Cranbrook

Sunday November 22 2009

Today I had a delicious brunch with Rena Zurofsky's friend Regina Smith, who lives in Troy and works at the Kresge Foundation.  After brunch we drove over to Cranbrook, which even with its art museum closed for a two-year renovation, was interesting.  Having learned a lot about Eliel Saarinen in Columbus IN, I enjoyed seeing the campus, much of which he designed.  Below is his house, which is open for tours in nice months (November not among them).

The Cranbrook Art Museum, as seen below, is under construction, but the Sciece Museum

is co-hosting shows with it so all was not lost.  A photographer, Richard Barnes, has the most unusual show mounted right now.  He photographed art museum shows as they were being mounted so the viewer can get a better idea of the work (and deceit) that goes into an art exhibition.  Who knew there was a Museum of Comparative Anatomy in Paris?  Or a Museum of Paleontology in Ann Arbor?  Or that the Musee Fragonard has how and cow skeletons?  Or that the Agricultural Museum in Cairo is so beautiful? 

Neither one of us was eager to see the show, and neither one of us could get over its remarkable images.  As we chatted up a young guard, Regina asked why there were six stags' heads facing the wall.  "All part of the concept," we were told.  A bit of humor on Barnes's part, having the stags' heads facing the art rather than outward.  And, as Regina remarked, creating interesting shadows on the wall.

Perhaps the most interesting display was of a four-part diorama of Native Americans going through the seasons.  It had been at the Cranbrook Science Museum for years but was sent to a local historical society after Native Americans objected to the stereotypes portrayed in the diorama.  Barnes learned of its banishment, and brought it back, but with a long comment from a member of a local Indian tribe, the title of which is "We Are Not Toys." 

There were a number of cases filled with animal skulls, photographs of animal skeletons, and many other fascinating images.  I'm going to try to find out where else Richard Barnes has shows because he's definitely someone to watch. 

After the Science Museum, we strolled the grounds of Cranbrook, which even on an overcast late November day is calm and beautiful.

I've spent more time with people these last two days than I have over the entire trip so far.  It's been fun to have conversations with real people and not just myself.