Romare Bearden. "Odysseus Leaves Nausicaa." 1977.
two weeks into the new year, and i'm not making much progress on my resolutions.
#1) be better dressed for work (i'm actually doing ok with this one, but it's thwarting resolution #2) be on time for work (i also blame this song, and this song...this one too. ok, i'm on a serious fiona apple jag of late, but really, once i put any music on, i can't seem to get myself out the door).
i've already broken # 3, which is to read the books on my bookshelf before buying more (but i've only purchased 2 books, paris walks and another paris guide. i will actually need those for my upcoming trip, so i figure that's acceptable.
i will give myself a little more time to learn how to bake cinnamon rolls (# 4).
i am actually reading more (perennial # 5).
i also have a bit more time to eat out more in my neighborhood (#6) and visit the 2 art institutions that are around the block from me (the morgan library and scandinavia house -- # 7, # 8).
so all in all, not a terrible start...
and in other respects, it's been a fun couple of weeks.
i've had some pretty great food moments, including a long-awaited reunion with a dear friend at eisenberg's sandwich shop, for an extra sloppy, extra special pastrami and cole slaw sandwich.
i was able to catch alvin ailey at city center just before the official start of new year, an experience which merits a separate post, if i can get my act together this week.
and i caught wind of a romare bearden exhibit at the dc moore gallery (made it to the gallery on the final afternoon).
i thrill to any opportunity to see bearden's work, which i became acquainted with thanks to a course with professor robert o'meally (zora neale hurston professor of english and comparative literature/founder and director of the center for jazz studies at columbia/professor of cool). "a black odyssey" surely broadens the view for those of us who are familiar with bearden as a preeminent "jazz artist" and o'meally does provide some context for those who may wish to contemplate the homer/harlem connection, notions of "home" and the odyssey of the individual (perhaps, "with the right spirit, we too can feel at home on the road, wherever our own odyssey may lead").
i marvel at bearden's collages and recognize the significance of the cut-outs, but of the work shown at the dc moore gallery, i was most taken with the smaller watercolor versions of the black odyssey, especially, odysseus leaves nausicaa (collage version, above), the sea nymph and calypso's sacred grove (which is apparently available as a mousepad. who knew?). i also loved the ink drawings from "the iliad series."
before leaving the gallery at 724 fifth ave, i decided to detour into the tibor de nagy gallery and saw biala: i belong where my easel is (it also happened to be the last day for that show). i'm not at all familiar with janice biala, but liked a couple of the collages very much, "untitled (roma)" and "untitled (loger le bateau sur la seine)." it was a pleasant discovery.
my "wandering" was fruitful in another respect. i learned that the tibor de nagy would next feature jane freilicher, who i've been intrigued by ever since i found out she was the "jane" of frank o'hara's chez jane. i hope to check it out this week...
more on romare bearden at the bearden foundation website...
ny sun's review of romare bearden: a black odyssey here...
