Considering the series of life decisions I have made, it comes as a surprise even to me that I am, perhaps uncharacteristically, averse to change. Maybe I'm not being completely fair, because I am most uncomfortable when changes are not in my favor, but change (even the expected kind), nonetheless, comes as a jolt to my system.
After visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art as frequently as I, one might expect to be more attuned to subtle changes in the galleries — but today I was alarmed to find that my favorite paintings had been removed from the stairwell at the southwest corner of the Modern Art wing. My Rosenquists! I was seriously distraught...
I don't know if I am just more inclined to notice changes in the galleries now, but I have since noticed several new paintings and several that no longer hang where they used to — and I'm not talking special exhibitions. I guess it's pretty naive for me to be so surprised that after visiting the Met 'everyday' for four months I've noticed some relatively insignificant changes — but maybe I am.
I can tell you though, that Pollock's Pasiphaë and another abstract expressionist painting have been replaced by two different Pollock paintings (one of which had, until February 2, been part of the Philippe de Montebello exhibition); that between Chuck Close's colorful circles portrait and Warhol's self-portrait with camouflage, now hangs a grey-toned Jasper Johns with a shadowy figure on the right; that instead of the Stephen Hannock landscape that hung beside its waterfall mate, there is now a panoramic horizontal painting of Christ with an overlying floral motif — all of which I plan to revisit and study. So, as I continue to mourn the loss of Rosenquist's Gift Wrapped Dolls, I will stay positive and look forward to picking new favorites.
*When I first began this project, part of the idea was to learn something about myself. In visits prior to the genesis of this blog, I had done some serious thinking and extensive soul-searching within the walls of the Met. So it seemed natural that, by going every day, I'd continue — and I have. So today's post has reflected on the way I felt inside the Met; and I will try to include more of my personal experiences in the future.
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That's how it works, and you'll find that the ever rotating collections will, in fact, broaden your appreciation. I recommend checking out the very new Kehinde Wiley, assuredly a recent purchase, as well as the new additions of a Benton and Wyeth, all of which are in the immediate vicinity of the staircase that formerly housed "your" Rosenquist's. Happy viewing.
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