SF MOMA- Olafur Eliasson

I recently had the opportunity to get out of Jackson and head to San Francisco for the perfect combination of 75˚ weather, art, music, and friends. My experience at the SF Museum of Modern Art is one that I must share. When I left the museum, I wanted to give everyone I saw $12.50 to go in and experience the work of Olafur Eliasson, an artist from Iceland (unfortunately I didn’t have enough money in my pocket to actually do that). His experiential exhibit, Take Your Time, really did blow my mind and open my heart. I must admit that I don’t usually get into experiential/conceptual art, but this was different. It was like walking through a scientific and artistic funhouse. It’s not easy for me to explain his work…weather is experienced in the context of art, color patterns that send you to a place of vertigo and emotion, nature brought indoors. Look him up online to fully grasp and see what he does or come into my gallery to read his book and talk to me about it, I LOVE talking about it.

In one room, Notion motion, adults become kids again as they jump up and down on creaking floorboards to affect the beautiful, undulating patterns on the wall. Go around the wall and like coming across the Wizard in Oz, you discover the secrets to the magic happening in front of you. But its not a disappointment to figure it out, instead it is one of those moments when you feel privileged to be let in on the process. This show is not about being a passive, meditative art viewer. It’s about being jolted from your normal way of viewing and processing art and becoming an active participant in actually completing the artwork.

In 360˚ room for all colors, I spontaneously burst out laughing as suddenly I was completely suspended in the color yellow, then red, then back to a white space of vertigo. It was like I was being sent into alternating tubes of paint. Time, space, and people just faded away from me as I experienced a huge range of emotions as it slowly went through the entire spectrum of color. I think that guards thought I was a little crazy as I was in there by myself laughing and getting teary for more then 20 minutes! Although, I certainly hope that I was not the first to react like that.
I could go on and on about this experience. Instead, at this point, I simply encourage you to look him up and if you ever have the chance to see and participate in one of his works, you must!
-lyndsay