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News & ArtsTuesday, June 16, 2009
Visual Art Currently Hanging
Posted by Jen Graves on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:12 AM
Have you spent any time lately considering the fact that this holds the title as Seattle's favorite painting?
It's Alexander Max Koester's Moulting Ducks (circa 1900), in the permanent collection at the Frye.
2
not surprising – they're free range, and we all know that what makes a city's creative landscape interesting is its adherence to sustainable living.
4
will you just look at those beautiful ducks!
(but seriously, how does a painting become "seattle's favorite" anyway?)
(but seriously, how does a painting become "seattle's favorite" anyway?)
5
what happened to that publicly funded trip to DC to foster international amity in "arts jourmalism"? Anything come of that? Any increase in international amity in "Arts journalism"?
Btw is part of arts journalism picking out a piece of art from here or there and posting it? This part could be automated.
Btw is part of arts journalism picking out a piece of art from here or there and posting it? This part could be automated.
7
Did they take the poll outside of the Frye just when a busload of retired people from Sunset Hills were leaving?
8
Whatever. I think it's cute. Besides, we live in a country where Thomas Kinkade is popular. Seattle is doing well in comparison.
9
How is it Seattle's favorite? It certainly is mine, but was there some sort of poll, or retina scan near the painting to track 'seconds-on-canvas' ?
10
"Favourite" paintings of cities tend to run this way. I think "favourite" often just translates in people's minds to something they instantly like or find charming or friendly. Which is OK ... "favourite" is not necessarily "best," etc.
Come on. It's ducks! Everyone likes ducks.
Here's a sample from the Art Gallery of Ontario's "Favourites" exhibition from a few years back:
http://www.ago.net/favourites
Come on. It's ducks! Everyone likes ducks.
Here's a sample from the Art Gallery of Ontario's "Favourites" exhibition from a few years back:
http://www.ago.net/favourites
11
That is a remarkably sweet, cute painting. Knowing that it's the favorite is making me rethink Seattleites in a whole new way.
12
It's a good painting - it's not particularly provoking and the technique isn't greatly innovative, so I don't know if it's "great art" but it's proficient. There are worse and much blander paintings in museums everywhere.
13
I didn't vote for it.
Time for mass street protests.
Everybody should join me in protesting this selection of our official best art by dressing up in costumes this Saturday at Noon - let's meet in Fremont and march through the streets!
Time for mass street protests.
Everybody should join me in protesting this selection of our official best art by dressing up in costumes this Saturday at Noon - let's meet in Fremont and march through the streets!
14
After 7 years of hearing patrons gush over the work I certainly am not surprised to hear that it holds this title. (The 2nd Koester ducks painting the Frye has in its collection actually has a more interesting composition)
15
i was accosted by one of the volunteers & was made to answer questions and discuss this painting at length. i get a cringe-y feeling in my tummy when i see it now.
17
A kid in one of Kolya Rice's classes at UW wrote an inadvertently hilarious paper about this painting that ended ...in the end, it's just ducks."
18
If you want to see some cool art, SIFF Cinema is showing the Best of Fest from SIFF this weekend, and it includes a cool art film or two.
Plus some of the documentaries will knock your artistic socks off.
Plus some of the documentaries will knock your artistic socks off.
20
Koester's ducks are a favorite for visitors to the Frye, as is von Stuck's "Sin", as is Soulacroix's "Expectation", as is Max's "The Botanists". The list goes on.
Personally, I think memory and nostalgia play a big a role in determining a viewer's choice of what constitutes a personal favorite. I know that when I am at the Met, or any museum that displays its permanent collections, I always seek out my own idiosyncratic favorites, are these works by the biggest names or ones that exhibit the most current social/critical relevance? No, but I have my own relationship to these works and that is what is key. I have a history of looking at them.
There's not a thing wrong with appreciating the simple beauty of well painted ducks. If one actually takes the time to actually look.
Personally, I think memory and nostalgia play a big a role in determining a viewer's choice of what constitutes a personal favorite. I know that when I am at the Met, or any museum that displays its permanent collections, I always seek out my own idiosyncratic favorites, are these works by the biggest names or ones that exhibit the most current social/critical relevance? No, but I have my own relationship to these works and that is what is key. I have a history of looking at them.
There's not a thing wrong with appreciating the simple beauty of well painted ducks. If one actually takes the time to actually look.
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