Cycled to ‘Unsui (Mirror)’ one of nine ‘Desert X’ temporary installations across the Coachella Valley. The clouds’ appearance shifted as I moved, thanks to small, pivoted mirrors. The support poles are also mirrored. ‘Unsui’ is Japanese for ‘clouds and water’ which describes Zen monks who’ve achieved enlightenment. At a more literal level, the art piece seems to depict rain: from this angle the clouds suggest a storm.
Category: Create
With apologies to David Hockney
This is the only photo I took today, which reminds me, the “David Hockney: Perspective Should Be Reversed” exhibit we saw in Honolulu last year, is now in Palm Springs. We’ll be giving that a second look. The lounging pool in the photo is just below our rental.
Goodbye Norma Jean
On my cycle ride, stopped to watch workers preparing to move the 17-ton blonde bombshell less than 100 feet. The combined legal and moving fees are reportedly around $1 million. I was only three years old when ‘The Seven Year Itch’ first pushed back on the conservative mores of 1950s America.
An evening with Dianne Reeves
Walked over to the Annenberg Theater in downtown Palm Springs for a concert with jazz singer, Dianne Reeves. We first saw her in Minneapolis at Orchestra Hall, maybe 15 years ago, and we often play her music at home. She has evolved well over the years: more innovative, more energy, and more of an edge, including a political message to hold onto our humanity.
The sculptures the city keeps trying to move
On our Sunday morning walk, snow-dusted Mount San Jacinto while it was 70 degrees in the valley. We passed a large residential lot in a quiet neighborhood, overflowing with exuberant sculptures crafted from found objects by the homeowner. The bright colors and fanciful shapes stood in stark contrast to the understated elegance of Twin Palms, the Frank Sinatra house, just a block away.
Remembering the Bauhaus school, 1919–1933
A morning lecture on the Bauhaus school and its demise under National Socialism offered a stark warning about politically dictated aesthetics. This is especially relevant now, as our Administration insists on architectural styles for federal buildings reminiscent of those mandated by Germany’s 1930s leadership.
Valentine’s Day at the Palm Springs Art Museum
A rose graced our lunch table today at the Palm Springs Art Museum between exploring two galleries. A morning highlight was a James Turrell installation whose work I first encountered on Naoshima Island, Japan, and whose outdoor installation at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis I only recently discovered. After lunch, I smiled at a piece by artist John Dickinson, which “takes care of any pomposity” a room might possess.
What’s the purpose of having law?
It was too cold to walk, so I pedaled an exercycle while being unchallenged by my Japanese serial drama. Keito, the central character, is a highly ethical reporter working for a weekly tabloid that covers corrupt politicians and other scandals. As she uncovers yet another case with mitigating circumstances, she asks, “What’s the purpose of having law?”–A good question for the times we live in.
Tibetan shrine room at the Minneapolis Institute of Art
Today, we visited the Tibetan Shrine Room, a temporary exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Buddhist artifacts are arranged as they might be found in an affluent Tibetan home. Buddhism’s emphasis on kindness to others is a valuable lesson for our times.
Reimagining common spaces in a digital age
Retreating from the cold wind, I sought refuge in the skyways. Here, I’m walking through the Central Library, a place I rarely visit since I primarily borrow e-books online. My mind drifted to the stunning Mediatheque in Sendai, Japan, designed by Toyo Ito. I enjoyed a Sunday afternoon there, sheltering from an inbound typhoon, experiencing how libraries can be reimagined and be relevant and popular in the future.