365 Inspirations—311: Peru Exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum

Peru exhibit at The Seattle Art Museum

"Going to Peru is, well, if you ever have an opportunity in your life to go there, you should do it because it is absolutely mind boggling."—Dean Stockwell

The first Thursday of every month is usually free at the Seattle Art Museum, so we went. We had to pay a little extra for the amazing Peru exhibit. There were three different groups of friends who wanted to see this exhibit with me, but I decided to go with my husband, Yoon today.

The reason being that this exhibit has special significance for the both of us because we just returned from Peru in September. My experiences there are being documented in a new book I'm writing. 

We both picked up audio equipment at the entrance of the exhibit so that we could hear the descriptions and historical background of each piece.

I was particularly interested in the Pre-Incan artifacts. Peruvians, particularly those of the ancient civilizations, have a strong connection to the earth, sun, moon, stars, etc. Cosmology was a big part of their lives. The early Peruvians did not see death as something that should be mourned. Opposites like light/dark, sun/moon, earth/sky, life/death were seen as interconnected. Without one there could not be the other. The full cycle of life and afterlife were celebrated.

I was surprised to discover that long ago early Peruvians drank Chicha (alcohol made from corn). This was said to aid in fertility. After some of the Chicha was consumed, it was given back to the earth or thrown down as an offering to Mother Earth, known by many Peruvians as Pachamama.

While in Peru, I had the opportunity to participate in a ceremony with a shaman high up in the mountains at a Pre-Incan ruin. The shaman burned herbs and chanted. We made offerings of rice, dried fish, beans, and chicha. I was happy to discover that these rituals have been around for thousands of years.

While I was fascinated by the exhibit and the history of the ancient cultures of Peru, there's nothing like visiting Peru itself. I feel it is one place you must experience. When you go to Machu Picchu, you can feel the past, present and future all at once. It is truly a remarkable place.

Have you ever been to an art exhibit that held particular meaning for you?

365 Inspirations—34: ART

 Distraction by Karin Davie, 1965

"If you hear a voice within you say 'you cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."—Vicent Van Gogh

 I love art. I love sculptures, paintings, mixed media, jewelry—just about anything really! Art makes my heart sing and sometimes I really FEEL something. I love making art, but I'm sort of self conscious about this. I think I'd like to make more art, particularly paintings or mixed media on canvas.

It's the first weekend of the month and I got free admission today to the Seattle Art Museum because holders of a Bank of America credit card get into museums for free on the first weekend of every month.

My husband and I drove to downtown Seattle and hiked up the hill to the SAM (Seattle Art Museum). We were excited to see some new exhibitions. There was an exhibition on gold throughout history and another installment from a very gifted modern Japanese artist named Yayoi Kusama. You can read more about that artist here: http://seattleartmuseum.org/elles/elles_kusama.html

I love wandering through the paintings and sculptures. You can really get a sense of the times through art that was created in a particular time period. I love the vividness and aliveness of the older painters and I love their ability to capture a moment and make it seem so real, but I'm actually more drawn to modern art because of the freedom of expression in these paintings. Here's a painting I fell in love with by Raqib Shaw from India. I love the story it tells, mixed media and the vibrant colors. It is sort of an aquatic fantasy in which the subjects must face all kinds of obstacles. It's called Garden of Earthly Delights.

I am attracted to color in a painting and life. It can be abstract, but I want to feel a sense of "aliveness" when I see it. I've only ever attempted to paint ONE painting in my life. I did it suddenly after my best friend lent me art supplies. I did it in my kitchen from paint and mixed media and it took me about an hour to do. I call it Clear Fall Day. When I finished it I hung it on my living room wall and my husband came home and said, "I like it!" It is now in our guest bedroom.

And my favorite painting of all, which I purchased after a trip to Sedona, AZ, is this painting of an Agave Plant. We have it over our fire place and when it's rainy outside, it reminds me of my time in the desert.

Do you like art? Do you have any art in your home? Do you like to visit art galleries?