Upload
the-dali-museum
View
84
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
coffee with a curator
“from frida’s garden to the dalí’s garden”
panel discussion
feb. 1, 2017
Dave Portilia, Director of Security and Grounds
Gus Vargas, Groundskeeper Nicole Matwijczyk,
HorticulturalistJene VanButsele, Log Cabin
Garden CenterPeter Tush, Curator of
Education
our coffee panelists
Nicole Matwijczykdalí horticulturalist
Laurie ClementGarden volunteer; former garden curator of the
Gertrude Jekyll Garden at the Glebe House Museum in Woodbury, Connecticut
Sharon Hartleydalí Docent; former garden docent Vizcaya, Miami
Lauren Collins2016 dalí intern
thank you:
kahlo and dalí in their gardens
a director’s visionIt cannot be overestimated how essential Director Hank Hine’s vision of the garden has been from the very beginning
section onefrida kahlo’s casa azul
Frida Kahlo in her garden, 1951
“[following the revolution]… Mexican intellectuals were not just rediscovering native traditions and rituals, they were also discovering the Mexican natural world again, and the plant world particularly” - Adriana Zavala, Curator of Kahlo at the New York Botanical Gardens
mexico rediscovered
casa azul
Frida’s Casa Azul (“Blue House”), Coyoacán Painted with traditional blue Mexican pigment, this is where Frida was born and died. Rivera bequeathed it to the people of Mexico. Her ashes are displayed here in a pre-Columbian urn.
Frida Kahlo:My Grandparents, my Parents, and I - Family Tree, 1936.
Family is situated in Casa Azul.
family home
Nopal cactus, which is in symbolic form on the Mexican flag
nopal cactus
Frida Kahlo's garden diagram
nopal cactus
Frida cultivated a garden of succulents and flowering plants. It was also home to her monkeys, dogs and birds. The garden, with its terraced temple inspired by ancient Mexico, expressed her deep love for her country, its ecology, and its customs.
This is where she cultivated the world glimpsed through her paintings.
frida’s garden
The original garden emulated the 19th-century European taste for ferns and palms. To these Kahlo added native plants such as agave, cactus and prickly pear, which grew alongside orange and apricot trees, quince and pomegranate.
contrasts
Frida and Diego’s collection of Pre-Columbian (Pre-Cortezian) artifacts atop their Aztec-inspired pyramid at the end of her garden
frida’s pyramid
In the center of her garden she had an alter filled with succulents and cacti
(Photo of the altar recreation from the New York Botanicl Garden)
frida’s garden
Key plant-related concepts in her art: • Duality• hybridity• cross-pollination Kahlo took a mystical view of the relationship between humans and the cosmos, and absorbed powerful oppositions — sun and moon, life and death, male and female — into the complex symbolic forms in her art.
section twohomage to frida kahlo’s casa azul
In the center she had an alter filled with succulents and cacti
dalí museum garden homage to frida
Our garden team created this Monument and its surrounding environment in homage to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul garden
homage
Their design incorporates the four states of matter: earth, fire, water, air
states of matter
The Four States of Matter: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire
Our tribute to Frida Kahlo unifies a sense of mythology and tradition often found in both her work and Dalí’s work. Though both artist
were ultra-local and from different parts of the world (Old World/New World), they shared a strong traditional connection with
their land.
Earth, air, fire, and water are all recognized in this tribute.
earth, water, air, fire
Earth is the most broad category, encompassing plants, succulents, and even Dalí’s ants
earth
In addition to the plants, the earth is also symbolized by terracotta pots
earth
Water is symbolic of purification, fertility and nourishment.
water
Air is the conjoining force that enables the flame to dance, the water to run, and the earth to cultivate.
Many of these cacti and succulents get their moisture from the air.
air
Fire is used to burn fields to purify. It is a symbol of rebirth.
fire
Our pyramid features burning lanterns.
fire
Desert Cassia is placed at the top of the monument
succulents and cacti
Succulents and cactuses adorn the Monument and it’s surrounding area
section threefrom frida’s garden to dalí’s garden
Frida’s garden was designed with great artistry, but her depiction of the plants in her art was approached more with the eye of a botanist.
