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"Make Milwaukee": Week 8 | Beth Lipman

by Adam Carr
12:13pm
March 15 2010
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Listen: Welcome to our final week of Make Milwaukee with Art and Architecture Critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Mary Louise Schumacher! Over the past two months, we've asked authorities on what's what in Milwaukee's creative community to be an expert on what gets them personally excited. So who better to ask than Mary Louise, a person that lives, breathes, and sleeps art in Milwaukee?I'm a product of the Milwaukee Public Schools system, which means I had the great fortune to take a heap field trips to the Milwaukee Art Museum. On each trip to the museum, we'd explore a different nook or cranny of the permanent collection, learning the museum's art gallery by gallery. When walking around the Saarinen Wing of the museum these days, it's like spending time with old friends. As it turns out, there's a new kid on the block -- a glimmering, shimmering, mass of blown glass covering a dining room table named "Still Life with Metal Pitcher." When I first saw it, I was struck by its complexity and beauty. However, as I let everything soak in, my thoughts comfortably refracted in as many directions as the light hitting the glass. But of course, that's just me. In the piece below, listen as artist Beth Lipman, Mary Louise, and a smattering of museum goers discuss "Still Life with Metal Pitcher":

[audio=1] Like break dancing, it's really hard to wrap your head around the visual of this one without being in person. It's in the museum everyday, so don't waste any time and get down there.

-More from Beth and Mary Louise! First, Beth eloquently gives a little background on the piece: [audio=2] -Beth discusses how her visual vocabulary has evolved, specifically how she's taken ownership over the language of the still life tradition: [audio=3] I love the way she uses a classic idea to communicate a very contemporary message.

-In this busy tangle of glass and objects, there are so many amazing details. I asked Mary Louise to pick out some of her favorites: [audio=4] -I asked Beth the same question and she introduced me to around 300 snails: [audio=5] Interested? Learn more about Beth's work here, and again, get down to the Milwaukee Art Museum to see "Still Life with Metal Pitcher" as soon as you can!

Produced by: Adam Carr