Arts: December 2004 Archives

Just when I was about to let my Vanity Fair subscription run out, I read the article on photographer and MOMA curator Szarkowski. The story was a pleasure to read, partly due to Szarkowski's interesting life and partly due to author Ingrid Sischy's intimate prose. It made me want to rush out and buy every book Szarkowski produced, including The Idea of Louis Sullivan and The Face of Minnesota, which feature his prints. My favorite Szarkowski quote: "As you get older you're not so much interested in seeing things for the first time, but in seeing how they changed." The article heralds the upcoming Szarkowski show at San Francisco MOMA from Feb. 5 through May 15 of 2005. It will be at New York's MOMA from  Feb. 1 through April 30 of 2006.

In other museum news, the Brooklyn Museum has a fantastic Marilyn Monroe photography exhibit on view through March 20, well worth the suggested $8 admission. Her idealized glamor comes alive in the photographs, although my favorite pictures were those of a less self-aware Monroe, taken on a beach before she  made it big.