When I’m in New York—and I have the time—I love strolling through the galleries at the Museum of Modern Art. The museum’s expansive design, filled with towering windows and simple white walls, feels like an oasis from the hectic streets of Midtown. Although I always enjoy visiting the museum’s various art exhibits, I’m particularly drawn (not surprisingly!) to those featuring modern architecture and furnishings.
This summer, there seems to be a confluence of such exhibits, with selections from the museum’s permanent collection and two wonderful temporary exhibits, Le Corbusier: An Atlas of Modern Landscapes and Cut ’n’ Paste: From Architectural Assemblage to Collage City.
The former spans the rich career of Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, more popularly known as Le Corbusier. Designer, painter, architect, photographer, and writer, Le Corbusier had an insatiable curiosity and seemingly boundless creativity for all of his endeavors. His sleek architectural and interior designs typify mid-century modern style, and I particularly like many of the innovative furnishings and interiors he designed.
The Cut ‘n’ Paste exhibit features collages by the architect Mies van der Rohe, as well as cut-and-paste designs by artists, graphic designers, and photographers. It’s fascinating how these pieces, in their own way, mimic the layering of modern urban landscapes. There’s no better example of that, perhaps, than Manhattan itself, where buildings are constantly torn down and rebuilt upon the remains of others.
Both exhibits are well worth a visit. Here are a few snapshots of my favorite pieces from both exhibits, as well as from MoMA’s permanent collection.
From Cut ‘n’ Paste:
From the ongoing exhibit Plywood: Material, Process, Form:
From the ongoing Metal & Glass exhibit:
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get good shots of the Le Corbusier exhibit, but here are few images of his chairs from MoMA, as well as a shot of one of the room instillations in the exhibit, made primarily of plywood:
via Artspace
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