KC 4 EVA

We made an extended pit stop in Kansas City. This allowed us to the visit the home and studio of the artist Thomas Hart Benton. A figure I love despite the fact that he isn't the greatest painter. He was a great illustrator for his time, and his murals still have an allure. But he was ultimately on the wrong side of history. He was a teach and eventual friend of Jackson Pollock. He wrote off abstraction and eventually severed ties with the New York scene. They however came to define American art and his brand of mid-western realism has drifted into relative obscurity. Except in Kansas City where his studio was.


This is a great photographic portrait of Benton which now hangs in his house. It depicts him painting his own self-portrait in oil. It has a delightful mirroring effect.



Benton was only 5'3". A kind of Napolean of pre-war American art. This cut out is his actual height.



He died in his studio and it has been left mostly untouched since that day. It was very modest for the amazing amount of output he created. Including murals for many civic buildings around America. 
One of the largest collections of Benton's canvases is at the Nelson-Atkins Museum in KC. We also made a point to see that. But we were honestly more taken by their Asian art collection.

When in KC one also has to get BBQ. We went to Jack Stack for burnt ends. These are the cripsy bits from the edge of a brisket. Also a corn bake and some coleslaw in case you were wondering. We must admit though out heart is still with Whole Hog NC BBQ. This just isn't the same.

Our most interesting food stop in KC was Fluffy Fresh Donuts. A shop that sells out by 7am. We got there at 6:45 and they were almost cashed. But we still got ourselves a dozen. They were Kansas style which privileges a light dough with lots of air pockets as opposed to a dense cake donut you might get in the Northeast. Very good, but I still like a dense brick like hunk of fried dough.

But if you are up at 6 am in KC we would definitely recommend a visit.

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ARTansas

Our road trip has taken us from the Appalachians the Ozarks in search of American art. One of the highlights of our trip was a drive to the Northwest corner of Arkansas to Bentonville. The home of Walmart Headquarters and the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.


Started by the Walton family it is a palace to culture set into a wooded lot in small town Arkansas.


We didn't know what to expect. We were hoping to be dumbfounded, since this is the museum that almost infinite money built. We were not dumbfounded, the collection is solid but conservative. It has a good survey of art from the 1700's to today with almost all the big names but an uneven collection in terms of quality for individual works.
Some of the highlights were Lilly above in a gallery with Albers, Noland, and Benglis.


One of the my most favorite Marsden Hartley


A really great Anni Albers textile work.


And a new commission by James Turrel.



But perhaps we were most surprised by the groundhog we saw on the grounds. You can see him lying prostrate on the middle boulder.


Another unexpected highlight was the beans and cornbread served in the cafeteria.
This is an interior shot of the dining area with a view of the curved roof.


All and all worth a visit. Glad we made it, but we should have tempered our expectations. We were not going to see long lost masterpieces or wildly avant-garde art. But everything was good and even down to the wildlife and cornbread.



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Dallas fancy pants

After our days in the desert Lilly and I headed north en route to Arkansas. We decided to splurge a bit and ended up staying in a hotel and eating at a place with tableclothes. We made our stop in Dallas and thoroughly enjoyed our indulgence,


We stayed at The Belmont an old roadside motel on the south side of the city which has been recently converted into a schmancy boutique hotel.


This is the view of the Dallas skyline from the patio of the hotel.


We went to Smoke for dinner. We got an awesome beef rib with hominy.


And a towering key lime pie. We also got sweetbreads with figs (not pictured) that were one of the best restaurant preparation we've had anywhere.


Then to round out our civilized day we went to the mall. Not any mall though. The Northpark Mall was built and operated by the Nasher family. The Nashers are one of the biggest collectors of contemporary art. They use the mall as another gallery. Here is Lilly below their fantastic Frank Stella.


Here is an Anthony Gormley with Versace in the background.


And Anish Kapor near Louis Vuitton.


We really liked this bizarre setting for art outside the museum. As usual we want to come back.

Next up Bentonville.

West Texas

Texas is vast and varied. We felt this most acutely when driving deep into west Texas. This desert region bordered by the "big bend" in the Rio Grande is huge. We drove for hours on windswept highways punctuated by sleepy towns...


And arrestingly stark vistas.


But the most arresting fact of West Texas is that is also home to some of the best minimalist art in the world. Below we are posing in a field of Donald Judd concrete works with our Chicago buddies Daniel and Rebekah.


They are now living in New Mexico learning traditional weaving. But we all met up in Marfa Texas to see this art.



Marfa was a small poor town connected to the railroad surrounded by very little.


It's still a small town with one street light and little more infrastructure than a grain elevator. But starting in the 60's and carrying on until his death in the 90's the artist Donald Judd starting buying buildings and land throughout Marfa. He used it as a studio space and a place to produce large scale work. As a result he also brought a ton of outside money. This influx of art money has given Marfa a split character.


In addition to be a mostly dusty West Texas town, it also has a specialty foods grocery. With a wide array of fine wines and cheese.


A fantastic book store, with an amazing art book collection. Which out does anything we have in Atlanta.


And it's own NPR affiliate. So we got to listen to Fresh Air while towns down the road only have AM mariachi music.


While there we stayed in a highly designed and trendy campsite called El Cosmico.






They also rent vintage slip stream trailers you can see behind our tents and the wood thingy. Yet another example of weird art trendiness and money.


They also had melons growing everywhere.

And we were walking distance from the Chinati Foundation.



This museum houses Judd's monumental works...





...as well as work by artists that Judd specifically invited to build installations like John Chamberlain.



We also went to his studio and library. All very impressive, but a complicated place that left us all a little uncomfortable. Big money and small town make strange bed fellows.

But all this headiness made us very ready for some swimming. So we drove deeper into the desert to a natural oasis. At Balmorhea state park there is a spring that has 70 degree water year round. This pool was build by the WPA in the 30s to funnel the spring water.


Here I am jumping into the 25 foot deep pool.


But since it is the only water for many miles it is a vibrant and dense Eco system. We were suprised to be swimming with all sorts of wildlife including really cool turtles. This is a must if you visit the area.




As for food in these parts we mostly cooked for ourselves.


We enjoyed the grapes planted at the Judd studio.


And our nightly cookouts with friends.


And I was proud of our makeshift refrigerator in the cool springs of Balmorhea.


We had an amazing few days in the desert. But catching up with old friends was by far the best part.




Next Dallas.