The Wonder of it all

This post is going to consist of very little writing because, well, the pictures say it all really.

I have been wanting to go to the Renwick gallery ever since it reopened in November to see Wonder. The Renwick and I have a history, it was one of my favorite haunts when I first moved to DC eleven years ago and I feel a bit possessive about it, okay? Every time a friend would tell me about how amazingly wonder-ful (ha ha)  the exhibition was, I would feel a ridiculous little twinge of envy, and a need to sulk and eat chocolate (because basically I am a big baby).
I finally got to see it on Saturday, and despite the heaving crowds, and one massive melt down courtesy of my five year old, it did not disappoint. I can’t even write about it properly because, somehow, I feel that my words couldn’t really do the art justice, and would end up diminishing the work in some way. So here are some images:

Wonder – Gabriel Dawe – Plexus A1

Maya Lin – Folding the Chesapeake

Wonder – Dale Chihuly piece that my kids named ‘The Hornet’s Nest’!

Wonder – Janet Echelman – 1.8

John Grade – Middle Fork

Chakaia Booker – ANONYMOUS DONOR

Leo Villareal – Volume

Jennifer Angus – In the Midnight Garden

Tara Donovan – Untitled

sulking 5 year old interacting with Patrick Dougherty’s Shindig.

Patrick Dougherty – Shindig …(with one of my children posing!)

My nine year old daughter was so inspired by the work, especially Tara Donovan’s structures made of index cards, that I feel that I have to do a project linked to this at my summer camp. The nine year old wants to recycle and re-purpose everyday objects to make her art so let the grand hoarding begin. Watch out neighborhood – toothpicks, bottle caps, newspapers and drinking straws – I had better start cleaning out the garage to make space!