At MASS MoCA. August 7, 2012
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: bargains, faux pas, grudges, Hudson's Antiques, Lewis Carroll, M. C. Escher, malaise, Mass MoCA, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, North Adams MA
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A drive-by shooting at MASS MoCA, the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in our neighbor to the west, North Adams.
This sprawling complex was once the Sprague Electric manufacturing facility, and has been brilliantly re-purposed as the Bastard Progeny of M.C. Escher and Lewis Carroll. Visitors to this extraordinary venue should expect the unexpected, such as this resident installation in their front dooryard:
Years after first seeing these inverted maple trees, I still chuckle at them. 🙂
And woe to those who shop at the on-site Hudson’s Antiques, who may indeed go home with more than they bargained for:
Hey, the price is right…
Dark In The Daytime! May 18, 2011
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: dark skies, Mass MoCA
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It was a tumultuous weather day at work today, one worthy of a photograph (like I need an excuse!)
Here’s a shot of one of the buildings of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, taken at mid-morning:
I find days like this to be charged with immense power, and wait for them with great anticipation.
Just sayin’.
North Adams, MA October 26, 2010
Posted by littlebangtheory in Love and Death, Politics and Society.Tags: Mass MoCA, North Adams MA, red maples, tee shirts, Tunnel City
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Drove into work this morning in the dark, through mists and fog, to arrive at North Adams, one of the Commonwealth’s smallest cities. Dawn revealed a tableau of sad shops, proud steeples and under-utilized factory buildings:
North Adams was known world-wide as “Tunnel City,” sitting as it does between the infamous Hoosac Tunnel to the east and this shorter tunnel to its west:
An eerie mist drifted from it’s dark maw as the sun struggled to burn through the gray blanket above us:
The Hoosac River runs through town, tamed by an Industrial Age concrete channel:
The Autumn colors make the place look almost hopeful – in fact, the sprawling Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, occupying the old Sprague Electric plant, is a ray of hope, drawing both tourists and stimulus dollars for roadscape improvements:
This afternoon the sun came out, illuminating a scene of ridiculously red maples beneath a deep blue sky:
The day ended warmly, with tee-shirts all around. There won’t be many more like this one until Spring.
Good evening, my friends!
At MassMoCA. August 11, 2010
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: Leonard Nimoy, Mass MoCA, North Adams MA, Petah Coyne, Tobias Putrih
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The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, that is. It’s a really unique museum about half an hour west of here, offering some of the largest galleries in the country, making it ideal for the massive installation pieces which seem to be currently in vogue.
Susan and I went there this past Sunday to see the Petah Coyne sculpture show and Leonard Nimoy’s portrait photography of local folks. The Nimoys were cool, lots of fun, but I’m sure I speak for us both when I say that the Coyne show was jaw-dropping: large sculptures comprised primarily of silk flowers, wire, wax and… taxidermy. Photography wasn’t allowed as per the artist’s request, and anyway, I haven’t seen any photos of this stuff on line which begins to do it justice. I’ll just say that if you’re within driving distance of North Adams, Massachusetts, you’d do well to check it out.
Equally impressive (to me, at least,) were the black and white photo studies she supposedly drew her inspiration from, though I failed to see the connection. They’re all evocative of a mix of dark emotions and celebration, compelling and surreal. I’ll be back to see them again.
Mass MoCA is built into an old factory complex, and the forms and voids of the space are themselves interesting , from the Quarter-Furlong Gallery to more “private” spaces:
That’s a shot from Elliot, my preferred indoor/architectural lens, as is this one, of Susan receiving The Light from Tobias Putrih’s installation, Hoosac 2010, an ethereal fishing line apparition inspired by the grave and ponderous Hoosac Tunnel:
I took other photos that day, but this one is my favorite. It’s like an expression of the potential I see in that lady.
Anyway, visit Mass MoCA if you can, or watch for shows by these artists in your area; they’re spectacular!
Little Bang Theory 