When: closing May 20, 2018
Yes, I'm seeing shows closing in May. In a desperate attempt to see as much as I can ahead of a possible government shutdown (now it could happen on January 19), I'm making museums my lunchtime priority. My goal for the next two weeks is to get through everything open now that's closing through June. This is no way to run a country, but the budgetary sword of Damocles that hangs over all our heads has at least prevented me from working through lunch.
This is the latest in the Portrait Gallery's "One Life" series, and it features Sylvia Plath. True confession: I've never read any of her works, and all I knew about her before seeing this exhibit was that she wrote The Bell Jar, and she killed herself. There's lots more to know! She was an accomplished woman, educated at Smith and the University of Cambridge, and the author of several volumes of poetry, in addition to the novel, largely based on her own life.
She was someone who was very conscious of her image, and the wall notes indicate that she relished manipulating that image. I was reminded of Marlene Dietrich, who dressed for her image. She drew upon her own experiences, no matter how painful, in her works, which I suppose is what makes them resonate with her readers.
The picture above is of bells in the center of the display. You touch them, and they light up and play sound around the room. I've not seen anything interactive in the "One Life" series before, and I enjoyed this.
Verdict: Perfect for a lunchtime visit - well set up and informative, just like the others in this excellent series.
No comments:
Post a Comment