Washington, DC

We left the RV in storage in Denver when we all flew out, Cheryl, Dave and Bennett to El Paso to spend time with Dave’s family and Jerry and Anna Lee to start a few week trip in DC.  We began our adventures with what was to be a volkswalk and tour of the European Embassies.  Each spring, during our visit here, the embassies hold an open house and we have always had something that prevented us from visiting them.  This year we were determined to do the tour and even made plans to be with Jackie, our friend from home, and her sister-in-law.  Well, the lines to the embassies were hundreds of people and hours long.  We went into two of them and found the whole thing rather disappointing so we found a better idea.  Lunch.  We ate well and had enjoyable conversation, a day well spent.

Jackie, Billie and Anna Lee outside the Portugal Embassy

 We were treated to dancers outside of Greece

Mother’s Day we faced more lines but, wow, what a reward.  The Hirshhorn Gallery on the Mall had an exhibition of Yayoi Kusama’s work.  Kusama is a Japanese artist whose genre can be easily described as painting dots, millions of dots.  Her work is challenging, beautiful and breathtaking. This is one of the few solo extensive exhibits of the work of a woman artist and it exceeded expectations on attendance.  We have to thank Dave for volunteering at the exhibit, it was the only way for us to get these highly demanded, and free, tickets. 

Her photo

Kusama has made sculptures

but is best known for her Infinity Rooms, small rooms lined with mirrors and filled with circular or tubular objects.  Viewers enter each room two or three at a time, hence the long lines.  You only get 20-30 seconds but it is dazzling.  Fortunately, the Hirshhorn allowed photographs of most of the exhibit so we gladly share a glimpse of what we saw.  

Souls of Millions of Light Years Away

Dots Obsession-Love Transformed into Dots

Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity

All the Eternal Love I Have for Pumpkins is a tribute to her family’s farm in Japan.

In the Obliteration Room visitors added dots to the walls, floor, furniture and other objects.

This exhibit heads out on a four-city tour including The Broad in Los Angeles the end of this year.  If you can see it, do so!  

After a brief respite, we went to see some of the permanent exhibit.

These Orchids are on the main floor..

Untitled

Window by Gerharrd Richter

Fish by Alexander Calder

 This car is parked in the entrance.