mahjong

Yes, I know that the picture is tilted, but thanx for mentioning it. Marti and I visited the UC Berkeley Art Museum to see "mahjong" the Contemporary Chinese Art Exhibition from the Sigg Collection. There were more Security Guards than visitors, and I, with my camera, was being watched as if I was about to abscond with the crown jewels. As a result, I was forced to "shoot from the hip", and that's why the tilt.

 

My picture shows some of the painted polyester figures by Yue Minjun, created in 2000. There are more of these guys hanging out at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (also from the Sigg Collection), and I really like them. The direction Chinese art has taken is simply unbelievable. And this, under a totalitarian regime. I urge all of you to get off your duffs and visit one or both shows.

 

Ye Minjun was born in 1962. He resides in Beijing. His favorite motif is his own laughing face.

 

Uli Sigg, a native of Switzerland and its former ambassador to Beijing, is the most influential collector of Chinese art. His collection is comprised of more than 1,200 paintings and sculptures. Sigg is now considering donating his collection to the Shenzhen (near Hong Kong) government.