In March when we stayed in San Diego, I noticed the most unusual sculpture from our hotel window. We overlooked a bridge, the convention center and this giant piece of art. I told my husband that we had to walk over to it and see about this giant face! The walk was a little longer than I anticipated. And the sculpture was much bigger than I thought! In fact, when we got close to it, I could not even take a photo. I should have done that from a block away. However, I did see that it was a piece of art called, “Coming Together” by Niki de Saint Phalle.
When we got back to the hotel, I looked her up and found out that a retrospective exhibit of her art was going to open at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art in late April. Wow, close to where I live. I needed to go when I went back, because now I was intrigued. It was as if the sculpture had called my name and now I could find out even more about this woman.
We then went off on a cruise, then home, then another trip, and I sort of forgot about the art exhibit. However, every so often I would get something from the museum about this exhibit and say to my husband, “We have to go to see that.” But I did not know why.
Finally, last week, just nine days before the exhibit ended, we went to the museum. I renewed our yearly membership that had just expired, and we just visited the one exhibit. My husband said, “Why do we have to go to this?” And I said, ”I honestly don’t know, but I have had it in my mind for months.”
When entered the exhibit, “Niki de Saint Phalle Rebellion and Joy” and saw her first works of art. I honestly did not like them. She was an angry young woman who made white paper mâché creations to which she hung balls of paint. She then took a gun and shot the paint balls so they splattered all over the art. I watched a video of her doing this. It was not for me. And I really thought I was crazed for wanting to go to this exhibit.
But then we turned a corner. We saw her ‘nanas’, we saw her ‘skinnies’, we saw large sculptures, we saw maquettes of larger artwork, we saw her paintings, we saw a video of her installations in Tuscany called Tarot Park. This is a large art installation that made me think about and compare it in a way to Gaudi’s Parc Guell in Barcelona, a place I adore. (See blog below.)
I said, “Ok, Now I know why I wanted to come. This is like the inside of my mind. It makes me think of Gaudi and Hundertwasser, two of my all time favorite architects and artists. Yes, we had to come here.” (See blog below.)
But I still did not remember the sculpture in San Diego, until I saw her skinnies and read a bit about her life. She lived her last eight years in San Diego and had art installations there. YES. Now it all came back to me. The giant sculpture in San Diego. It all came together. I could tell my husband what was going on in my mind. But by that time he did not mind, he was also enjoying the exhibit.
Niki De Saint Phalle, should never be forgotten. She believed in Social Justice, Civil rights and support of AIDS patients. In the exhibit it said that she “Strove to create art and environments that inspired hope, freedom, empowerment and imagination.”
Her artworks are fanciful and fun, once she got passed her anger stage. They brought me much joy to see and explore. I was so impressed I had to buy “What is Now Known Was Once Only Imagined, An (Auto)biography of Niki de Saint Phalle” By Nicole Rudick.
The exhibit is soon to close. But my interest in her remains. I am sure that next time I am in the San Diego area, my husband and I will be looking for all of her art installations in the city, and taking side trips to La Jolla and Encino to see more of her works, especially the Queen Califia’s Magical Circle,” of which we saw the marquette at the Nelsom. I also hope I can get to Tuscany one day and see the Tarot Garden!
I thank the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nice, France, for loaning these works to the Nelson-Atkins! Also thanks to the Niki Charitable Art Foundation in California for sending along some additional pieces.
https://www.sandiego.org/articles/arts-culture/the-magic-of-niki-de-saint-phalle.aspx
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