We did see works by Ad Reinhardt, Charles Ledray, Claes Oldenburg, Roy Lichtenstein, Gaugin, Cezanne, Monet (8 different versions of haystacks and a few of the 48 total versions of Water Lily Pond), Juan Gris, Paul Klee, lots of Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Dali (amazing how tiny his brushstrokes are), Max Ernst, Joan Miro, Legere, Jean Arp, Renoir, Degas, Pissarro, van Gogh, Seurat, Botticelli, Renee Magritte, Georgia O'Keefe, and many many others. If you click on Collection on the website you can see selected works in each category.
There were collections on Japanese, Korean, African and Islamic art, as well as medieval armor, and European and American decorative arts (furniture through the years).
Nick's favorites were American decorative arts and the contemporary art (all kinds). My personal favorite, however, was the display of the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Mini furniture! Where can I buy some?
"The 68 Thorne Miniature Rooms enable one to glimpse elements of European interiors from the late 13th century to the 1930s and American furnishings from the 17th century to the 1930s. Painstakingly constructed on a scale of one inch to one foot, these fascinating models were conceived by Mrs. James Ward Thorne of Chicago and constructed between 1932 and 1940 by master craftsmen according to her specifications."
I bet the miniature food that people would eat in those miniature rooms has to be viewed under a microscope!
Millennium Park was the next stop - a well-maintained and well-populated public park complete with fountains, beautiful sculptures, an outdoor amphitheater designed by Frank Gehry, and a "Touch 'n' Go Chess Party" cart, among other street vendors. The views from the park were great - on one side is the city skyline (and all of the shops and shoppers nearby), and on the other is the clear blue of Lake Michigan.
We finished off the night with a visit to the Second City Mainstage - a sketch/improv comedy troupe - to see a show titled "Between Barack and a Hard Place."
'“Between Barack and a Hard Place” takes a look at a nation divided. Red state versus blue. Smokers versus non-smokers. Art lovers versus philistines. Dozens of potential presidential candidates versus each other. And the terrorists versus…well, everybody. The Second City uses its razor-sharp wit and irreverent satirical viewpoint to ease the tension of being stuck “Between Barack and a Hard Place”.'
Through the years Second City has produced/employed such greats as Bill Murray, John Belushi, Tim Meadows, Chris Farley, Steve Carrell, Stephen Colbert, Dan Aykroyd, Mike Myers, John Candy, Eugene Levy, Tina Fey, and Gilda Radner. I think they're the biggest supplier of SNL performers (or something like that!).
It was a hilarious night, ending in an improv session after the show and a nice stroll through the Olde Towne of Chicago before bed.
We leave you with but a small clip: http://secondcity.com/video/Chicago_Mainstage/Assassin.wmv
2 comments:
I want to see pictures of the mini furniture! :)
I put one photo up that I took of the mini furniture. :) There is a whole book of photos, and several photos on the art institute website that I posted (if you go to Thorne Miniature Rooms)! They're soooo cool, you could love them. They chronicle European and American decorative arts up till the 1930s.
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