Mar 7
While I love Gothic art, there is something especially appealing about the Irish Gothic style. The heavy infusion of Celtic design and the stylized figures energize this art and gives it a playful feel. Many of the medieval ruins I found in Ireland where not particularly ornate which made the appearance of Gothic figures and motifs that much more enjoyable.
Doorway decoration from the Monastery at Dysert O’Dea (County Clare):
How would you arrange pieces in an art gallery? Should paintings be placed in groups by artistic movement? Does it makes more sense to see everything in chronological order? Should geographic differences and temporal differences rigidly divide works?
Time period, artistic movement, and geography are often used to organize a museum. Imagine how many times you’ve entered into the first room of “old” art and then walk forward in time through each successive room. Changing this classic approach, San Diego’s three major art museums put together something a little different which I thought made for a really incredible show. They’ve combined works from their very unique collections into thematically based exhibits broadly entitled “Behold, America!” on display until Feb 12, 2013.
