Tang Museum

Sunday, September 21.  Saratoga Springs.  Gorgeous day.  Visit to the Tang Museum.  

My favorite piece will not look like much in the picture.  It includes motion and sounds so you really have to be there.  But here is the bench you can sit on:  

                     

Here is what you see:  a plastic pool.  On the water many bowls and glasses in tones of white and blue are floating and being propelled by a gentle currant (from a small engine.)  

      

As the bowls gently dance around the pool, they hit each other and create a musical landscape of clinging sounds.  At the same time, coming from the loud speaker is a composition by David Lang (fabulous contemporary composer.)  The whole experience is magical.  

My favorite wall piece:

   

And a detail:   

   

 I enjoyed this too.  Elegant:

  

And this.  Swirly:

  

Going upstairs, a fantastic collection of pieces that recalled the magic of geodes:

 

Anyone remembering some of my drawing-a-day efforts will understand my appreciation of these towers/columns:  

   

And speaking of tall things, this crazy cartoon-like sculpture bade us goodbye:

  

Plus a few Saratoga sightings:

  

Marionettes and Lumpy Trees

Well worth checking out:  in Boston, in Copley Square's public library, on the very top floor, a tiny room is the home of the amazing collection of marionettes by  William Addison Dwiggins.   2 long display windows full of characters of all sorts.

Looking up, the mess of handles:

And in the back, above the mantelpiece, a lovely small mural.  No name of artist.  

It looks somewhat unfinished but I love it that way.  

To add to the visual pleasures of the day, there were some lumpy trees,

And some very sweet fountain pieces.  (Public Gardens)