Her drawings of plants were exacting and anatomical
frida’s plants
Frida Kahlo: Portrait of Luther Burbank, 1932Hybridist; circle of LifePhilodendronCitrus trees
agaveorgan pipe cactus
bougainvilleacanna lily
Mexican cypressold man cactus
oleander
orangepomegranite
quincerose
scented-leafed geraniumyam
yucca
plants found in frida’s garden
beloperone guttata (shrimp plant)
bougainvillea
cephalocereus senilis (old man cactus)
agave
sansevieria trifasciata (Viper's bowstring hemp)
section fourfrida’s flowers in the west garden
frida’s flowers
Flowered BraidedRibbonedFrida’s hair style suggests both feminine religious figures, but also symbolizes of fertility and fecundity
flower hair style
1890 portrait of Frida’s maternal family dressed in the Tehuana tradition, which also featured headpieces made with pleats and flowers and ribbons.The photograph shows that this Tehuana legacy existed for Kahlo’s family before meeting Diego.
tehuana style
By adorning her hair, Frida invites us to concentrate on her face and torso, distracting us from her legs
flower hair style
Diego Rivera Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central, 1946.She was originally created by originally created by Jose Guadalupe Posada in 1910, and he is the gentleman on the right.
la calavera catrina
Often wearing flowers and using them in her paintings as a celebration of her national heritage, their symbolism of fertility and fecundity was also pertinent to Kahlo who was unable to have children herself as a result of the accident in her teenage years.
poinsettia
"I paint flowers so they will not die."- Frida Kahlo
Long before it became poinsettia, or Euphorbia pulcherrima, the plant with flaming red foliage was called cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs. This is Mexico’s plant. The flowers in Frida’s hair are Poinsettias.
poinsettia
It derives its common English name from Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico,[4] who introduced the plant to the US in 1825.
poinsettia
dalhia
coreopsis (calliopsis, tickseed)
hibiscus, double rose & classical
The hibiscus was used in many of Kahlo’s paintings. In our Garden we have both the double rose hibiscus, which is present in a few of her famous flower crowns, and the classical Hibiscus, which is referenced in her 1944 painting The Flower of Life.
Aztec goddess of flowers and female sexual power, serving as a protector of young mothers and a patron of pregnancy, childbirth.Her symbols are flowers and feathers.
xochiquetzal
zinnia
marigold
gaillardia (lanceleaf blanketflower)
euryops (california bush daisy)
bougainvillea
"Doctor, if you let me drink this tequila I promise to be good at my funeral.“
-Frida Kahlo
Agave Americana used for mezcal
agave americana
tequila is made from blue agave
thank you
duality: dionysian vs. apollonian
dionysian – "relating to the sensual, spontaneous, and emotional aspects of human nature."
chaosthe irrational
dionysian
apollonian – "relating to the rational, ordered, and self-disciplined aspects of human nature.”
reasonthe rational
apollonian
dionysian
The Living Wall - an example of chaos and randomness
LooseWild
apollonianThe trimmed bushes and planned landscape of the east garden - an example of order and clarity
The math garden
The labyrinth
Places of contemplation
The garden is made up of contrasts and dualities,
like the contrasting visions of Dalí and Kahlo.
more dualities in the garden
The New World and the Old World: There is a play between Mediterranean
and subtropical plants of Florida. Lilies, juniper, papyrus, and thyme
from the old world grow among wild petunia, sunshine mimosa, wild violets and sabal palm, native to
Florida.
dualities
dualities
Dalí spoke of the hard and the soft, and our garden varies from hardscape to turf, from hard Italian
cypress to soft fern.
dualities
Mediterranean vs. Tropical: The drooping ficus strands near the old-world
olive.
museum gardens map
1. grotto
2. east garden – north end
3. frida kahlo homage
4. east garden – south end
5. west garden
tour path:
4
12
3
5
grotto & fountain of youthwall of plants / dionysian
green initiative
east garden – north endmath garden
phi pavers (& pi pavers)dragon, mustache, bench, bird
rock of ampurdan
frida kahlo casa azul homagecasal azul garden
four elements of nature
east garden – south endlabyrinth / apollonian
wish treemediterranean garden
west gardenherb garden
frida plantings
tour stops:
section onegrotto & fountain of youth
grotto + the "living wall"grotto – "a small picturesque cave, especially an artificial one in a park or garden.”
A grotto is any type of cave that is associated with use by humans, often a small cave near water.
