1.08.09: MAM time

About this time a couple of years ago, I had a serious case of cabin fever. To shake it, I was inspired by the book "Yes Man" (surely better than the movie) and decided to be a "Yes Girl" for a month. It led to me getting a banana facial, going snow tubing, protesting the war in DC, and joining the Milwaukee Art Museum. The MAM is one of my favorite museums in the world - not only is the location and structure itself breathtakingly beautiful, but the pieces inside are quite interesting. The rotating exhibit today, for example, was "interactive art" like a floor that lit up when people stepped on it and a wall full of rotating wooden pieces that magically reflected your image back in clunky pixels. My favorite piece was this huge black box you walked into that had mirrors and glass everywhere (floor, ceiling, walls) and thousands of lights strung in an optical illusion so you felt like you were walking in the stars... totally amazing. They also have a great collection of Haitian art, American folk art, German beer hall paintings that are hilarious, and a collection of Biedermeier furniture that was astounding. This couch was made in 1805. Doesn't that look like something would come in a box from IKEA?