Three of the Greatest Painters of the Past 150 Years?

Now this is an exhibition I can get behind: Turner, Monet, Twombly: Later Paintings at the Moderna Museet in Stockholm promises to be a brilliant and insightful exhibition. I heard the title, and I immediately got it: the loose brushwork and rich colors that developed over their long careers can seem remarkably similar despite the very different times and places in which they worked.

 Twombly's 2008 Lepanto versue Monet's 1914 Waterlillies:

"J. M. W. Turner, Claude Monet and Cy Twombly are three of the greatest painters of the last 150 years. This groundbreaking exhibition focuses on their later work, examining not only the art historical links and affinities between them but also the common characteristics of and motivations underlying their late style." - More on the background to the exhibition here.

 Monet's Japanese Bridge (1918-1924) and Turner's Sunset:

I would love to see how they flesh it out--in the flesh, so to speak. Anyone want to plan a trip to Stockholm this October?

Blue Morph at Governor's Island

Mark di Suvero work isn't the only thing up on Governors Island this summer. Blue Morph is an interactive installation by Victoria Vesna that is taking over the St. Cornelius Chapel on Governors Island. Vesna's work is part of the WAVE(form)s: Electronic Art Exhibition and was created in collaboration with nanoscientist Jim Gimzewski.

The morph is that of a butterfly, which you can see in the blue light on the large screen in the apse. The rather haunting sound that echoes through the chapel is meant to correspond to cellular changes in the butterfly as it emerges from its cocoon.

But the interactive element makes this installation really come to life. The participant sits on a blue disc that lights up, and places the white crochet hanging thing on his head. Suddenly the sounds are amplified in his ears and he has the best view of the piece in front of him. It soon becomes clear that if the person moves, the image on screen changes, or perhaps one could say distorts. It feels as if the participant is the heartbeat of the whole glowing exhibition.

The artist's intention was to encourage stillness and silence, and only then can the participant watch the metamorphosis unhindered. I guess I was a little more entranced with myself when I experienced it than the artist intended. ;) The installation is up through September 25 in the St. Cornelius Chapel on Governor's Island. More on the background of Blue Morph here.

Mark di Suvero at Governors Island

Mark di Suvero's large steel sculptures have taken over the lawns at Governors island this summer, and I couldn't think of a better way to see them. The scale suits the large lawns, and seeing them with Manhattan or the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop is a treat. Somehow despite the imposing size and weight of the I-beams and salvaged steel, they still feel playful. The kids got the same vibe--more than one was trying to crawl or hang from these works this past weekend.

Rust Angel, 1995

Rust Angel, 1995

Old Buddy (for Rosko), 1993-95

For Chris, 1991

For an interesting history of the artist's relationship with dealer Richard Bellamy, plus some much better photos, check out 16 Miles.