A visit with Clay Foster - Part III

After The Nasher Sculpture Center, it was time to head over to the Dallas Museum of Art. We wanted to walk through the Pre-Columbian exhibits. The museum has a pretty good collection of art from Central and South America.









First things, first, though --- lunch. This audacious Chihuly display was in one of the large windows of the museum cafe.













After lunch, we went up to the third floor to walk through the exhibit of art from the Americas.

This figure was truly impressive to see, but I couldn't get a good photo in the low lighting. The expression is wonderful and I wonder what kind of blessing it was invoking in this gesture.













Jars or jugs with wonderful surface textures.











A variety of vessels. One wonders about the one that is shaped like a leg.










An ancestor totem.

















A fertility figurine. Even with the blurred photo, it's a powerful effigy.
















Ok - not pre-Columbian, but pretty cool anyway.








This isn't a dachshund effigy - it's a pig pot from Indonesia. Looks like a doxie to me, though. Well, it's what Emma wants to look like if she reaches her goal of eating so much that her feet can't touch the ground. Hmmmmmm - that seems to be the general goal of many people who I've been seated next to on small airplanes. . .









An elevator grille from the Chicago stock exchange, ca. 1893.
















A very interesting chandelier from France, made by Albert Cheuret.












We left the art museum at around 3 pm to avoid the traffic rush out of Dallas. Clay then drove us to Denton so that I could see the work he did on a Catholic church there. He did the doors, altar, and furnishings - all in his signature style. Penny did the stained glass work for the doors.





The altar is very impressive and has an air of ritual just in the appearance. I'm sure it fits the bill as the center of the Catholic liturgy.















If Clay were the preacher, I'm sure the parish members would have to do some thinking. . .

The podium can adjust to different heights, and it is beautifully made.













Chairs and tables made by Clay, also.










These doors are impressive and inspirational.



















The candle stand was also made by Clay,
















as was this cabinet,












table,
















and frames for the stations of the cross.

















This is my kind of church - beautiful, spacious, and designed for multiple purposes.











Clay gives a sense of scale for these doors. They open easily even though they are so large.

















The other side of the doors with bronze palm fronds as handles.




I am so glad I was able to see this in person. I had seen pictures, but it is so much more impressive in person. Congratulations to Clay and Penny on such an excellent installation.

A visit with Clay Foster - Part II

If that wonderful party the previous night wasn't enough, Clay took me to the Dallas Arts district the next morning, which turned into a very enjoyable day of viewing art. I'll break this into two parts - the morning session is Part II and the afternoon will be Part III.



Our first stop was to be the Nasher Sculpture Center, but it wasn't yet open when we arrived. The Trammel & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art was open and so we popped in there for a few minutes before going to the Nasher.

The entrance sets the stage for this wonderful collection.



The fountain provides a lovely setting for the downtown area. I was hoping to see some birds taking advantage of the water, but there weren't that many around this morning.

The urban birds seem to be dominated by pigeons, grackles, and English sparrows.





We went to the The Nasher Sculpture Center just as it opened for the day. I've been to several museums that specialize in sculpture, but this has to be amongst the best collections I've ever had the privilege to see. The building and garden are spectacular settings for the sculptures.

This one is "Midsummer Circles" by Richard Long.




I'll post images of the cards with the sculptures. If you click on the image, it should come up in a large enough format for you to read if you'd like more information.









A detail of the sculpture. Having been to England to see some of the ancient stone circles, I appreciated this sculpture for the visual aesthetic as well as the memories it brought to mind.









This first gallery featured an exhibit called, "Beyond the Grasp: Sculpture Transcending the Physical." It was aptly titled. Each of the sculptures needed some time for contemplation to think about the different layers of meaning.














Here's a partial view of the first gallery.










The other gallery on the main floor.
















I enjoyed seeing this sculpture. It reminding me of some of the abstract paintings of Picasso.




















I studied this one for quite a while. I was fascinated by the geometric patterns captured in this space.











































































This one needed a closer look, too.

























One can reflect on our current times and think about the human condition throughout the world. The images coming from China after the recent earthquake or the tragedy of the 2004 tsunami, or (your tragedy here. . .).















I've seen a number of figurines from Africa during my travels that use this symbology. It was pretty impressive to see it in a format that is larger than life.





























I have to admit that I didn't read all the sexuality into this sculpture that is attributed in the description. . .













David Smith - untitled. Calipers, compass and other machinist or turning tools - cool.






























































From one angle, the sculpture looks like a tangled mess. However, when viewed in silhouette, the human figure appears. This sculpture could be my self-portrait when the chaos of my busy schedule takes over my life. There are always so many connections and loose ends to accommodate when I'm trying to balance my various lives - family, career, art and music.

Clay shared a Buddhist quote with me, which will perhaps be helpful to keep things in perspective: "Suffering comes from attachment to expectations."





























The outdoor exhibit was just as spectacular as the gallery space. The garden is lovely, and there were a lot of workers tending to upkeep of the grounds and sculptures.

This view actually shows the next sculpture we visited - its the building peeking between the trees on the right.




Clay didn't tell me what we were going to see inside the building, but just went inside and sat on one of the benches lining the room. Then he looked up, and this was the sight.

The edges of this frame are as thin as a knife blade, which, visually, brings the sky so close that you should be able to reach out and touch it.







Here's the description card for Turrell's sculpture.











The walls of the sculpture garden were made from limestone. The weathering of this stone made for some very interesting textures. This reminds me of bone at high magnification.







The encapsulated organisms erode out of the limestone, which leaves these interesting voids.












Clay said this was one of his favorite sculptures at The Nasher. I can understand that sentiment.