HELLO AGAIN. MOMA: TEXT FOCUSED ARCHIVE 2021 - PART 2-

Partial view of Henry Datger, I have a big personal story to share something about this artist and me someday,
although I am not ready yet to do so right now.

MoMA: Permanent Collection 1940s~1970s (Floor 4)

Part 2 of the MoMA archive will be even more text panels focused than the part 1.  Part 2 covers the floor 4 of their collection of 1940s~1970s.

The Henry Darger piece on top is also on this floor. This picture is the central part of the entire image. (the hole view can be found below)

There have been many things I would like to share that have been happening around me these past weeks, and also things I have been thinking and questioning, but we will keep them for later blogs since part 2 is already long enough with all pictures of texts captured. 

I have sent three cards to Japan this past week, two to Tokyo and One to Aichi prefecture, all of them arrived in about one week or about 7~10 days, less than two weeks.  It took about two weeks. What can you read from this information about the world's flight situation? 

International first class letters are delivered by air. Thankfully the cost hasn't increased since before pandemic, 

Well it is actually more complicated than you can answer in one sentence in any way. A few things you can include in your consideration: here is significantly leff flight from USA to Japan compared to before pandemic, maybe less letters sent to Japan now, less Japanese in USA, airlines might be prioritizing letter than packages as it is easier to check the content, local post offices (in both countries) are less busy, the timing I sent was good and arrived just to make it to the next flight, etc. 

It's worth seeing these small changes, if you care about the world, before WWII there were a president of a Japanese trading company, and a Japanese European-bakery/ patisserie in Japan, who predicted that war was coming. In my letter case, it is because of the pandemic, but any moment any thing you are seeing, you might be seeing a small yet significant sign of something to come. 

Have you ever listened the song called "Arasoi No Kawa" by The Timers? It's Japanese band (banned to play on TV because of their anti nuclear power plant sondgs etc). This specific song was talking about how when we are busy and when our attention is somewhere else (like our mind have been busy occupied with covid-19 and vaccination, if now), other individuals/people with (bad) intentions are keep working behind and moving things forward. 

When we see a painting or sculpture, or a photograph, or film from decades ago, if we wish to take a glance at the creator's vision, we do need a lot of knowledge about the background of the artist and the time period. While anyone can always see the artwork itself, or from today's perspective, as long as the work still exists. 

Reading these texts helps you to see something more about artwork and about the artist's state when they made the piece. Artwork is something you see, feel, and to read. 

Remember, an artist is an individual who lived their time sensitively and emotionally, artwork is not a pure literal translation of the publicly acknowledged history. 

I thought this is an extremery beautiful image. Workd by Andrey Arsenyevich Tarkovsky and After Hours by Martin Scorsese(1985), and a bit of paintings by Vilhelm Hammershøi..., I can list a few more images that I can connect this photography to.  Anyhow, I have a deep affection to the film grain in film photographies. 

I sent a postcard of work by Thomas Bayle to my mother. Anyone else think of image of the factory from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? The time when the mass-production started to exist. 

I met this sculpture in Paris in his museum, but this was the first time seeing this Engraving of the sculpture. An artist making the same image in different forms. What could it mean? I love this and the sculpture. If I ever become an art collector, his sculpture of this engraving might be one of them I would love to see daily, in the living room with a skylight perhaps. 

Thank you fo rreading and I will see you soon at part 3 of this blog.