Metro Rain

This morning, we woke up to weather worse than had been predicted. The rain was torrential, the winds were blustery, the skies were ominous … and yet, I donned my favorite raincoat and grabbed my giant upside-down floral umbrella (technically an inverted umbrella) and walked to the metro station. I smiled the entire time. What an adventure! Walking in the rain! Splashing through puddles!

Thirty minutes later I had the distinct honor of being the very first patron to enter the National Gallery of Art.

Today I began in the East Building which houses modern and contemporary art. It is interesting going from Renaissance masters of Giotto, Da Vinci, and Titian to more contemporary artists such as Picasso, Cezanne, and Miro’. While yesterday was all about beauty and emotion, today was more analysis than emotion, like I had to work a little harder to understand what the artist was trying to convey. But that is just my opinion and we are all art critics. Yes?

At one point I was standing in front of a Jackson Pollack painting, Number One, 1950 (Lavendar Mist). I was THINKING about it, but not getting anywhere. But then a security guard approached and, using a tiny flashlight, showed me some hidden secrets of the painting: a raisin and a roach, both of which Pollack just painted right over. So, thanks to the nice security guard (and a raisin and a roach) I was illuminated.

But I have to say, modern and contemporary art can be fun (“Yellow Nana”), or interactive (in which you become part of the artwork), or leave you wondering how this could even be called art (“Condensation Wall” which was basically a large acrylic cube with distilled water dripping down, or “Glass Case with Pies” which was a rack of pies, just like you would see in any diner across America).

Pat Steir

Curtain Waterfall, 1991

By the afternoon I was back in the West Building for another tour of European art, during which I met some people from Italy. Right there in front of a Giotto painting … how cool was that?

Unfortunately, by late afternoon it was STILL pouring when I exited the museum, but undeterred I slogged through the adjacent sculpture garden because … what an adventure! Walking in the rain! Splashing through puddles!

That is, until the thunder and lightning and then I hightailed it to the metro station. On the ride home took this photo which I entitled: 

Metro Rain, M. Novajosky, 2024