 |
| We spent the morning at the San Diego Museum of Art, and the afternoon at the Mingei International Museum. Here are just a few of the things we saw. |
"Wonders of Creation": A Special Exhibit
 |
| First we viewed a fascinating exhibit about art and science in the Islamic world. |
 |
| The exhibit was huge and rich. This image of a hoopoe was one of many miniatures illustrating Islamic art. |
"Wonders of Creation pairs ancient art and objects from the Islamic world with contemporary works of art, thereby introducing visitors to art, science, and innovation spanning 13 centuries."
For more about this amazing exhibition of works from many places and many centuries, see this page of the museum website:
"William Gropper: American Agitator"
 |
| A politician depicted by William Gropper (1897–1977), an American political artist. |
For more on this very interesting artist see this page from the museum website:
"Blue Gold"
A History of Indigo at the Mingei International Museum
We had lunch in the dining room of the Mingei museum -- which features a number of authentically prepared international dishes. We all chose different items, and it was fun. Then we visited the special exhibit on indigo -- a dye that is derived from a number of plants that are native to many places throughout the world, and that has been used in many ways. From the exhibit:
"Indigo, a varied plant family that grows worldwide and the deep, blue dye it produces, has a long and multifaceted history of cultivation, production, and distribution. Indigo is everywhere – in Japanese kimonos, West African traditional garments, saris from India, and painted onto architectural structures in the southern United States. Blue Gold combines craft, science, and history to explore this color’s complex past and present. Featuring stunning objects of creative expression coupled with the astonishing study of a chemical reaction, this exhibition presents indigo as a compelling manifestation of art and science. Indigo’s beauty and ubiquity have eclipsed the unpleasant realities of its growth and manufacture, including hard labor and pollution and its association with colonialism and slavery. This exhibition highlights the importance of nuanced conversations that celebrate beauty without skipping over a grim past."
We had a beautiful day in the two museums. We all found the indigo exhibit remarkably interesting and informative. I've included without comments a few of the photos I took. For more detail see this page from the museum website: https://mingei.org/exhibitions/blue-gold
