Happy New Year!

Chinese New Year on January 23 ushers in the Year of the Dragon.   From my trips to the fortune tellers I know my lucky element is Wood, so (I think) I am in good shape for the coming Black Water Dragon.  Sort out your own situation with a personal fortune telling for the New Year.

If you want to skip the stars and get straight to the Nian Gao and other goodies, the annual celebration at the Chinese Cultural Center in Chanblee, Georgia is the place to be (January 21-22).  The claustrophobic vibe in the tiny auditorium is part of the experience.  

Expect to hold your kids on your shoulders for the non-stop performances of traditional dance, drumming and drama that make this event a must.  Work your way around the perimeter of the auditorium for snacks and use the back entrance for fresh air and a fast exit once you are stuffed.

Best wishes for a year of prosperity and happiness.

Remembering Helen Frankenthaler

My condolences to the family and friends of artist Helen Frankenthaler, who passed away right after Christmas in her home in Darien, Connecticut at the age of 83.

Encountering Frankenthaler's masterpiece Mountains and Sea at the MOMA in the summer of 1989 was a keystone event in my life.  Returning to the museum as the exhibition was being dismantled, I  had the chance to stand alone in the gallery with the painting, and for the first time experienced a visceral, awe inspiring connection with a work of art.     

Mountains and Sea, 1952 - National Gallery

Here is great video introduction to Frankenthaler and her art.  Art history being what it is, Frankenthaler is often lost in the transition from the revolutionary Abstract Expressionists, including her shaman Jackson Pollack, and the Color Field painters.   Atlantans can experience her work in the painting Sagittarius in the permanent collection of the High Museum.