of a artist and her make believe artist.  It was fine but  didn’t do much for me.  Avante Garde.
By contrast, on the second floor there was this amazing exhibit by the Japanese master, Takashi Murakami called the Octopus Eats its Own Leg. To survive duress the octopus it’s its own leg but the limb regenerates. It was a fitting image for an artist who had survived.   He’d been called the ‘Andy Warhol’ of Japan but from my own perspective I’d see him as their Picasso.  What always amazed me about Picasso was being introduced to his ‘cubism’ and only later seeing the works of his ‘blue period’. He was an amazing artist whose realistic work would have earned him a place in the history of art even if he hadn’t pushed the edges to be a moving force in modern art.. I think less of modern artists who throw paint at the wall but can't draw a stick figure.
Takashi’s nuclear works were amazing.  Tremendous colour and form. His ideas were intriguing too, with the use of the use of little plastic combat toys arranged upon a matt to tell an important story of the militaristic tension between Japan and the US after WWII.  I loved this. But mostly I loved his truly Japanese whimsical almost childlike. I liked that a rapper had come to him to provide him with the rapper bear and other consumer comic art objects  Add to that the exploration of the Buddhist themes and arhats which were truly foreign and exotic. They were both ancient and futuristic.  Here was a truly first rate mind.  I liked that I was there with the children.  They were happy in the spaces that Murakami art created.  Not so much the darker demon realm but definitely in the magic rooms. I loved the friendly pink octopus.
Kevin and I were not impressed with the black art. I couldn’t help but think of black lights and felt art and generic industrial spaces.  It was disheartening that it was a Canadian artist.    Thankfully there was Emily Carr art.  When I think of Justin Trudeau’s shallow comments about there not being anything of Canadian value, he  really suggests a caracature of  ‘global’ consciousness.   I couldn’t help but think of the Group of Seven and Emily Carr.  When I first walked in the woods of the BC Coastal Salish and Haida I felt I’d been here spiritually thanks to the works of Emily Carr. She opened my eyes to the local space.
The Zen art  of Lui Shou Kwan was a marvel.  I loved it thoroughly.
True Nordic, How Scandinavians influence design in Canada was a lovely exhibit.  For me,  this was mostly because so many of the pieces were like chairs and silver sets I’d seen as a young man.  I’d married a Scandinavian goddess when I lived in Manitoba.  The Scandinavians contributed so much to the culture, beauty and genius of that province.
While Kevin and I were going back for a another swing through the Murakami , Anna and the kids  found a do it yourself arts and crafts room.  They all  made hats with ears or horns, I wasn’t sure.  They  sure were delighted with their creations.  Lots of families and kids were there. Given the fun of Murakami a great exhibit to visit with something for all ages.