Pamela Kogen (my sister, a brilliant artist herself [if I must say so myself]) and I took a drive to Beacon, New York, a river town along the Hudson. Our destination: Dia Beacon. Formerly a Nabisco box-printing facility, it is now a museum dedicated to contemporary large-scale installations, paintings, and sculptures from the 1960s to the present day.
My favorite installations were:
"Torqued Ellipses" by Richard Serra
Watching the light from the windows dance on these massive abstract sculptures was mesmerizing. These bold monuments measure 14 feet high and are made of weathered steel.
"Standing Walls," by Larry Bell
Stunning (as my mother used to say). It was set on a pink rug (which I learned viewers can NOT walk on to get a closer view). The sheer blue-tinted glass panels are strategically arranged to create a minimalist elegance that feels as if they are floating. The two elements — the rug and the glass panels — give a striking geometric effect, regardless of where you're standing. (And thank you very much, Clouds, for reflecting a perfectly coordinated pink and blue sky. [I love when things like that happen.])
"Power Objects" by Megan Webster
Here is my sister contemplating how Webster's sculptures and installations focus on environmental themes. Her work brings the outdoors into the gallery and incorporates raw materials such as soil, moss, beeswax, flowering branches, and twigs. Over time, the creations weather, shrink, or crack.
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Going to Dia Beacon was a perfect outing for The Sisters. For late lunch, we went to THE WILD Kitchen & Bar, located on a historic corner of Beacon's Main Street. Loved ending the day there.
*All photos: Bonni Brodnick