If at first you don’t succeed, try; try again.
I had Tuesday morning free to visit the Schnitzer Art Museum on the University of Oregon campus, but, alas, the museum is closed on Tuesdays. Fortunately, some time opened up on Wednesdays, so I was able to get back and see the permanent collection and some rotating exhibits. The Postwar Japanese Print collection was still being installed, but I saw some fascinating art.
The hand-cut paper overlays by Catalina Delgado Trunk were fascinating. This delicate technique has a powerful visual impact that stopped me dead in my tracks by inviting a closer, intimate inspection. My personal favorite was the Queen of the Night/Goddess of the Moon that illustrates a Mesoamerican myth about how it was decided who would light the world near the ancient city of Teotihuacan. When a test of fire produced a tie, the angry gods struck the wealthier contestant with a rabbit, dimming his light and producing the moon.
The exhibit called The Nature of Religion, which showcased paintings by Olga Volchkova, was fabulous. From a distance these paintings speak of the Orthodox Christian icon painting tradition. Volchkova creates iconographic types that become universal symbols that provide visual narratives about the mythologies humans have created around plants. Decorative, edible and medicinal plants are detailed and represented along with imaginary saints that lend gravity to each composition.
I had Tuesday morning free to visit the Schnitzer Art Museum on the University of Oregon campus, but, alas, the museum is closed on Tuesdays. Fortunately, some time opened up on Wednesdays, so I was able to get back and see the permanent collection and some rotating exhibits. The Postwar Japanese Print collection was still being installed, but I saw some fascinating art.
The hand-cut paper overlays by Catalina Delgado Trunk were fascinating. This delicate technique has a powerful visual impact that stopped me dead in my tracks by inviting a closer, intimate inspection. My personal favorite was the Queen of the Night/Goddess of the Moon that illustrates a Mesoamerican myth about how it was decided who would light the world near the ancient city of Teotihuacan. When a test of fire produced a tie, the angry gods struck the wealthier contestant with a rabbit, dimming his light and producing the moon.
The exhibit called The Nature of Religion, which showcased paintings by Olga Volchkova, was fabulous. From a distance these paintings speak of the Orthodox Christian icon painting tradition. Volchkova creates iconographic types that become universal symbols that provide visual narratives about the mythologies humans have created around plants. Decorative, edible and medicinal plants are detailed and represented along with imaginary saints that lend gravity to each composition.