Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth

I visited the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth as often as possible. http://www.kimbellart.org/
It required enough money and a car, neither of which were come by easily during those years. I don't remember when I went the first time, but I think it was for a class... Or maybe for a friend's class? I think I went with my roommate the first time...
Anyway, I discovered a couple of my favorite paintings there:
This is 'Country Road by a House'
by Geffredo Wals.
I don't know why I like it... I think it reminds me a bit of the chalk drawings in Mary Poppins- that feeling of being able to pop in the painting any minute and explore the world behind the trees and buildings.
Also, I'm a road trip person. Even before I traveled to perform, I loved to travel. And experienced a LOT of it. My family lived in Southern Oregon during most of my childhood, and we'd drive up to Albany (about an hour & 1/2 south of Portland) to visit my grandparents regularly. It was 168 miles from our driveway to theirs.
During the year my Grammy was dying of cancer, we drove up to their house almost every weekend. We'd pile in the car Friday after school, drive up and stay until late Sunday night.
I have so many memories of driving places... Driving across Texas. Driving across Oregon. Driving across California. Driving from Fairbanks to Washington. Driving from Fairbanks to Fort Worth. Driving from Fort Worth to New England. Driving from Fort Worth to Washington.
Somehow this painting taps into my love for the road, and the possibilities just around the bend.
Another of my favorite paintings:


Interior of the Buurkerk
by Pieter Jansz Saenredam
I love the sense of open space in this painting. It reminds me a bit of the fantasy in M.C. Escher's painting, but far more beautiful... Almost a spiritual openness.
The funny part is that it is such a SMALL painting... Not at all what I'd think from the feeling it creates.
Monet
During the year my sister lived with me we got to see an exhibit of Monet's less famous work at the Kimbell. I love Monet. I'm probably an impressionist at heart... ;) I'm less fond of his more well known works- water lilies, for example. I had to choose a painting to copy in my painting class and did a HORRIBLE version of one of his water paintings. I will not assault anyone with a picture of my Monet copy!
Indian statues
Here's another odd memory of the Kimbell:
The Kimbell hosts traveling exhibits from different museums. One time my sister and I went together they were hosting an exhibit of Indian statues/idols... Shiva, Brahma, Lakshmi, Kali, Ganesa, Vishnu... Most of the statues were images of the Indian gods and goddesses. And most of them were beautiful.
You need to know that I'm not a freaky weird person here, 'cuz what I'm about to say is kind of freaky weird...
Over two of those statues, we felt demonic presences.
We looked at each other, didn't say a word, and were like 'let's go on upstairs NOW and see the rest of what in the museum'... And when we talked about it in the car afterwards we both knew exactly which statues it was. And they didn't look any weirder than the rest. In fact one of 'em was downright unimpressive.
I don't know what those specific statues had been used for- Sacrifices. Demon worship. Evil. (Yes, I know I sound weird here...)
But there were demons in the room hanging out around those two statues, and we didn't even get to see the rest of the exhibit 'cuz we both got kind of freaked out.
We're not talking haunted house freaked out, either.
They didn't do anything. They didn't start throwing things around, or spinning in circles, or falling off their pedestals.
They just felt evil. And like they rejoiced in evil. And like they'd love to see more evil. And like they were threatened by the presence of Jesus with-in us...
Don't get me wrong. Jesus is way more powerful than any demon. And he's going to win the fight. But I did not need to be jumping into demonic warfare over a statue that had been used for evil in the way back past...
And seminary students are under way more spiritual attack than you'd dream was even possible.
So. The Kimbell Art Museum. Pretty cool. I love the air and space and windows. I love the different galleries, and how they set up materials from their own collection. They get good traveling exhibits in, and have a good membership rate.


If you get a chance to visit Fort Worth, don't miss out on this little museum.





4 comments:

What Would Jesus Glue? said...

I went to the Kimball a few times but I liked the Modern better.

becca said...

I got to the Modern twice. Once there was this architecture exhibit, water towers, I think. Kind of ho-hum.
And the other time there was this video/sound conversation exhibit- just weird and kind of boring... So I wasn't sold on it. Maybe if I'd caught it a different time. I also found the set-up annoying and closed off. Little tine alcoves and not enough space..
Although it was my first time to see a full scale Mark Rothco, which I liked and didn't expect to... They're just weird in text books, but beautiful in huge full scale.

Unknown said...

We saw the traveling tour of the Impressionists at the Kimball recently. It was pretty awesome. Too bad the huge Seurat (the one in Ferris Bueller) doesn't travel, but there was a small study of it that was done on preparation, and several Van Gogh's. (Melissa's favorite)

becca said...

I am jealous that you got to see the traveling Impressionists! I saw that on the web-sight and was sad I couldn't get there.
I like Van Gogh, too. ;)