Modern Art Museum Ft. Worth

 Diebenkorn, Urbana #6

My last trip to Austin involved a road trip to Ft. Worth, where Lindsey and I visited the new Modern Art Museum, which opened in 2002. We went on a whim and it was fantastic. I didn't even know that the building was by Tadao Ando, the same architect as the Pulitzer Foundation, until I went inside. Then I knew immediately. I can’t even explain how transformed I feel in one of his buildings. Everything inside and outside seems a thousand times lighter, yet more important. This was one of the best museum experiences I’ve ever had...so I’ll share some highlights.

Sculptures: The sculpture highlight was Richard Serra's Vortex. When you stood inside and looked up there was a beautiful hexagon of blue sky and the tiniest of whispers echoed for what seemed like a million miles. It was so enjoyable. I also enjoyed Anselm Kiefer's Book with Wings. The special room for this piece really made it all the more magnificent. And Martin Puryear's Ladder for Booker T. Washington made an impact as well. I loved this piece because I know as a child it would have mesmerized me and made me ask all kinds of questions. And I was drawn to Jackie Windsor’s Green Piece for its texture, color, and secrets.

Paintings: Any time I get to see a new Rothko, I’m delighted. But what took my breath away was seeing two absolutely luscious Diebenkorn’s side-by-side; Urbana #6 from 1953 and Ocean Park #105 from 1978. Created 25 years apart, they both showcased his mastery of color and composition. I was blown away. The surprise was a wonderful landscape painting by an artist I was unfamiliar with—Sylvia Plymack Mangold’s, Winter Writing. There was a gorgeous Motherwell downstairs and many other really splendid works, including a lot of compelling photography work.

My only minor complaint is that the walls of the room that held Jackie Windsor’s sculpture were too crowded. A large monochromatic Agnes Martin was next to a series of five large photos by Bernd and Hilla Becher and then a big Serra piece was in the corner. It was too much to cram on one wall and felt really awkward.

Again, this was one of the best museums that I have ever encountered. I highly recommend it. The website isn't very graphically sophisticated, but they do a good job of cataloging the collection, so you can see all the works that I mentioned at http://www.themodern.org/.