I woke up at 4:45 Saturday morning with a pounding migraine in my head and extreme nausea in my stomach. Spending most of the day in bed, I managed to drag myself to the studio to record the music for Rhinoceros and attend a friend's daughter's sixteenth birthday party. At the end of the evening, I was just wrecked and my migraine returned along with the nausea. I found myself calling in sick, something I rarely do-especially if I have to conduct (one of my favorite things to do).
So, I had a free Sunday afternoon for a change. After the migraine and nausea subsided, I felt restless and had to move. That's when the Galician suggested we check out a new exhibit at the Chicago Cultural Center of a collection by the esteemed former art dealer Richard Harris, called Morbid Curiosity. I had seen many articles and press about the exhibit and was, excuse the awful pun.....dying to see the exhibit. See, his collection features works from Europe, Mexico, the United States, and Latin America, showcasing perception of death and the macabre from each of these areas of the world. Which, one assumes would be naturally morbid-true to its title-but maybe, even a bit gruesome. It was anything but. Yes, some works were unavoidably a bit gross-death can be violent and messy at times, but most of the works were spooky, clever, thought provoking, and just plain gorgeous.
Some of my favorites included a work from Swiss artist Roger Reutimann, entitled Death of Venus. Which, is a mixed medium red sculpture capturing the endearing and beautiful feminine figure of the goddess Venus, with her head replaced with a shrouded skull. Truly ingenious. Another favorite of mine was a bronze sculpture by Leonard Baskin called Death Satiated and Exhausted. Which, true to its name, was a hunched over, glutted and bloated form of the Angel of Death, it's famous plume of dark wings falling weakened, from the shoulders to the ground.
The collection ranged on in a collection of skulls, human figures (real and faux), paintings, collections of poetry, odds and end pieces, jewelry, graphic design, and so much more. Intrigued to see a sign pointing towards a special work by none other than the legendary Goya, I found myself in a side gallery-the end of the tour. Arguably the show piece of the entire exhibit lay at the far end of the gallery. A work by the trio of Argentinian artists Guerra De La Paz, and their incredible work Tribute, a gigantic structure composed of thousands of pieces of clothing ranging the spectrum of the rainbow.
It was in this gallery that I noticed a smartly dressed fellow browsing the works. He had a short greying beard and looked completely enthralled by the exhibit. I don't know why he caught my attention, but I remember thinking to myself at one point that he must be a professor. I decided to make my way to the lobby to take a look at some other objects from the exhibit, when the Galician came and excitedly dragged me back into the gallery. "It's Richard Harris, the Exhibitor," he said in his lovely accent. As I looked in the direction where he was pointing, my gaze fell upon the very same man I had noticed before. My first reaction was, it couldn't be him as for some reason I thought he looked different on television. But, the Galician insisted and pointed to his picture in the brochure. It was Richard Harris! Just as a huge grin spread across my face, Mr. Harris turned and looked in our direction and walked over to us.
He asked us how we liked the exhibit and both of us gushed about how wonderful we thought his collection was and how much of an honor is was to meet him. Now, I know for some of you, you're thinking...what's the big deal? It's not like he's Brad Pitt or something. Trust me, I've met plenty of celebrities and famous people from all walks of life in my short life and they are truly no big deal. They are just like any of us, but receive by far more attention for their talents and achievements. Meeting Richard Harris invoked the same feeling I felt when I first stepped into a Frank Lloyd Wright House/Museum that I happen to live close to. To be in the presence of true art, brought to you by someone who understands art and the artist is a special gift. For Richard Harris to bring Chicago his incredible collection is an honor in itself, and is a welcomed relief from all of the pomp and circumstance, and the celebrity crap mentioned in last week's blog that one is barraged with when turning on the television set or logs onto the internet.
So, check him out sometime and his thought-provoking exhibit. He has a blog too, which I think many will find interesting. I think you can sense the theme of my blogs this season will revolve around art. The reason being, I want to share stories about happiness and I believe art can invoke happiness, which in today's world is an art form in and of itself.
Blessings,
Jenne
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