A New Read

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I'm reading MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH MODERN ART about Katharine Kuh ( 1904-1944, pronounced Coo, I think). She was curator for Art Institute of Chicago; before that a gallery owner and later a critic. As a child she had polio. Like FDR she overcame it although lived with pain and difficulty.

She was friends with so many of the early 20th century painters of America and Europe. Her job as curator took her to museums and artist's studios all over the world. She talks about the thrill of seeking and acquring exceptional art (from collectors and elsewhere) for the museum.

One of the most interesting and provocative of her quotes that has resonance with me is the discussion of looking and seeing..."quite different processes...and a prerequisite. We can learn to look but to see is another matter... Looking is an occular affair; seeing demands total integration, both concious and unconcious...Seeing is the result of intuition and knowledge, of concentration and dream, of strong emotional reaction and not the least of flexibility." Katharine Kuh

Comments

Nono said…
Carole,
I am so impressed with your high tech skills! I loved seeing these paintings in person on Saturday. They are wonderful. I am not sure which one I like best. Arbor and Winter Sky and the Loops are at the top of my list.
September 1, 2009 at 4:55 PM
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