The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or SF MOMA

1-Jun-2013 • San Francisco United States

On June 1, 2013, Marc and I took advantage of one of the four free days the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art offered to the public before it closed for a few years before their planned reopening sometime in 2016. The local news stated weeks ago that the museum had amassed such a huge collection of art it needed to expand the museum's square footage. In the process of its remodel and expansion, they were going to take over the adjoining site of one SF Fire Department Station. I have been a member of this museum for years and have visited it to look at their various exhibits both by American and International artists. In this blog, I have taken pictures of some of their most famous permanent exhibits by Henri Matisse and Diego Rivera.

The SF MOMA, June 1, 2013

The San Francisco Musuem of Modern Art, Four Days Prior to Closing for Renovation and Expansion, June 1, 2013

Inside SF MOMA

As soon as one enters the lobby, the visitor's eyes are immediately drawn to the ceiling with its current United Nations Babel of the Millenium display by Gu Wenda. It is long and vertical and it looked very Asian from a distance. It reminded me of an example of Chinese Calligraphy although a closer scrutiny of the exhibit showed different forms of writing from different countries and cultures. I saw Arabic, Hangul, Chinese, and Japanese writing.

Here's a closer look at the exhibit "The United Nations Babel of the Millenium" by Gu Wenda

Bebel of Languages, Hanging Lobby Exhibit, SF MOMA, June 1, 2013

Marc and I first visited the second floor which housed the permanent collections of the museum by Henri Matisse, Diego Rivera, and Pablo Picasso. Although these three gentlemen are famous the world over for their works, the museum's exhibits by lesser known artists overshadowed these three men's masterpieces with respect to number.

Portrait of Sarah Stein by Henri Matisse, ca. 1916

Portrait of Michael Stein by Henri Matisee, ca. 1916

Woman with a Hat by Henri Matisse, ca. 1905

Landscape: Broom by Henri Matisse, ca. 1906

Nude Sitting in a Folding Chair by Henri Matisse, ca. 1906

Marguerite in Three Poses by Henri Matisse, ca. 1906

I never heard of Diego Rivera growing up. Picasso, yes. Van Gogh, Yes. But Rivera, no. Back in Manila, European artists definitely overshadowed artists from anywhere in the world. It was only when I arrived in San Francisco did I hear of Diego Rivera and saw his works of art. Boy, was I impressed. My appreciation for his work actually evolved and has gotten more intense ever since I began working with many Mexican Americans in the Bay Area.

Kneeling Child (Mexican Girl) on Yellow Background by Diego Rivera, ca. 1927

La Tortillera by Diego Rivera, ca. 1926

The Indian Girl with the Coral Necklace by Diego Rivera, ca. 1926

The Flower Carrier by Diego Rivera, ca. 1935

A few years ago, Frida Kahlo's works, were exhibited in the museum for several weeks. I remember visiting the museum twice just so I could get a really good glimpse of her works and get to know them better. I was very happy to see one of her masterpieces, a portrait of herself with her very famous husband, Diego Rivera, stayed behind and became part of the museum's collection and property.

Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo, by Frida Kahlo , ca. 1931

Head in a Three Quartier View by Pablo Picasso, ca. 1907

Still Life "The Coffee Pot" by Pablo Picasso, ca. 1944

The following painting by Alfredo Ramos Martinez is my hands down favorite of all the paintings inside the SF MOMA.

Zapatistas by Alfredo Ramos Martinez, ca. 1932

Enigmatic Combat by Arshile Gorky, ca. 1936-1937

Untitled by Clyfford Still, ca. 1960

Collection by Robert Rauschenberg, ca. 1954-1955

A Self Portrait by Andy Warhol, ca. 1967

A male bust made of marble

Right behind this bust were two of the museum's most popular exhibits, at east during our visit. The crowds definitely gathered in front of these two paintings by artists I wasn't familiar with. Their works were impressive though. These two paintings are the following: