Museums Shows at the Met!

Favorite moment of the Hockney Show

I went up to New York for my opening and was able to get a few hours in the Met and Met Breuer before.  There are so many strong museum shows right now.  I saw Hockney, Michelangelo, Rodin and Munch.  My eyes were bleeding by the end.  The shows were very crowded which always detracts from the looking for me.  It's amazing how some visitors seem so unaware and like they are the only one in the place.  How? I wish I could be like that.  I spend half my time watching their insane behavior.  

I wanted to look at Michelangelo's copy of Massacio's expulsion, which is one of my favorite paintings ever.  But I listened to one woman blow smoke up another woman's *** about it for so long that I could no longer stand there, she literally said nothing for 10 minutes but her mouth did not close.  Anyway, I eventually just chose a few drawings that were less popular and tried to calm down and enjoy them.  

Beyond that, Hockney was great to see in person for all the little moments that are lost in reproduction.  So many of the paintings are so big that there are all these little still lives and funny side notes within.  The work is so seemingly carefree and easy, California and pools feel like such the right subject.  I preferred the beginning half of the show much more than the end.    

Munch at the Met allowed for a much calmer environment and that made sense for the work.  It is so depressing you just want to weep.  This painting detail above of his sister's deathbed was really heartbreaking, and the color was sick and beautiful at the same time. I heard one lady say she likes the look of the paintings but can't he just paint something a little happier?  haha.  He seems to be a real master of color and value. But there was something in his brushstroke I didn't always care for.  He seems so set on expressing immediately the misery and turmoil that the brushwork can be unfelt and too fast somehow?  And the bottom edges of the compositions feel odd a lot, things cut off at weird places.  I think that was okay, it was distressing but I think that made its point.  

Anyway, a lot to see and worth the visit.  But maybe go with earplugs...