As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, we are now in DC enjoying family time and museums. We flew out on Anna Lee’s birthday and there was a cake to celebrate.
The next morning we went to our first museum of the trip, the Smithsonian American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery. Of course, we wanted to see the Obama’s portraits which are as dramatic as expected.
A docent was giving the background of the Presidential paintings. He explained that Clinton’s
painting was done by an artist who is in a wheelchair and has limited use of his hands. He also suffers from, stereoblindness, an inability to see three-dimensional faces. Like most artists, he was able to paint from a photograph. Photographs of Clinton’s picture show the technique the artist used.
The exhibit of silhouettes by Kristi Malkoff, who lives in Moscow, is amazing.
This profile is made of letters and numbers, situated so the light casts this shadow.
This shadow is cast from cuts in a piece cardboard or styrofoam.
The newly acquired painting of Henrietta Lacks is a tribute to a woman whose cells have been used in 10,000 medical patents. She died of cancer years ago but her harvested cells continue to reproduce. Artist Kadir Nelson used the shape of cellular structures for the pattern of the dress. The missing buttons represent cells taken without permission. The background is of “Flowers of Life” representing immortality for the decades of research done with her “immortal” cells.
This one is included to make us ladies feel comfortable with our bodies.
We later picked Bennett up for his swimming lessons. His teacher is excellent, stern with a sense of warmth, and the children respond well to her instruction.
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