So Cal Sojourn

I quite like that title. Anyways, I drove on down to LA to say goodbye to Darren before he left LA to return home (i.e. 808) to live and work. It seemed like only yesterday (well, more like 8+ years ago) that the two of us first showed up in LA to start Uni. Now, both of us have left the City of Angels. Onward to bigger, better things. I hope to have some pics to share from Darren's farewell party when Priscilla sends a few my way (please!). Until then, take a look at these other pics from that very same weekend.

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I lived in LA for over five years, including one in Pasadena, and I never once set foot in the Norton Simon Museum. Definitely shame on me. A lovely collection of artwork in a cool gallery just a few blocks away from Old Town. I snapped this pic in the Modern/Contemporary gallery after reflecting on how fitting a day I chose to visit. You'll notice the polished bronze sculpture at the center of the room below the round skylight. Those of you privy to fine art might even recognize it as Brancusi's Bird in Space. After seeing the sculpture and noting the artist's name, I recalled having seen his work earlier that morning while surfing the web. The day I visited the Norton Simon coincided with the 135th anniversary of Brancusi's birth and Google marked the day by changing their "doodle" to a Brancusi theme. Ah, life's happy coincidences.

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A shame about the weather. Due to the rain and generally depressing cloud cover, the sculpture garden remained closed.

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Pop art! Proudly displayed in the lobby, Claes Oldenburg's Giant Soft Ketchup Bottle with Ketchup certainly catches your attention as you enter the museum.

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A granite sculpture, Buddha Shakyamuni, sitting serenely in the Asian Art gallery in the lower level of the Norton Simon.

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The entrance to the Norton Simon on an atypically overcast Southern California afternoon. To the right of the frame, you can see a casting of Rodin's Les Bourgeois de Calais (better known in english as The Burghers of Calais).

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A quick trip overall down there to visit the folks in So Cal (Deryck included). I had a good time, despite the wet driving conditions. Not sure if I'll get down any time in the next few months but I know I'll definitely be back in May...