Docent in Training - More Interpretations and Shadowing a Mentor

Hello,

January 2019 is upon us. What with NFL playoff games, my binge watching of Chinese movies on Netflix, trying to get back into the groove of eating less and exercising more, and learning more and more about the Amon Carter Museum of American Art collection, my cup runneth over. I usually watch TV and work on my computer at the same time but, subtitled Chinese movies do not allow such luxury. Unless one understands Mandarin they must keep their eyes on the TV or forever be lost. The one thing about these movies is they are historically correct and take me back to the beginning of the first empires of China. So it is not mindless TV watching as much as catching up on my history. At least that is what I want to think.

I missed the class on 20th-century photography last week and regret doing it. Not only because I missed a learning opportunity but also because the curator took his time to give the class. However,  I did make this weeks class and it was outstanding. We started with a class discussion on the proper way to offer questions on our tours. The object is to get the guests we are giving the tour to an opportunity to get involved with the art. The trick is to not put them on the spot and in some cases to not let them take over the tour. It will take practice but I know I can do it.

Attention Company!

The second half of the class was spent with a few giving interpretations of the permanent collection. I was so impressed with their skill and learned a great deal about different ways of presenting the works. One in our class is a docent at the Modern Art Museum here in Ft Worth and also an art teacher. The work she interpreted was Attention Company! by William Harnett.

I have shown this picture before in another post. That interpretation was a comparison between this and a Mary Cassatt. This interpretation was just on this work and how it lent itself to the abstract. I found this to be an interesting take and one worth exploring more.

Two others did Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay by Martin Johnson Heade. They pointed out that no one seems to be in a hurry to leave so maybe the storm is on its way out rather than in. The Civil War had happened shortly before Heade painted this piece. The question, was reconstruction on his mind? Hard to say without his input. At any rate, it is a lovely rendition of a thunderstorm.

Thunderstorm on Narragansett Bay

Although there were many great interpretations I only have room for one more and it is one with a significant history.

The Swimming Hole

The Swimming Hole by Thomas Eakins is a masterpiece that was not used by The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts during an exhibition because the students and Eakins himself are recognizable. Eakins had been forbidden to use students as models. He eventually had to resign because of having a male nude in his class where a woman student was present. The work became part of the collection of the Fort Worth Art Association, the institutional predecessor of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. When the Art Association decided to sell it The Amon Carter purchased it. Ruth Carter Stevenson chose it as one of the paintings to hang in President John F. Kennedy's hotel room the night he and the First Lady spent in Ft Worth.

I wish I could tell you about more of the wonderful interpretations by our class but need to move on to lunch with my lovely mentor Subie. We enjoyed lunch at The Cafe Modern in the above mentioned Modern Art Museum. Then I followed along on her tour of the ACMAA. We had a large group and it was great that they were interactive with Subie. This is what our goal is, to hopefully have the guests get involved with the art. We ended the tour upstairs with the western art of Remington and Russell. I am ashamed to say I had not yet been up there and was not aware that the ACMAA has every one of Charles Russell's western sculptures plus one he did of Douglas Fairbanks as D'Artagnan in 1921.  Mary Pickford actually asked him to create it. Just proves every art piece has a history and some of them have a very interesting story to tell.

Douglas Fairbanks as D'Artaganan - 1921

If you have a chance you must make it to ACMAA and view all of the terrific works by Charles Russell and Frederic Remington. Thank you Subie for a wonderful tour.

Well an NFL playoff game is coming on and it appears it is snowing in Kansas City so until next week please keep art on your mind and in the schools.

Warmly,
Caroline

Docent In Training - 19th Century Photography

Hello again,

Cannot believe it has been two weeks since last class and since I last posted a blog. A lot of things has happened but here is the blog as promised.

Class was a very enlightening and entertaining journey into the history of photography. We all gathered at a table while John Rohrbeck, Senior Curator of Photographs, took us through the start of photography in the 19th century up to the 1890s. It included Daguerreotypes such as this one. The below print is a one-of-a-kind as are all Daguerreotypes. The ladies are unknown but in my opinion they are very charming. Think about it; we know nothing of their lives but they will be able to be seen for as long as this photograph exists. Here is a link to the ACMCC photographs shown on the web ACMAA Photographs. They cannot possibly have all 45,000 prints on the web but you will see a sample. I have borrowed a couple of the images shown on the website to give you a sample.