With our museum, the grotto is where you leave the familiar everyday world and enter the world of dalí.
Ours is filled with cavernous shade, fabulous plants and pooling water.
Living wall of bromeliads and epiphytes– cultivated by Nicole Matwijczyk
Each bromeliad is like a pixel in a crashing series of waves.
This is a place to retreat into the unconscious
plants on the living wall
An epiphyte is a plant that harmlessly grows upon another plant for support.
Bromeliad
[Aside: bromeliad are not responsible for breeding Zika virus mosquitos. Actually the mosquitos in bromeliads eat Zika spreading mosquitos]
Bromeliads are a flowering plant native to the tropics and subtropics of America.
This species is so diverse it ranges from desert succulents to pine apples.
They represent the New World aspect of the garden
Tillandsia in the rock openings
Tillandsia
fountain of youth
In the 16th century, Ponce de Leon sought the legendary Fountain of Youth throughout Florida, looking to the New World to for replenishment.
Inspired by the story, St. Pete’s great benefactor, Edwin H. Tomlinson, built a pier at Demen’s Landing in 1900. At the entrance to the pier he dug an artesian well and called it the Fountain of Youth. It became a major tourist attraction for many years.
Metaphorically, Dalí parallels Ponce de Leon. Considering himself an explorer and a savior of modern art, he sought to revitalize the World of Art by restoring art’s vigor through his dreamlike images and realistic representation.
transition talk: how is the garden “green”?
Florida native plants and Xeriscaped grounds require minimal water
Reclaimed water used for irrigationShell in lieu of grass in the labyrinth
Rescued ficus trees survived Hurricane Andrew
Herbs are used in Café Gala
sustainable landscaping
Natural limestone boulders in lieu of concrete walls
Cut stone benches rather than assembled
LED light fixturesLiving green walls to cool western
exposureDrip irrigation for low volume watering
with minimal evaporation
landscaping cont.
The snail – very destructive
The grasshopper – its only natural predators are the loggerhead shrike and a
baseball bat
garden menaces
section twoeast garden – north end
east garden:math garden
When seen from above, the palms
surrounding the Dalí complex spiral
around the complex in a nautilus
pattern, alluding to Fibonacci
fibonacci palms
In mathematics, two quantities are in the
golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio
of their sum to the larger of the two quantities.
Also known as the Divine Proportion.
golden ratio
The golden ration is referred to as the
irrational number phi, 1.618…
1.618…
Nature Morte Vivante (Still Life-Fast Moving)
1956
The Golden Ratio is the defining
proportion by which plants most
commonly grow.Fibonacci numbers
show up in the arrangement of
petals, leaves and seeds in plants.
golden ratio
As plants grow, they need to maximize the available leaf space to
get exposure to the sun.
This is accomplished using the Golden Ratio.
golden ratio in nature
During this stop you will see a multitude of plant life, Mediterranean and
Tropic, the exemplify the Fibonacci Sequence and the golden mean.
golden ratio in nature
AgaveDesert Rose
Shrimp PlantBougainvillea, Helen Johnson
Bougainvillea, Paper FlowerCanna Lily (not a true lily)
Silver ButtonwoodPencil Pine
Golden DewdropTasman Flax lilyChinese banyan
FirebushShore Juniper
Parson's Chinese JuniperTexas Sage or Texas Ranger
Date Palm
fractal and fibonacci plants:
Sunflower seeds originate from a central point and move readily outwards as new seeds
are formed.
sunflower
sunflower & phi
The optimal angular displacement for newly formed seeds is phi.
sunflower & fibonacci “Fibonacci sequence”:
0 1 1 2 3 5 8 13
Fibonacci numbers can be seen in the spirals of the stems of palm trees, in the spirals of the pine-
cones, in the spirals of the artichokes, and -
above all - in the spirals of the sunflowers.
succulent math
Not only are succulents and cactuses a common icon in Kahlo’s work, but they also express the Fibonacci Sequence.
agave & phi
phi + pi
Phi and Pi are ratios defined by a geometric construction. Pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. Phi is the ratio of the line segments that result when a line is divided in one very special and unique way.
The golden spiral can be found in
the central pavers of the
courtyard
pavers of phi
Another irrational number, Pi, can be found in the south pavers.
The relation of the circumference to the diameter of every circle is the same, approximately 3.14 or
as 22/7. Pi is essential to descriptions of motion and
mechanics and has applications in everyday life.
pavers of pi
east garden:features
The rocks surrounding the garden are Florida limestone quarried at Lake Okeechobee. They are designed to evoke the rocky shore of Dalí's Spanish home.
okeechobee limestone
A solitary boulder of metamorphic pigmatite was gifted to the Museum by the Mayor and the people of Cadaques, Spain.
It is the centerpiece of the East Garden.
catalan stone
dalí’s cap de creus
This stone represents the stony landscape seen in so many of Dalí’s work. The intense identification that Dalí makes with the rocks of his homeland- using them as self portraits in many works - goes beyond a mere fascination with their form. As the mayor of Cadaqués told us, we now have the actual presence of Catalonia in our garden.
limestone vs. pigmatite
Limestone is a sedimentary rock, composed mainly of skeletal fragments of marine organisms. It is extremely soft and will degrade over time; pegmatite is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock like granite composed of composed of quartz, feldspar and mica, and extremely hard to break.
dualities
Dalí spoke of the hard and the soft. Limestone is fragile and breaks easily; pigmatite is incredibly hard and
difficult to break
Catalonia and Florida are joined in the Avant-garden by the mined limestone perimeter quarried from Lake Okeechobee and the shorey stone of Dalí’s home.
catalonia and florida
Topiary shrub design invoking surprise by our groundskeeper, Gus Vargas
garden dragon
Local artist Donald Gialanella created the 17-foot long landmark sculpture
mustache sculpture
Gialanella used CorTEN steel, a special alloy that forms a thin oxidized patina that protects the material from
corrosion. He designed around the principle of parallax, featuring a series of parallel profile plates, so that the appearance of the sculpture changes, based on the vantage point of the
viewer. Tampa Steel & Supply sponsored this surreal installation, as
part of its service to the Tampa Bay region, which began in 1983.
mustache sculpture
Created by sculptor Kevin Brady for the St. Pete Green Bench competition.
Purchased and donated to the Dalí Museum by docent Doug Strutz.
melting bench
Inspired by Northside Christian School senior Molly Doyle (daughter of Museum Trustee Bob Doyle), there are eight whimsical yellow-throated warblers hidden in downtown St. Pete (“Birds on Beach.”)
Buddy the Bird and his seven family members were created by area sculptor Donna Gordon.
dalí bird, buddy
section foureast garden – south end
The Wish Tree, with roots in Hindu and Scottish traditions, is a tangible expression of all our fond hopes
sansevieria trifasciata
The Dalí labyrinth, inspired by the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth
the labyrinth
unicursal
A labyrinth is a type of maze, distinct from other mazes because it is “unicursal,” consisting of a curve that is
closed and can be drawn in a single movement (no wrong turns).
In days of old, intellectuals would walk the labyrinth lost in thought assured that they would not get lost in its logical layout. Because the labyrinth has no false turns, disillusions, or trickery, it is a perfectly formed trail articulated to allow reflection and clear thinking.
apollo and the labyrinth
chartres labyrinth
Our maze is modelled on the Chartres Labyrinth, Paris – no wrong turns
Crushed limestone leads through the podocarpus hedges. The path leads to the center marked by the tallest cypress tree on the ground.The cypress tree is a symbol of welcoming in Mediterranean cultures as its regular planning demonstrates human intent.
center of the labyrinth
section fivewest garden (ramp to entrance)
Bamboo lines the path to section five
west garden:herb +
edible garden
oregano (3 kinds)chivesbasil (5 kinds)rosemarymint (5 kinds)papayaonions (kill bugs!)lettucebeans
Romanesco cauliflower from the museum garden
fractal growth
Romanesco Cauliflower is the ultimate math vegetable. Its pattern is a natural representation of the Fibonacci / Golden Spiral. It has logarithmic spirals where every quarter turn is farther from the original by a factor of Phi - the golden ratio.
fibonacci cauliflower
cabbage from the museum garden
Pineapple
Part of the bromeliad family
Indigenous to the New World
Papaya
Dianella Tasmanica
Avant-garden Tour Docent Training(featuring the Homage to Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul)
PoinsettiaLong before it became poinsettia, or Euphorbia pulcherrima, the plant with flaming red foliage was called cuetlaxochitl by the Aztecs. This is Mexico’s plant. We’re just very fortunate that we get to enjoy it so much.
