A Coconut Shell is Art?

As A is still technically in school, he is lucky enough to still have the much-missed Spring Break.  I took a few days off and went spent one morning by checking out the Museum of Contemporary Art.  It was a free day (woohoo!), and a chilly overcast forecast, so the perfect day for an indoors activity.

Before I get into pictures, I must give a warning: A and I have quite the sense of humor about art, especially modern art.  We take it all with a grain of salt (and then some).  If you're looking for insightful interpretations, you've come to the wrong couple.

The first piece we saw at the museum set the tone.

Yes, that's a giant paper mache head.  With only one ear. And very realistic-looking teeth.  

One artist made up cartoon superheroes.  This was my favorite - The Inarticulator.  It says: "PREPARE TO MEET YOUR - oh wait, what was it - TO MEET YOUR... (aside: Doom!) THANK YOU.  YOUR DOOM!"

Warning: The next image is quite disturbing.  

I'll never look at a doll the same way again.

Then we found an artist's rendering of how A was feeling that day.  (Can anyone guess?)

There was this, um, "art"...

It's a video of a ladies' head projected onto a pillow underneath a mattress laying next to a nightgown.  And she shouts insults at you.  And randomly sticks out her tongue.  (Yeah, I don't get it either.)

This robot was pretty cool.

Warning: This next piece is typical of most modern art.  (Why are there so many with a focus on the nether regions?)

We moved on to an interactive room.  You were allowed to touch some of the art, or climb on it, or listen to it.  That was an improvement!

You were encouraged to climb in these huge coconut shells.  A thought it was silly, but they were playing sounds of the ocean!  It was actually very relaxing.

This entire house was made from bits and pieces of flip-flops!  It was quite bouncy.

You could sit down and plug in to this ball... it was playing some sort of classical music.

This stack of paper was supposed to make you think about the line between the artist, the art owner and the viewer.  You were encouraged to take a piece of the paper home with you.  (We did!)  Of course, I was the one who was asking how much more paper they had stashed in the back.

Definitely didn't understand this one, but it made me jump.  First, it's a puppet.  (Creepy.)  Then, every minute or so the puppet throws its head against the bell and it rings.

I'll leave you with this to ponder... what is this rabbit made from?

Stainless steel!  Looks like a balloon, right?!  Apparently the artist molded the steel around an inflatable rabbit.  That's pretty neat.

So it appears A and I still aren't fans of modern art... but we'll always go if it's free!