October 2011

Taking Care of Business
Chicago, Illinois
2011

People seem to be on their cell phones everywhere, all the time. Last week in the men’s room at the Minneapolis airport I saw a guy multi-tasking by talking on his phone while standing at a urinal. (Insert your favorite Larry Craig joke here.) So maybe it’s just my imagination that it is more rare to see people on the phone in museums like this guy in the Art Institute of Chicago. Probably so, as I recall somewhere I have a photo Connie on her phone accepting a job offer while sitting on the floor in the main hallway of the National Gallery in Washington D.C.

Giants Among Women
Chicago, Illinois
2011

This photo has some similarity to yesterday’s in that there  seems to be big mismatch among the sizes of the people. In this case of course it’s just because the woman in the foreground is very close to the camera while yesterday the statue of the guy really was giant (maybe 15 feet tall).

Girl Reading a Book #17
Chicago, Illinois
2011

A young woman browsing the exhibit brochure in the modern art wing at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Gesture (Sorrow)
Chicago, Illinois
2011

Detail from the sculpture The Solitude of the Soul at the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Gesture (Dignity)
Chicago, Illinois
2011

A pair of fifth century limestone statues of Buddhist monks at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Towel Please
Chicago, Illinois
2011

A bit of an irreverent title for a rather serious sculpture outside the Art Institute of Chicago, but it was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it.

I’ll Gladly Pay You Tuesday for a Hamburger Today
Louisville, Kentucky
2011

Self-portrait in the Wimpy Machine (aka parabolic mirror) in front of the Louisville Science Center.

The Long Arm of the Law
Louisville, Kentucky
2011

Columns on the Louisville City Hall building.

Nighthawks Sunday Morning
Louisville, Kentucky
2011

I took this photo early this morning in downtown Louisville (where we’ve been since leaving Chicago a couple of days ago). It wasn’t until I got it on the computer later in the day that I saw the similarity in compositional elements to Hopper’s Nighthawk painting. (I’m not saying my photo is in the same class as his painting quality-wise, just noting the technical similarities.) While I didn’t have the painting consciously in mind at the time, since I had just seen it in Chicago and blogged about it I have to wonder if there wasn’t something going on behind the scenes in my brain that made me decide to stop and take the photo.

Nighthawks
Chicago, Illinois
2011

The last time I was in Chicago, this most famous of Edward Hopper paintings was out on loan, so it was nice to see it this time. This woman with her red hair and purse seemed to be almost channeling the woman in the painting: