Of da Vinci and Portman

I think I mentioned I planned to visit the High Museum with Gale earlier in the week.

I'll confess that I've only been to the High once or twice. I know Keith and I went to see an exhibit of Kandinsky years ago, and perhaps we went soon after it opened. Although I enjoyed the Kandinsky, and I don't think that exhibit disappointed, I remember having a feeling of being shorted otherwise. The High Museum seemed to be much ado about very little.

Thus, exhibits have come and gone, and I've not been to see any of them.

I knew some of da Vinci's work was here, but I'd not planned to go. However, when Gale called to invite me, I thought that it would be fun.

Not really knowing how long it would take or what the crowds might be like, I purchased tickets online for 11:00 a.m. When we arrived on what turned out to be a particularly windy and cold day, we saw busloads of students ahead of us.

Needless to say, the da Vinci exhibit was quite crowded. I'm glad that students are being taken on field trips to see art, especially as I think it's one of the areas that keeps getting cut in public schools. Not having kids, I don't really know.

However, the exhibit had only about 12 pieces of his works, and for the most part, they were all very small. Some were quite fascinating, and I could have spent more time perusing them, but that's difficult in a crowd.

There is also an exhibit by John Portman, the architect, that quite frankly I had no interest in seeing and most likely would have skipped if I were by myseff. Thank goodness Gale wanted to see it, as it turned out to be quite interesting.

You may have heard of him. He's designed quite a few buildings that decorate the Atlanta skyline, but he also paints. On display were some of his architectural models, along with preliminary sketches, and in the more recent ones, computer renderings. There were also very many of his abstract paintings and some sculptures of stainless steel.

His abstract paintings are what I found so interesting. His buildings are much more linear, especially his second home. His paintings were very organic. Layers of acrylic paints built up on some to interesting textural effects. Lots of curving lines in every single one of them.

I find myself thinking I may have to go back, at a later time in the day after all the field trippers have gone back to school, and look more closely. There were other galleries through which we strolled where I would like to linger and ponder what I'm seeing.