Palazzo delle Esposizioni

Today's rant will be about how the:

Palazzo delle Esposizioni = awesome.

While this museum is by far the most "Americanized" museum (that's right including the Ara Pacis..believe it!) in Rome, it's surprisingly one of my favorites. The whole museum only focuses on two to three artists at a time, and they get a multiple room set-up, so you can get really into each one. The other cool thing about it is that they take from a lot of different sources. When I went today it was a focus on :

Mark Rothko

http://webexhibits.org/colorart/i/abstract/Rothko,-Untitled,-Seagra-01.jpg

and

Stanley Kubrick

http://www.acmi.net.au/experience/images/img_kubrick_hero.jpg

both amazing exhibits.

I like Mark Rothko, I'm putting that out there. A lot of people don't like him, and in truth, I can see why. Rothko's Art can often be categorized as being "background" art. They lack dramatic subject matter and it's almost as if the human element of a Rothko is not the painting, but the people looking at it. It's probably this de-humanized humanity that I like most about him: his work is something raw and emotional and exsistential all at the same time and it's pretty hard to have all three.

I'm also aware that they're just big blocks of color, but it's not what the colors are, it's how they make you feel.

something like:

http://time-blog.com/looking_around/Mark-Rothko-No-14-1960-7893.jpg

is completey different from

http://www.doctorhugo.org/synaesthesia/art/WhiteOverRed.jpg

even though it's esentially the exact same set up. Also you have to get really really close to a Rothko to get the full effect, it's hard to explain, but sometimes the color connections in his work is even more important than the colors themselves. Looking at it , It's almost the inverse of impressionism; as you sometimes have to squint and stand back to figure out a Monet, to figure out a Rothko you got to get really really close and look really really hard.

But as good as the Rothko exhibit was, the Stanley Kubrick exposition was extraordinary. Kubrick is the director behind:

Dr. Strangelove OR How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
Barry Lyndon
The Shining
Full Metal Jacket
Spartacus
Lolita
Eyes Wide Shut

Just to name a few.  They had clips from all the movies focusing on his ideas in each one, props, and interviews with Kubrick about each of his films. We even saw the space-baby and one of the sets they used for shooting 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Very very cool.

Sadly they did'nt have the Mario Ceroli exhibit up anymore when I got there, a big bummer.

http://www.romeguide.it/mostre/foto_database/1674.jpg

Ceroli reminds me of an earlier Ray Smith:

http://www.raysmithart.force9.co.uk/images/main/11RED1.jpg

Also this was my last week of classes, next week is finals and right now it's a little too surreal that I will be leaving Rome in less than 10 days, so I'm trying not to think too much about it but here are some things that I am looking forward to when I go home:

Friends and Family
Mexican Food
My Car
Microwaves
Having the dollar be worth something
Having a stronger grasp on the language

Here are some things I will miss when I leave Rome

The Art
The Architecture
The Food
The Weather
....i'm just going to stop before I get too sad.

Miss you guys and see you soon!