This week: my favorite works of art from the Milwaukee Art Museum. It's an odd list, both because there were a few better pieces I couldn't take pictures of (they had especially reflective surfaces) and because, while the museum did have stuff by some artists I know I like... it wasn't very good. There's no particular order.



1. As I've said before, the 19th Century German Art room was fantastic: lots of wonderful beer steins (yeah, I'll probably be one of those guys). This is a closeup of one of the monks from Eduard von Grutzner's The Catastrophe (1892). Remembering it the next day, I decided to call Jubb.



2. Horse 3 (1983) by Deborah Butterfield. A horse made out of red mud and sticks on a metal "armature," a word I don't know and will probably never need again. Surprisingly cool.



3. Red Orchestra (1946-1949) by Raoul Dufy. It's obvious why I (or any number of people) would like this, and frankly I feel a little guilty. But like it I do.



And a close-up:



4. Modernity circa 1952, Mirrored and Reflected Infinitely (2004) by Josiah McElheny. It's a bunch of hand-blown mirrored glass surrounded by mirrors, in a chrome display.



5. One of the last pieces we saw, an Earthenware Haniwa Horse from 3rd to 6th century Japan. It looks good, but also within my 21st-century reach — I was reminded of the days when I made hundreds of figures and objects out of Sculpey and Fimo. This was a deep, all-consuming phase. I even invented a battle-style board game you could play with the figures.

After we'd seen everything, I looked for posters to decorate my white white walls, but there was nothing I liked.

One of these days I'll have to check out the local museums; that I didn't during my six months of freedom continues to baffle me. (And no, I'd always rather go alone to art museums, so this isn't a ploy of some sort). I used to think that I would just naturally do the things I would most enjoy — because what could be easier? — but it turns out that I have to force myself. Once you're merely content, laziness and routine can make you blind, make you stupid.