#ncmaescher

When I heard M.C. Escher was coming to the NC Museum of Art, this is immediately what popped in my head-- that cool drawing that I saw often in college, posted on a friend’s room wall... the hand drawing the hand (cufflinks! fancee!).  Well, this week I had the good fortune to attend a preview for the M.C. Escher show that is opening at the North Carolina Museum of Art on Friday. Well, Friday for members, membership has it’s privileges!

I learned so much more about the artist.  M.C. Escher was creative beyond and when you go to the show, you will see why.  I am still marveling over the print making skills Escher had.  I was a Studio Arts major at Sweet Briar and did a ton of print making, not an easy medium... read: meticulous, perfection driven, painstaking and precise, let’s just say after many different forms of print making (lithography, photo etching, etching, screen printing, aquatint, et al), and some trial and error, I found myself with painting...! 

The M.C. Escher show preview was kicked off with opening remarks by the ever charming and venerable director of the museum, Dr. Larry Wheeler. He remarked that Escher was a tech guy, an early gamer, which you can see from his work, and I thought a fun way to think about it!  The M.C. Escher show is the largest ever of it’s kind, featuring over 130 pieces over his lifetime.  The show precedes Leonardo DaVinci’s Codex Leicester show which opens on October 30th.  That show should be phenomenal as it is on loan from the collection of Bill Gates.  Quite a big deal as it does not leave Mr. Gates often.  

The museum will be hosting a fabulous array of events from family days, including special programming for teens, to cocktail nights and foodie dinners, something for everyone!  Find out more here. As usual,  I took plenty of snaps and here is a little stream of consciousness tour of this can’t miss show!  Isn’t that what we love about art?  How we relate it in our everyday, or aspirational lives?  A bit of an escape if you will...?  The Escher show is amazing and can’t-miss and the DaVinci show up next, so be sure to go.  Now, carry on...

Mo Willems’ Pigeon, you ask?  Well, do these “Other World” birds not remind you of one of our favorite, new childhood classics?  

Also look closely at the Other World wood cut print, don’t those conical shapes remind you of this sculpture at 21C Durham?  I am embarrassed I don’t know the artist of this piece, but please go visit 21C Museum Hotel and and report back!

And like an M.C. Escher, true to it’s nature, one image leads to yet another... the cone shape takes us to another image, like this one of a Queen (or Courtesan!?) here, sporting this Björk-type hairstyle.  I bet DB Sutton & Co. could arrange a hairstyle like that if you wanted...or 140 Salon or Blown Away...!

That wonderful cube/ checker pattern kept taunting me of a certain bag I admire...

Look closely!  Alas, I can’t bring myself to buy that Goyard bag because I think of a former boss (who was great!) that was contemplating buying that bag, too.... ten years ago!  (That bag is so ten years ago, but does that mean it’s a classic?  If so, then I should definitely get, to have...forever!)  

What’s next?  Let’s see... 

Well, when I saw this swell serpentine print, I could not help but think of the lovely FIGUE clothing line that is carried at Vermillion.  

That’s FIGUE’s founder, the lovely Stephanie Von Watzdorf, rocking some great layering style, with an extra dollop of boho-chic!

More wonderful patterns makes me think of a favorite Instagram follow, and perhaps it will become yours too-- I have this thing with floors...

Pretty good stuff, right?  

You know where to get the cute shoes... Monkee’s of Raleigh, Mynt Durham and Monkee’s of Chapel Hill, of course.

So in closing, EYE can’t recommend enough:  visiting the art museum, letting your mind wander and being inspired.  The programming at the museum is world class and for sure to be taken advantage of if you live close enough to drive (or be driven!)!  Did you know the NCMA is touted as the best art collection in the Southeast?  Pretty impressive!