Suzanne Valadon, Where Have You Been All My Life?

Wes just showed me the image, La Chambre Bleue, by Suzanne Valadon, which will be coming to SAM in October. I don't think I've ever seen it before but it's a very funny send up of the typical odalisque imagery from the French impressionists. I assumed it was a modern work but was stunned--and thrilled--to learn it was painted in 1923! Valadon was a model for Renoir, Toulouse-Lautrec and Puvis de Chavannes. She is the model in Renoir's Dance at Bougival. She learned to paint from these artists and became the first woman painter admitted to the Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts.

Her Wikipedia article makes her sound like the most fascinating woman ever. She kept a goat at her studio to "eat up her bad drawings." I love her already.

Jim Henson's Fantastic World

We took the kids to see Jim Henson's Fantastic World yesterday. The exhibit is small but filled with wonderful artifacts from Henson's whole body of work, from his early commercials and variety show spots to his later work on Sesame Street, The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock and his films, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. There are video installations, loads of sketches and storyboards and, best of all, Muppets. Rowlf is there along with Ernie and Bert and several others. The kids didn't have the patience to look at everything so I will definitely go back on my own and do the complete audio tour.

One of the great videos was a reel of early commercial work, including the hilarious La Choy dragon.

Bohus in Minnesota

I wanted to let you all know about an upcoming Bohus exhibit at the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis (.pdf). There will be several events including Susanna Hanson teaching her all-day Bohus Stickning class. You should definitely check it out if you are in the area.