Next Sketch Outing
Saturday, Sept. 13: Georgetown Steam Plant
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2/11/16 Super Space Titan Kitty
sculpture by Colin Christian |
I wasn’t exactly a little girl when I discovered and became enamored with all things Hello Kitty. The Japanese pop culture icon was introduced to the U.S. market in 1975 when I was already in high school, but that didn’t stop me from collecting many red and pink plastic products with the white cat’s likeness. In fact, I was well into adulthood by the time I finally stopped collecting Hello Kitty (and if truth be known, it was only three years ago that I added one more item to that collection).
As it turns out, Hello Kitty isn’t so young herself anymore – she turned 40 last year, and as part of that celebration, Seattle’s Experience Music Project Museum brought in the exhibit “Hello! Exploring the Supercute World of Hello Kitty” (subtitle: “Meet the icon that conquered the world in this supercute exhibition”). To be honest, I wasn’t inclined to pay EMP’s steep admission of $24 to see the show, but a friend with an EMP membership knew I wanted to go, so she generously gave me a free pass. Even if I had paid full price, though, I think I would have felt the show was worthwhile. As I saw case after case of coin purses, notebooks, lunch boxes, back packs and more cuteness – much of which I owned at one point (or still own, somewhere in the attic) – the fun and nostalgia fest were worth the ticket price.
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| 2/11/16 time capsule |
More interesting was the large selection of new art that had been created in recent years – either inspired by, mocking or satirizing Hello Kitty. By far the most impressive piece was “Super Space Titan Kitty,” a huge sculpture by Colin Christian, which is prominently displayed near the Guitar Gallery in the main lobby that I sketched a few years ago.
A large transparent time capsule shaped like Hello Kitty is partly filled with notes and cute objects from visitors to the exhibit’s opening. The filled capsule will eventually be sent to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics “to reflect our globe’s cultural diversity and how bringing each of our small universes together can change our view of the world.” The capsule will be opened again in Seattle in 2035.
After those two sketches, I was getting hungry, but I couldn’t get lunch without sketching a spectacular dress made entirely of plush Hello Kitties. The dress was worn by Lady Gaga in 2009 for Kitty’s 35th birthday celebration.
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2/11/16 dress made of plush Hello Kitties
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| 9/9/13 Platinum Carbon ink, watercolor, Zig markers |
Ever
since the Seattle Urban Sketchers met at the Seattle Center last holiday
season, I’ve been thinking about returning to sketch at the Experience Music Project Museum. At the time, I had briefly considered sketching in the EMP
lobby. Ultimately, I was overwhelmed by the unusual space and especially the
formidable Guitar Gallery sculpture visible from the lobby, so I ended up
sketching at the skating rink and Armory instead.
With
eight more months of sketching chops since then (she said, boldly), I was ready
to take on the Guitar Gallery. I don’t know if the size of this amazing piece
of work – made of actual guitars and other instruments – is apparent in my
sketch, but I couldn’t get it all in. In fact, photographing it in one shot is
impossible unless you have a particularly wide wide-angle lens (which my phone
fell far short of).
EMP
is one of those places where I feel conflicted: I’m torn between wanting to see
all the exhibits and wanting to sketch. But in a large museum like that where
one could easily spend all day, I usually have a better experience if I take my
time in a few exhibits rather than try to see all of them in a cursory manner.
With that in mind, I spent most of my time in the Icons of Science Fiction and Fantasy:
Worlds of Myth and Magic exhibits. I first sketched the harpoon gun used by Sigourney
Weaver in “Alien” (1979). Then I took a wider view of the exhibit area that
included an Anubis guard helmet worn in “Stargate” (1994).
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| 9/9/13 Diamine Grey and Eclipse inks |
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| 9/9/13 Diamine Eclipse, Grey and Chocolate Brown inks |
The structure is overwhelming to draw. The colors were appealing and intense. I can hardly imagine how Gerry et. al. drew up the designs much less how the builders interpreted drawings for construction. I really like the building though.
Too bad the guards are so fastidious. I wasn't admonished personally, probably because I hugged the wall and the railing after hearing of the lack of welcome.
I was also booted out of my spot on the floor, so I moved into the cafe.
Two feet to my left was Frank Ching and 2 feet to my right was Gail Wong... Inspired? Intimidated? You betcha!
In attempting to get the right shade of purple in the distance, I managed to overwork the color. But looking up into the building's intestines was very interesting...
This is the Lobby from the 5th St. Entrance at the EMP. I had the same problem as Steve...although they didn't tell me to move until after I had finished drawing the sketch. I wasn't to block the ticket sales. Of course I wasn't even close to it and there was no one in the sales' line.
To finish the watercolor portion. I would move back and forth between the cafe (where my paints were) to the spot I where I was originally standing. I needed to be able to see the reflections and shadows.
Challenging space to draw in more ways that one!
In the Experience Music Project, a Seattle Museum dedicated to Rock and Roll, there is a tornado-like sculpture made of guitars. This morning, the for-pay area was empty as I unfolded my tiny tripod stool to sketch. After twenty minutes, a guard came over and said my stool was a safety hazard and made me put it away. Another twenty minutes later he told me I couldn't sit on the floor because now I was the hazard. Twenty minutes later he came to where I was standing and scolded me because I'd put my admission sticker on my sketchbook, not on my coat. Three more guards approached me in turn asking to see my sticker, even though they were otherwise standing together in a clump chatting. I thought, Not very Rock and Roll of them. The Rock and Roll Museum staff have become 'The Man.'
Jackie was disappointed that the guitars weren't in color. Here ya go, Dr. H.
December Sketch Outing
Experience Music Project Lobby and Seattle Center House Winterfest
Sunday December 16, 10:00 AM
Meet at the main entrance to the EMP on 5th Ave N.
