A few days ago I chaperoned my daughter’s class during a visit to the Palo Alto Art Center (Project Look), and it was such an amazing experience that I had to share it here on my blog. I had never been there, so I didn’t know what to expect, and the exhibit was amazing. The docents there also did great work, asked some intriguing questions, and made us think quite a bit about “Encounters” – that’s the name of the exhibit.
The exhibit has many types of “animals” (quotes intended!), and the art makes us think about encounters between humans and animals, but also about meeting the animal within us. It raises lots of interesting questions.
I really enjoyed the large variety of works shown. We started with a short animated film made with watercolor paintings, which was wonderful, and then walked through large sculptures, some were made from recycled fabrics, and others from other interesting materials and combinations. I found everything to be thought-provoking.
I’m pretty sure I enjoyed the exhibit more than the first graders I chaperoned, but I believe exposure to art is important, even if we experience it at different levels. I enjoyed looking at these creatures, looking into the eyes of “the other”.
There were interesting combinations, such as these dogs, whose legs are made of tree branches, and bodies from old sweaters.
These are the fabric statues. They were huge, very human-like, somewhat sad, and although they may seem similar, they were created by different artists.
We ended the visit in a studio, where the kids created mixed media animal masks. They had a blast!
The show is on until January 2020, if you’re in the area, don’t miss it!
