The last day of the Spain program's northern excursion was spent in the Basque city of Bilbao. Little known fifteen years ago, Bilbao was chosen by the Solomon Guggenheim Foundation as the site for the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum precisely because the town would benefit from the revitalization, cultural stimulation and influx of capital that the choice would bring. Using prototypic three dimensional computer applications instead of two dimensional drawings, architect
Frank Gehry designed the world's most spectacular example of post-modern deconstructionism.
Constructed of limestone, glass and thousands of titanium panels, the museum suggests--from different perspectives--a sailing ship, or fish, a tribute to its location on the Nervión River and the Cantabrian Sea. Since the museum's opening in 1997, the structure's organic, non-rectilinear lines and surprising shapes have drawn millions to Bilbao, turning this Basque city into an international destination..
Nothing short of an architectural triumph, the museum has been hailed by some as "the greatest building of our time." (Wiki)
As we approached on Sunday, Derek Mansell warned us that critics have observed that the museum's exhibitions can not compete with the facility's outlandish grandeur, and with the exception of Richard Serra's immense steel installation entitled "The Matter of Time," we came away in agreement.
The notion of structure as art is as ancient as pyramids and temples, but it was Proctor's legendary art teacher Dorothy Relyea Perloff who brought it home to me thirty years ago. Dottie was an inspirational woman who witnessed beauty in everyday life; gasping at sunlight after an ice storm; treasuring antique easels, and delighting in adolescent faces. Dot considered her workplace--Slocumb Hall--to be a piece of art. Notice how its austere lines were used in the design of the Fowler Learning Center (back right) in 1993.
Slocumb Hall is the opposite of deconstructivist architecture, and it was not designed to revitalize a region. in the 1800s, it was a commercial livery stable. Later, it served the school as a primitive gymnasium. For half a century, it has been home to visual arts and ceramics studios.
Unlike the Guggenheim, its minimalist, classically New England design only augments the art created within!
We have plans for a thorough renovation of Slocumb Hall that will retain the building's exterior integrity and beauty, while expanding studio space to meet current demands. Natural light will pour into visitor galleries for both student displays and a permanent collection.
Friends of the Arts at Proctor with interest in the
Slocumb Hall project should contact Keith Barrett at 603-735-6200.
