Lifelike

This past weekend, I went with a friend to visit La Jolla, a suburb of San Diego.  During our trip we decided to visit the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.  They had an exhibit called "Lifelike" that I had heard of, and was really interested in seeing.  Located in the middle of La Jolla, it was a walking distance from our hotel, and ended up being one of the highlights of our trip!  Here are a few of the pieces in the exhibit.

Vija Celmins, 1967

Image Courtesy of mcasd.org

This may look like an eraser, but it is actually three feet long, and made out of balsa wood and acrylic paint.  It looks so much like the real thing, you have to look really close and carefully to see what it really is.  I really like this piece of the exhibit because of how the artist made a simple, everyday thing into a piece of art.

Jud Nelson, 1981

Image Courtesy of walkerart.org

This piece is so realistic, I almost leaned over to pick it up when I saw it in the middle of the gallery.  This realistic looking trash-bag was actually made of marble, and intricately carved.  The details are so accurate that it took the artist 6 years just to make this one piece!

"(Old) No One - in Particular #6, Series 2," by Evan Penny

This piece REALLY creeped me out.  Made of latex, animal hair and many other material's, it looks like someone chopped the bottom part of a real old man.  The wrinkles and details in the face must have taken forever to form.  The eyes were what made this sculpture look so real.  With eyelashes and everything, these eyes look unnaturally real.

Overall, this exhibit went beyond my expectations, and I would definitely recommend going.  From mini elevators to giant milk cartons, this gallery has a range of pieces.

The Leonardo

A couple of months ago, I went to visit the Leonardo Museam in Salt Lake City.  Instead of just buying a one day ticket, my mom and I decided to get a membership, meaning that we can go whenever we want to!  One of my favorite exhibits I have seen is called Nature's Toolbox.  I really like this exhibit, because it combines a bunch of artists with different style from different places into one coherent exhibit.  Here are a few pictures that I took of the exhibit.

A video sculpture done by Katja Loher

I've heard of Katja Loher in the past, but never got to see any of her sculptures in person until this exhibit.  I was not disappointed.  The way her sculptures incorporate the video is really cool.  This particular video sculpture was made to look like a beehive.  I don't like bees, but I loved this sculpture!

Picture by  Nathan Cumming

This picture is really incredible.  The photo that I took of it does not give it justice!   It is a zoomed in picture of a purple flower, and the detail and quality is incredible!  The print is HUGE, and probably my favorite thing in the whole exhibit!

 As well as Nature's Toolbox, the Leonardo also has the biggest mummy exhibit in the world, and a ton of fun interactive activities!  I highly recommend that you go visit this museum next time you have a chance.  You won't be disappointed!