A day tour to Art Institute of Chicago

This is the first time I am into museum business. It's never my tourist spot. But I joined the membership for a year plus a 30 bucks donation.

It has to be some sort of mentoring that is what I need to take me into the museum door. I was 15 minutes late for the first tour of early American Contemporary Arts. Because the weekend laundry just took me enough time to gas off my 545i onto I-90.

I prefer I-90 more than 290, although the later one is free while first one asks for expensive toll. I-90 gives me a few miles of segregated express lane right before entering into Loop. On lucky days, I can occupy the entire inner lane without worrying cops showing up with eye-hurting flashes and ear-damaging sirens from behind. There is just nowhere for them on express lanes.

The first tour did not really interest me too much except the story about the couple of Alfred Stieglitz and Georgia O'Keeffe (do the research yourself if you are interested. The husband was a photographer and art dealer. In a sense, he was a "angel venture capitalist" who provided financial support for those dying-hunger artists before their accomplishments were recognized and valued. The wife was a very famous American Modern Art painter).

I appreciate Stieglitz's smart brain of business and generosity for yet-famous artists. O'Keeffe works have some kind of eye-catching abundance of colour.

OK, i am 1st day daycare baby in the path to arts so should not pretend I learnt a lot today. But the picture attached here held me in front of it and starring at for quite a few minutes. Almost wet my eyes. It's probably because this painting convey a hidden message which synchronised the wave of my sad mood at this moment.

This masterpiece was done by Ivan Albright. The title is "That I Should Have Done I Did Not". It's a abolished Victorian door, a tomb stone as doorsills, and a welted wreath from funeral. Most breathtaking part in this painting, to me, is the old hand full of wrinkles grabbing from the left-hand side. The strong shockwave this painting radiated to me are, in a few words, decay, destruction, point of no returns, long after death, and time never meant.

Why? the demolished Victorian door from some junk door tells me it's once glorious but the time has changed and all circumstances are all phased. The funeral wreath emphasizes the fade-away of old times and point to an end--death. The tombstone as door steps for this rejuvenated image is from a death, and it's still part of death.

The wrinkled old hand grabbing the door frame feels like wouldn't let go is a symbol of regret because everything is too late to catch up, reverse, or hold on tight.

This reminds me my fragile marriage.

Can I open it up and lead to a new passage?