The flowers in Frida’s hair are safely assumed as Poinsettias.
Dionysus Introduces to the Avant Garden
The entrance to the museum is made up of elements that embrace chaos and enable the spell-binding mindset embraced in Dalí’s World. A world of refined chaos and splendor.
This part of the Garden is a reflection of Dionysus, the Greek God of chaos and the irrational. Dionysus guides us into a world of wonder, helping us dance with our emotions and instincts into the dream world of Dalí.
Elements of Mythology, legend, and actual living walls welcome us into Dionysus’ irrational divine.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· We reclaim all of the condensation from our air handlers. It is stored in a holding tank on the first floor and then re-pumped up to the cooling towers. This is part of our cooling process for the building. It saves us thousands of gallons of water every year in our cooling needs.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· Rather than using a standard large scale commercial ice maker we use a water cooled one. This greatly reduces the amount of heat transmitted from the machine which in turn reduces our needs of cooling that area. When the ice machine is through using the cold water supplied to it that water becomes waste. We have reclaimed that water as well to be stored in the same holding tank as the condensate water. It is also reused in the cooling tower.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· The hot water for all of the public restrooms is heated with a domestic solar water heater. Reduction in the use of electricity or natural gas to heat water.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· · We utilize building automation to control the use of HVAC needs and lighting by way of scheduling the reduction of lighting and heating/cooling spaces not needing it in the unused times of the museum.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· The concrete walls are 18" thick plus a mixture of fiberglass and sprayed foam to insulate the building from the harsh Florida heat.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· The enigma glass is 1-1/2" thick and has UV coatings to reduce heat transmission while still allowing a significant amount of light to pass through.
Earth Friendly Inside the Building and Out!· We use low flow flush valves and faucets in the restrooms. Reduction of wasted water.
museum gardens map
dalí bird, Buddy
Canna Lilly
the architecturethe herb garden
the material used to build the museummany of the plants are upcycled
(reuse discarded material to create a product of a higher quality or value than the original)
elements of museum sustainability
Sunflower
Sunflower
Succulents
Succulent: anything that can hold water and can come back on its own
Bougainvillea
Self Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, 1940The thorny necklace can safely be assumed as bougainvillia. In its mature state, bougainvillia has thorny hard stems that could indeed cut and adorn.
Frida Kahlo
Retrato de Alicia Galant(Portrait of Alicia Galant)
1927
oil on canvas
Canna Lilly
Frida Kahlo
El difuntito Dimas Rosas, a los 3 años de edad
(The Deceased Dimas Rosas, 3 years old)
1937
oil on composite board
Seen in his hands are Canna Lilies. Around him are flowers you will see both at the Casa Azul
Monument and at the end of the tour- Zinnias, Dahlias, Coreopsis, and
Chrysanthemum
Frida Kahlo
Retrato de Luther Burbank 1931
(Portrait of Luther Burbank 1931)
1931
pencil on paper
Frida Kahlo: The Dream or Self-Portait in a Dream, 1932
_____________
• Bromileads
canna lilly
Many of the plants around campus were used
medicinally by the Aztecs.
Fun fact!
There are self-sustained pineapples and native blueberry plants scattered throughout the entrance of the museum grounds that go unnoticed. Can you
find them?
Fun fact!
While Apollo and Dionysus are often understood as opposing forces, they are always seen as
complementary when referencing Nature.
The Greeks did not consider the two gods to be opposites or rivals, for the two deities were entwined
by nature.
fun fact!
Frida and the Golden Ratio• Gardens are a consistent theme throughout Frida Kahlo’s work. She valued
the beauty in the possibilities of the natural world, including mathematics. In her portrait of Alicia Galant (Retrato de Alicia Galant), 1927, Frida intentionally uses anatomical impossibilities in favor of phi and the golden mean.
• Notice your eyes follow the sloping of the elongated arm that brings one from the edges of the painting, inward to the center in a spiral path.
agave
Nicole MatwijczykDalí horticulturalist
Laurie ClementGarden volunteer; former garden curator of the
Gertrude Jekyll Garden at the Glebe House Museum in Woodbury, Connecticut
Sharon HartleyDali Docent; former garden docent Vizcaya, Miami
Lauren Collins2016 Dalí intern
team of experts