The Noguchi Museum
We went to the Noguchi Museum on Sunday.
It's a sculpture museum, and it's origins are fascinating (from a museum handout):
This pavilion occupies the site of a former service station that Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) bought as part of his plan to create a Museum to present his life's work. The museum opened in 1985.
...Chronologically, these large basalts are Noguchi's last large body of work: Noguchi stated: "Over the years, my sculpture becomes more and more concentrated on stone, especially the hard granites and the basalts which are to be found in Japan. There also must have been a process whereby I overcame the difficulties involved in carving these stones and grew to appreciate the endurance and beauty of the results."
The reason I included the section about large basalt is because Noguchi's work had an incredible range over his lifetime. His earlier work was precise and highly structured, as in these examples:
You might not be able to tell unless you click on the image, but the last sculpture is composed of a series of interlocking pieces, and it's incredibly beautiful.
Contrast those images with his work toward the end of his life:
It's astonishing to see these large works in person, particularly in conjunction with his statement about how he came to appreciate and embrace the difficulties of carving large stone.
I'll have more about Noguchi tomorrow (I think).
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