Day 156: AGO-Frank Gehry

Day 156: AGO-Frank Gehry, originally uploaded by susanvg.

I spent much of the day at the Art Gallery of Ontario admiring both the art and the architecture. The original structure was enlarged by Toronto born architect, Frank Gehry and I was curious to see what he had done. I am not crazy about what it looks like on the outside - too much mirror and steel, but inside was full of the warmth of wood, with an organic staircase spiraling up, beautiful flowing wood benches where you could sit and admire the work (and they were comfortable too). This galleria was beautiful. It felt a bit like being in the hull of a ship under construction. The only art in there were wood pieces of sculpture.

I loved the way Gehry incorporated windows into some of the galleries. It was almost like looking at an ever changing piece of art.

As to the art, I lingered over the Impressionists and spent a lot of time in the Canadian art galleries. The Group of Seven is extremely well represented. Their landscapes speak to me. There were discoveries, some contemporary art that puzzled me and some conversations with other visitors to the gallery. And finally, in a state of visual overload, I went back out onto the street.