Yet Another Wonderful Visit to the Crocker Art Museum!

It's always a great day if I visit the Crocker Art Museum. I usually plan my whole day around it. I am a Sacramento native so the Crocker Art Museum has been a really big player in my art education. It has also been the site of a few first dates for me. It is a place that I hold near and dear to my heart which is why I was so happy to have another excuse to go visit!

Hung Liu Shoemakers (1999)

I was really happy to see Hung Liu's Shoemakers (1999) after learning about her connection to California. On the Crocker's Website, they credit Liu's source as photographs that were taken by foreigners of Chinese people during the earlier 1900's. This is important to note because family photos were destroyed after the Chinese government started a campaign to dispose of the pictures.  The piece has a distressed and dripping paint veil that covers the figures. This makes me feel like I'm viewing something that is forgotten. The family depicted in the piece seem dutiful as they fade to the back after day in and day out work. I thought it was really cool to find out that she now teaches at Mill College in Oakland.

Gottfried Helnwein Untitled (The Disasters of War 10) 2007

My favorite piece in the Crocker's contemporary collection is Gottfried Helnwein's Untitled (The Disasters of War 10 (2007). I love the absolute perfection that it takes to create an image that is this photo-realistic. I really love that it is informed by Francisco Goya's Disasters of War series. That is one of my favorite series ever so anytime I find art that is connected to or informed by it, I am excited. I was lucky enough to be around for the exhibition the Crocker held in 2011 which was my first introduction to Helnwein's work. I like that he uses absolute photo-realistic technique to capture the kind of harrowing innocence of the children he is painting. Gottfried was born in Vienna but would eventually become a California based artist who is still creating today. 

Some of my other favorite pieces from the Crocker include:  

Dave Chihuly Golden Teal Chandelier (2014)

I really love the forms Chihuly has created with this cascading chandelier. It has a pristine organic look that always reminds me of a jellyfish flouncing around in the ocean. 

William Chambers High Hoopers (1974)

This piece represents photorealism and pop art at its finest. The shoes are glossy and sensual. They capture a moment in 1970's American fashion and in consumerist history.

I really enjoy this spot in the Crocker because you get a glimpse of the old crocker museum building from within the new wing!

I come to the Crocker Art Museum so frequently that I feel that I am becoming friends with a lot of the pieces. I am comforted by the familiar halls and twists of the third floor where the modern and contemporary works are displayed. The works displayed come from artists from the local, nation, and global art community. I love that the Crocker offers interactive stations that invite viewers to express themselves and talk about some of the pieces shown.  I am always impressed by the Crocker Art Museum's dedication to great art. 

The Crocker Art Museum is located at 216 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. The pieces that I mention in this post all belong to the Crocker's permanent collections and are on display on the third floor! You can access the Crocker Art Museum website here: https://www.crockerart.org/