contemporary art – Page 10 – Postcards from Barton Springs

Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Assembling clutter to stimulate creativity

September 7, 2015 postcardsfromsanantonio2 Comments

When a woman orders fruit salad for two, she perfects the original sin.

from Greguerias by Ramon Gomez de la Serna

He was a figure so influential, a generation of writers and artists working in 1914 in Madrid were lumped together under his name – “Ramon.”

The contents of the study avant-garde writer/artist Ramon Gomez de la Serna (1888-1963) began assembling in 1910, primarily from Madrid’s sprawling flea market, El Rastro, became a monumental installation piece. The encyclopedic “portable” assemblage serving as his inspirational atelier is now viewed through portals and in mirrored reflections as a museum within a museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art.

I don’t think the mess circling my desk could be viewed as inspirational….

Postcard from Madrid, Spain: Reina Sofia reigns royally over contemporary art

August 2, 2015 postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

One of Madrid’s most overwhelming museums, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia only displays approximately 1,000 works from its collection of more than 20,000 at a time.

Opened in 1990, the museum places Spanish art from the late 19th century to today in relationship to international contemporary art. Pablo Picasso’s “Guernica” is perhaps its most famous piece, but the breadth of the collection is enormous. You can browse through some 7,000 of its works online.

And with so much to show, exhibits spill over to two venues in Retiro Park as well – The Crystal Palace and Palacio de Velazquez. Some of the photos above are of the Palacio de Velazquez, currently housing minimalist sculpture by Carl Andre.

Postcard from Cuenca, Spain: Nature distracts from the abstract

July 30, 2015 postcardsfromsanantonioLeave a comment

The historic center of Cuenca seems an unlikely hub for viewing contemporary art. Barely making more sense than the remote outpost of Marfa, Texas.

But it’s here.

The Fundacion Antonio Perez is an incredibly entertaining jumble of contemporary art packed into a rambling maze of rooms in the former Convent of San Clemente.

Perched on a cliff in the “hanging houses” of Cuenca, the collection of Museo de Arte Abstracto Espanol is presented in unexpectedly sleek, contemporary rooms.

Both collections are worth visiting, but the art has so much competition from the spectacular views offered from their windows and patios.