Chicago Art Institute

It was the hottest day in Chicago for FIVE YEARS. Oh yeah...Marion (my friend from Canada) and I are taking a couple of days of R&R. She flew the fabulous Porter Air from Toronto -- and I drove. A quick 3 hours for both of us.

This is a random picture -- on our way to the Art Institute.



Once we arrived -- Marion found a Renoir...


Grant Wood drew me in like he always does, with his American Gothic magnet...



There was a large wall, with pieces of upholstery fabric hanging...(I'm thinking -- maybe my basement really is ART??)



I found myself taking pictures of the very same pictures I saw last year...Georgia O'Keefe flowers, Hopper's Nighthawks, the Grant Wood...THEN IT HAPPENED. I saw this picture...


My Iowa family will understand completely. IT'S MY BROTHER-IN-LAW NED..!! I swear...if the guy was wearing bib overalls -- Ned would be able to sue them for stealing his likeness...except maybe it was painted 100 years ago...I dunno...

Speaking of my "art-ignorance" -- here I am, in the contemporary section -- in front of a very famous painting...

My expression is, "really??" Yes, that's right, it's all black. Well, mostly black. There is a nearly invisible fine white line in the center of the canvas...wha??

I asked Marion to take this picture. The young uniformed guard was looking at me, and I said, "I need the picture so I can make fun of it." She nodded in an understanding way...

To be honest (and this is hard for me) -- many times, visiting a sophisticated art gallery feels like I'm living out a chapter in "the Emperor's New Clothes".