On Saturday I went to Atlanta to attend a party for my friend, Becky. Becky was retiring after an illustrious career in business. We’ve been friends since high school, and for some time she has been a major collector of my work. Going to Becky’s was going to be an interesting trip back in time and experience for me– seeing intimate moments removed by a number of years and hung on unfamiliar walls.
I left home early so I could stop at the High. It had been 40 years since I’d visited that museum so it was overdue. I arrived so late in the day I only got to see half the museum. Highlights: the Oldenburg peach and pear sculpture. The pears had been removed for some reason, but the peaches were terrific and memorable all by themselves. The museum had a three panel Waterlily on loan from MOMA, and judging from the way it was hung, in a kind of curve, I would guess it was originally intended to hang in a curved space, as were the 22 panels in the Orangerie. I enjoyed falling under the spell of the Waterlily panels. I found myself wondering if Rothko was similarly affected by the Waterlilies. The mood that comes from communion with the Waterlilies and with a Rothko have a lot in common, not to mention the similar experiences of very pure color.
The High had a strong collection of African American work, and in several cases I was seeing the work of these artists live for the first time. I loved the three pieces I saw by Tanner, strong, sophisticated and lyrical. The Elizabeth Catlett bust was a knock out, with its clarity and cool geometry.
The party was wonderful. By the end of the evening there was lots of laughter and story telling. The food was wonderful– beautifully made or carefully chosen. To cap it off there were grapefruit and blueberry sorbets, homemade by Mike. My paintings seemed to have a harmonious home, just right, as if they’d been intended for those spaces. I visited with them like old friends, and felt just as much at home.