Unusual Performance Art

Perspectives: Chiharu Shiota

On view: August 30, 2014–June 7, 2015
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
#perspectives

Japanese performance and installation artist Chiharu Shiota installs a monumental yet intimate work in the Sackler pavilion this summer. Haunted by the traces that the human body leaves behind, Shiota collects discarded shoes and notes to represent memories of lost individuals and past moments.

Shiota studied at Kyoto Seika University, Canberra School of Art, and Berlin University of the Arts with Marina Abramovic and Rebecca Horn. Her work has been presented at the Mattress Factory (Pittsburgh, 2013), Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery (United Kingdom, 2012), National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (2007), Neue Nationalgalerie (Berlin, 2006), and MoMA PS1 (New York City, 2003), as well as the Biennials in Venice, Fukuoka, and Yokohama. Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1972, Shiota currently lives and works in Berlin.

reprinted from asia.si.edu/perspectives

Wordless Wednesday - Outside the Smithsonian Castle, Washington, D.C.

Everybody Loves a Train Ride!

And we are no exception.  I read recently about the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad and decided to check into taking a train ride to see the fall foliage in Western Maryland.  It's a popular thing to do! But what an enjoyable experience.

The depot is in Cumberland, MD 2 hours from our home so we got up early Sunday morning to get to the station.  From Cumberland the train travels an hour west to Frostburg and then returns.  It was a perfect fall day for the trip.

Sit back and enjoy the scenery.

Here it comes into the Cumberland Depot.

It's an early 20th century steam locomotive.

12 cars in all, including some dining cars.

All the passenger cars are refurbished and in great shape.

Leaving Cumberland.

Wells Creek channeled by the Corps of Engineers to reduce flooding.

Smoke of the engine visible as we round a curve.

Engine in view up ahead.

Arriving in Frostburg.

From the stairs up to Main Street, looking back at the depot.

Frostburg is a tiny town with not much open on a Sunday afternoon.

The engine gets turned around but with such a long train this trip it will push what was the first car and a mid 20th century diesel locomotive will pull.  The diesel had to help push us uphill to Frostburg again because of the length of the train.

Return trip.  Shadows have changed.

This house on a far hill looked like the White House.

For the return trip we sat in the first passenger car, next to the diesel engine.  Here we looked out at the engine and then back at the train from the opening between the car and the engine.

Notice the pathway - rails to trails!  Someday we may bike back to Cumberland.

A nice day to ride the train.