Stieglitz and Marin: Together, Apart, and Together Again, Part 1

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Conservation

In this three part series, Conservation Assistant Caroline Hoover outlines the process of treating a photogravure by Marius de Zayas.

(left and middle) Marius de Zayas, Alfred Stieglitz and John Marin, 1914. Photogravure, 22.1 x 16.5 cm. Gift of Fern M. Schad, 2004 (right) Camera Work, the source of the piece

ABOUT THE ART
This photogravure, Alfred Stieglitz and John Marin, is a work of art that was made from an original drawing by Marius de Zayas and printed onto very thin Japanese tissue. This piece was included in a collection of artists’ works published in the periodical Camera Work XLVI, 1914. Camera Work was a well known publication put together by Stieglitz to support and promote photography as an art form. He included photogravures because they were made from original negatives and often supervised by the artist or even at times printed by the artist himself. As such, they represented the original works very closely. The publication showcased the best examples of photogravure printing.

WHAT IS PHOTOGRAVURE?
The photogravure process is the transfer of the original photo negative to a transparency as a positive image. It is then contact printed onto light sensitive paper from which it is then transferred to a copper plate as a negative image. The plate is etched in acid, inked up, and printed as a positive image. As you can imagine, it was a very sophisticated and complicated process that required a lot of finesse.

The 8 Most Creative Instagrams of Bernardi Roig’s Sculptures

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Experiment Station

We love how creative Instagrammers have been getting when snapping photos of Bernardi Roig’s sculptures inside and outside of the museum. Here are some of our favorites.

Unique angles of Bernardi Roig’s sculpture An Illuminated Head for Blinky P. (The Gun), 2010 from (left) @catbradley and (right) @pootie_ting

instagram creativity_above below man of light

Roig’s The Man of the Light (2005) as seen by instagrammers (left) @vajiajia and (right) @frisbeejackson

instagram creativity_reverse man of light

These two instagrammers caught almost the exact same image in reverse (top: @zlexi, bottom: @katemartian)

Roig’s Acteón (2005) from below (photo: @lgomez66) and above (photo: @vajiajia)

Family Nordic Art-Venture: Part 2

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Experiment Station

This weekend, the Phillips is hosting a Nordic Wonderland family program in collaboration with the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. To help us get ready for the celebration, we asked staff to share important Nordic winter traditions from their countries. Read Part 1 here and learn about traditions in Denmark, Iceland and Finland.

Snow fun and ice swimming in Finland.

Holiday Season in Finland

It is the end of one year, the beginning of another, and usually also the beginning of the proper winter. It is the time to relax, be with family and enjoy outdoor activities like skiing, skating, or playing ice hockey, after which it is a perfect time to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate by the fire. For those brave enough, try one of the favorite activities of Finns in the winter: there are around 180,000 lakes in Finland, and we use them in the wintertime simply by making a hole in the ice for winter swimming. At first, winter swimming can sound crazy (even scary!) but combine a warm sauna with the dip and you will experience relaxation beyond your dreams. Trust us Finns, take a chance.

In the morning of December 24, Joulupukki (Santa Claus) starts his journey from Korvatunturi and brings presents for children. He must visit every home in one evening so logistically it’s quite a challenge but he knows how to do it. Santa spends a little time in every household and enjoys some gingerbread cookies before continuing his journey.

Fireworks are an integral part of the New Year’s celebration, but the best firework display one could have is seeing the Milky Way above you in a crisp January night. Traditions also include predicting the future from tin figures which you make yourself by heating tin and pouring them in cold water. What will 2015 have store for you?

We hope everyone has a beautiful Christmas and a happy new year. Or as we Finns would say, Hyvää Joulua ja Onnellista Uutta vuotta!

Keijo Karjalainen, Cultural Counseler, and Pauliina Pennanen, Culture and Media Assistant, Embassy of Finland

Photo: Lena Granefelt/imagebank.sweden.se

Lucia in Sweden

The Santa Lucia celebration on December 13 is one of Sweden’s most cherished cultural traditions. Legend claims that Lucia was a mythical figure with the role of light bearer in the dark Swedish winters. In the old almanac, Lucia Night was the longest of the year.

The Santa Lucia procession is a line of girls and boys in white gowns singing Christmas carols. The boys are usually dressed as tomtar (Santas) or stjärngossar (star boys); girls are tärnor (Lucia’s handmaidens). Each year in every town and village around the country a Lucia is selected, and there is even a National Lucia in Sweden. The Lucia celebrations are enjoyed with Swedish holiday delicacies like pepparkakor (ginger snaps) and lussekatter (saffron buns) that are usually accompanied by glögg (hot mulled wine) or coffee.

To learn more, watch, “Swedish Lucia For Dummies.”

Linda Tocchini-Valentini, Communications Officer, Embassy of Sweden