Life in Photos - An Abstract Adventure at MoMA

I'd been excited to see several exhibits at MoMa, and a couple of weekends ago the husband and I took some time to visit the museum. "Tokyo 1955-1970: A New Avant-Garde" captivated in a way completely unique to the Japanese. With equal parts whimsy, horror and eroticism this exhibit (which we just barely made, it closed on 2/25/13) surprised me by being my favorite. "Inventing Abstraction 1910-1925" cast my thoughts to Americans living during this exciting time, and how shocked my less culturally-exposed forebears were by such atrocities as cubism. The first Armory Arts fair was met with uproar, but where would art be today without pioneers like Kadinsky, Picasso and Stieglitz?

"Goldfinger: The Design of an Iconic Film" rekindled my appreciation for innovation in film. I stood somewhat entranced by the looped title sequence of the famous flick that features numerous Bond clips projected on the gilded, bikini-clad body of the film's starlet. This is Bond at his best: sexy, mysterious and irresistibly arresting.

We sat for a few peaceful minutes to take in the quiet beauty of Monet's water lilies. My thoughts stretched back almost 10 years to my visit to Monet's house and gardens. Emotions can feel somehow raw when one is faced with Monet's quiet pastels or intense violets and blues. Some deep, beautiful burning lies beneath the serene waters he gifted us with.

MoMA is not my favorite museum, but it always surprises me by how challenging and rewarding it is. I always seem to leave a little tired and hungry, and the meal that follows is always made more interesting by the conversation that is sparked by the art I consumed.