Oregon State Capital Building

Several weeks ago when John and I went to the Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum in Eugene, OR and we stopped through Salem (state capital of Oregon) on our way home. We only stopped into Salem to check-out the interesting state capital building. Hopefully we can make it back to sometime to check-out more of the city and actually take a tour inside the state capital. The primary feature of the capital building is a chopped-off column with a gold figure on top. The white marble facade also displays scenes of the pioneers from the Oregon Trail flanking both sides of the building.

Ryo Toyonaga

Last week I wrote about the Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum in Eugene, OR. Their current special exhibition featured contemporary artist Ryo Toyonaga.  Toyonaga's art not only complimented the Schnitzer's permanent Asian collections, but also demonstrated his particular artistic expression through a variety of mediums of visual interpretation (painting, ceramic, mixed media, etc.). His aesthetic is of a dystopian monster-like landscape with Tim Burtonesque formations and creatures. He is offering a strong commentary about cities, nature, and the conflicts between those two entities. Toyongaga is successful in using many types of materials and mediums to introduce viewers to his specific alien world of turbulent waves, tentacles, and unsettling organisms.

Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum

John and I have been wanting to travel down to Eugene, OR for a while and we finally got a chance to visit a couple of weeks ago. The main attraction we wanted to see was the Jordan Schnitzer Art Museum, which is located in the middle of the campus of the University of Oregon (home of the ducks). The museum featured several Asian collections, some select but great contemporary art, and a really fascinating special exhibition. The museum also featured an exposed interior courtyard, which reminded me of the courtyard featured at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. 
 

Buddist head comprised of Sotheby's auction catalogs

I love this Kusama pumpkin print!

Unusual but inventive display using river stones

19th century Japanese prints; precursors to modern Japanese comics

 

One of many things John liked

Walton Ford - one of my favorite contemporary artists

A rare Basquiat sculpture