#015 - Art Institute of Chicago

The Artist and the Hunter

- The Artist brings The Hunter to a museum: The Art Institute of Chicago!
- This was John's first time to Chicago, and to AIC
- Robin loves a museum. Can't get enough of them.
- AIC is what's called an "encyclopedic museum" which means it collects and exhibits most if not all periods in art history
- One of Robin's favorite things about museums is going with a newbie like John
- The scene from Ferris Beuller's Day off when they visit The Art Institute of Chicago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBBOMLURSGA
- A Sunday on La Grand Jatte by George Seurat https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27992/a-sunday-on-la-grande-jatte-1884
- Robin estimates they saw around 20% of the entire museum during their 2.5 hour trip
- The Artist and The Hunter agree that their favorite part of the museum was experiencing it together
- Robin is bummed out that people think museums are inaccessible, and that generally speaking they ARE inaccessible because of cost, and well as general lack of arts education
- Robin knows how lucky she is to have studied art history and worked in museums in college, despite not being able to get a job afterward. She thinks that museums are fun and cool and evidence of the most subversive minds in history.
- Art is meant to conjure. Art is meant to bring something out of nothing. It's meant to make you think and react, and no matter what reaction you have, YOU'RE RIGHT!
- Art can help you get to know someone else, by asking: what do you think of this?
- The Cressmans love finding ways of learning new things about each other, and museums are one of their favorite ways to do that.
- Not everyone has a good partner to discuss art with; Robin says that's because we ignore museums and don't have enough art education
- Art is for all of us. Museums are for all of us. Creativity is for all of us.
- More and more small and niche and community museums are closing, especially in the wake of the pandemic
- Robin was inspired by a small textile exhibition, and the conversation veers into necessity of slowness in weaving, textile art, and the modern fashion industry
- Alexander McQueen (Chanel) and John Galliano (Dior) are two modern examples of creative directors of fashion houses losing their minds due to the demands of modern fashion.
- John was most drawn to the furniture on display in the museum; he noted how function and beauty come together in a well crafted piece, including inlay, exotic woods, and decorative materials like bone and ebony
- Robin and John look forward to many more museum dates in the future <3