Local artists hang their work on the fence of the Honolulu Zoo every Saturday morning. Paintings of various mediums (oil, arcrylic, watercolor) and photography of the island were showcased. Mainly their work caters to tourists of Hawaii... there were a few whose work I was really intrigued by, but mostly I thought it was a little generic. I'm such a snob, I know. It was nice to peruse and chat with the artists.
Honolulu Academy of Arts
This museum was outstanding and really a pleasant surprise. The museum is a low-rise structure that features a series of galleries connected by covered walkways and enclosed courtyards. It is a great facility, perfect for the Hawaiian climate. In contrast to a typical museum set up it excels - between each exhibit you get a breath of fresh air and sunlight, see the flowers and foliage which inspired the art. I guess as both a landscape architect and artist this made complete sense.
Really nice sculptures were featured in the courtyard spaces as well.
(Henri Moore bronze casting on the bottom right).
I managed to get a couple of photos of the interior exhibits before I was reprimanded for my photography. (I was not using the flash... not sure how I was hurting anything). These photos show a few of the really nice examples of Southeast Asian and Polynesian art and artifacts.
I was impressed by the range of art - almost every time, place, and culture was represented in some way. It was a very complete museum. Among the big named artists featured: Monet, Cezanne, VanGogh, Degas, Copely, Church, O'Keeffe, Diego Rivera, Isamu Noguchi, Cassett... I know I'm missing some, but really, that's a pretty complete list in itself, isn't it? And in general, really fine examples of work from each of the artists. A really nice surprise was the work of Georgia O'Keeffe. She spent some time in Hawaii - she was hired by Dole plantation to paint a pineapple and they sponsored her trip to the island. She spent 3 months in Hawaii, never painting the prescribed pineapple, instead focusing on the island's real beauty - the sculptural landscape. :) I really admired this painting and used it in one of my color theory projects last semester, not realizing it was a Hawaiian landscape. This piece and a few other pieces she produced on her visit now hang in the museum. Always nice to view a piece you are already so familiar with - nice surprise.
It may sound weird, but I felt like I really started making important connections at this museum. Through my study at USC, especially my first art history class, and all the travel I did done as an undergraduate, I was just able to put everything into perspective between the various exhibits. I felt in general I was able to make connections between place and culture and the art that was associated with that place and time. And then was able to see the influences and evolution between cultures. I really saw it and appreciated it in a new way. Maybe this is hard to explain... I guess for the first time I wasn't overwhelmed and lost - I was genuinely interested in each exhibit. I like to think that this new educational pursuit is paying off.
And while we're being inspired by the natural world, I have to mention the amazing Banya Trees in Hawaii. Banya Trees are a type of fig tree, in the states we like to grow this tree indoors - a nice house plant. When allowed to run wild outdoors the have this incredible growth pattern - they are called 'prop roots'. These trees begin by growing on another host tree or structure (like a bridge or building) and then they often consume the host by continually expanding and sending out these prop roots. I first was introduced to the plant on my trip to Asia, most memorably at Ankor What in Cambodia. This outstanding example was in the park across from the museum.
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