A visit to the Hirshhorn, March 20-22, 2012

I had so much fun in the backyard of the Smithsonian Castle last weekend, that I went back and visited my favorite Smithsonian museum, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.  The cherry blossoms are still out, including these just behind the Sculpture Garden.  These are not weeping cherries, just regular ones.  I walked around outside for a bit, then went in.  My friend Linda had told me about the "color and form" exhibit, and I wanted to know if it was still on--and it is!  Until May 13!  Its name is "Suprasensorial:  Experiments in light, color, and space."

The Hirshhorn never disappoints.  It has a very active schedule, bringing in new artists in all media, not just sculpture.  I'm also going as someone who is quite familiar with the riches inside. I'm just scoping out what I haven't seen before.

OUTSIDE:

Cherry blossoms are incredible in their delicacy and richness.

Hiding behind the blossoms and trees in the Sculpture Garden are pieces by Joan Miro (center)
and Jacques Lipchitz (right).

West side of the museum, next to the Arts & Industry buildings (under renovation).  The big
sculpture at the left edge, Tony Cragg's "Subcommittee," represents one of those old-fashioned desk accessories that hold rubber stamps
for verifying particular transations: "Sold," "First Class," "Expedite." Just the thing for a subcommittee and their rubber-stamping function.

North side of the museum...the six cast bronze balls (Lucio Fontana's "Spatial Concept: Nature") fit wonderfully
next to the giant Southern Magnolia, which must be close to 30' tall.

"Brushstroke" by Roy Liechtenstein, north side the museum, facing the Mall.

DARK MATTERS (Exhibit, ground floor):

Dark matters can be simply absence of light or of spirituality or of everyday perceptions.

I laughed when I entered this gallery and found a naked man, twice as big as life, sitting

in the corner just inside the doorway.  "Big Man" is a favorite of Hirshhorn visitors, and he

hasn't been around for a couple of years.  Traveling, you know.

"Untitled" (Big Man) by Robert Mueck

Allan McCollum's "40 Plaster Surrogates"

All black/blank inside...just surrogates, not pictures

CHROMOSATURATION - Carlos Cruz-Diez

This is one of the stars of the Suprasensorial exhibit, in which Latin American artists "abandoned traditional art in favor of ephemeral and subjective forms based on light, color, motion, and space.....The viewers' changing perceptions as they navigate under, around, and inside the works
are essential to fulfill the artists' intentions."

All visitors don special unwoven fabric slippers to keep the floors
pristine so as not to diminish the astonishing colors.