Two Women Posed With A Chair - 1850
Albert Sands Southworth (1811-1894)

I will not attempt to educate you on the different types of photographic processes used in the 19th century as it would just fill up this valuable space with a lot of facts and figures. I will however give you a link from the ACMAA that explains it all in a PDF. ACMCC PDF on photography processes. 

In an age where our phones are our way of recording and instantly sharing our lives, down to what we eat,  it is difficult to realize how important being photographed was to the people of the 19th century. Even the dead were photographed as a record and for remembrance. Before photography a person would have to have a portrait painter create their portrait and since there were different levels of skill the paintings sometime left a lot to be desired. But being photographed was not easy either as one would have to sit still and not blink for a long time. No wonder most people look stern and at times a little goofy.

Photography was not only used for portraits it did become a way of showing people the great western frontier such as this Albumen silver print.

Ancient Ruins in the Cañon de Chelle, N. M. in a Niche 50 Feet above Present Cañon Bed, 1873 Timothy H. O’Sullivan (1840–1882)

You should keep in mind that the image on paper could only be as large as the negative which was a glass plate. Imagine how difficult it was for the photographer to create images such as above and below. When people viewed these works they wanted to see the West and photographs such as these are responsible for a great deal of the travel west. The photographs also had a great deal to do with the establishment of national parks.

Canon of the Rio Las Animas, 1882William Henry Jackson (1843–1942)

One also has to remember that photography was used extensively to record the Civil War between the states. Since they did not have cameras that could record action they had to stage the shots. It must have been terrible to walk through the remnants of a battlefield with the carnage and smell to take the photographs. Just as photographs of the Viet Nam war made people aware of how horrible war really is, the recording of the Civil War made people aware that it was not the glorious adventure they thought it would be. Since I am a bit of a pacifist and an 'old flower child' I will not go into my thoughts on war.

Burying The Dead by Timothy H. O'Sullivan

However photographs recorded much, much more than death and gave us a great history of the Civil War. Check out the National Archives selection at National Archives civil war photographs to see a wealth of photographs on this subject. The photograph above is from their selection.

In January we will have a class on 20th century photography and I will use that class to go deeper into the social aspects of how life and minds were changed by photography and indeed writing. Also we will discuss how photography became an art form. But next is 20th century painting and sculpture. Unfortunate that I missed the first class on this subject but will catch you up the best I can.

In the meantime take a bit of time to explore the wonderful world of photography.

Until later my friends,

Caroline 

Docent in Training - Introduction to Photography

Steamfitter 1921 - Lewis Hine (1874-1940)

 Hello,

You should be able to guess what this weeks class was about by the photograph above. You got it: photography or rather an introduction to the history of photography. In an era where anyone that has a smart phone and snaps pictures right and left; it is easy to forget that true photography exists. But it does and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art (ACMAA) has one of the most important collections of this medium to be had. Below is from the museums web page.

The Amon Carter houses over 45,000 photographic prints, making the museum one of the country’s major repositories of American photography. The holdings span the history of the photographic medium, from one of the earliest daguerreotypes made in this country to inkjet prints being made today. Because of the fragile nature of photographs, the works on view change frequently and may not include images featured on the website.

If you are not close enough to the ACMAA to visit here is a link to some of the collection. http://www.cartermuseum.org/collection/photographs. No, they do not have all 45,000 prints on the web page and of course you will not be able to see all of the collection, but there will be something on view as mentioned above.

Photograph means writing with light from the early Greek. It has also been called by some painting with light. Either is an apt description of photography because light and a means to record it are essential. If you are interested in the history of photography please visit this web page http://www.photo-museum.org/photography-history/

Now the ACMAA would not have such an extensive selection of photography if in the early 20th century a group led by Alfred Stieglitz had not created the Photo-Secession group. They believed that photography can be an art form and I among many, many others totally agree. A beautiful silver gelatin print such as the one above and the two below can take my breath away.

The one of Georgia O'Keefe was taken by her husband Alfred Stieglitz and the ballet slippers was taken and printed by my husband Dave Laskowski. The ballet slippers are not part of the Amon Carter collection.  I urge you to look at photography as the beautiful art form it is.

The last part of the class had to do with how to engage visitors to the museum while giving a tour. It was fun. Next week we will go behind the scenes with the photography curator. A class I am very much looking forward to.

Will let you know how it goes,

Caroline