Thursday 6 June 2013

Paul McCartney's Museum Hour in Vienna
Linda McCartney Retrospective at Kunsthaus Wien
6 June 2013 to 6 October 2013


For one brief shining moment,
the Viennese weather gods pulled back the clouds
to welcome a present-day knight, Sir Paul McCartney


Paul McCartney went to Kunsthaus Wien for a private viewing
of a retrospective devoted to the oeuvre of Linda McCartney


The exhibition opened last night to the public

I have not read any reviews yet, and I won't even think
about attempting to give you one here, I am not an art critique.
I will tell you though, that seeing Linda McCartney's photographs
was a deeply emotional experience. We read all too often
about the heavy burden of fame, its insidious ways
of destroying lives. And there I was, walking among images
of a family that filled me with deep inner joy,
seeing how they had built private lives,
in the best way imaginable.

One of the photographs, blown up to larger than life size,
portrays a father with two small children, sitting on a fence,
a wee one in his arms, the other one hanging on next to him,
a teacup in her hand.
They are dressed in comfortable clothes,
paint spots on Paul's face hint of taking
a break from a paint job around the farm.
The whole image speaks of love; a modern-day family
with the mother behind the camera, an artist
who pushes the shutter at the precise moment that captures the soul.

My daughter noticed a small picture of tulips
that almost echoes one taken by me in my home,
quite possibly the same year. She has lost an aunt,
my sister, even younger than Linda, and we were both reflecting
what it must mean to a husband walking through the life he once shared
with this beloved woman who captured so many of their happy moments on celluloid.

Go, see what Linda McCartney, the artist,
saw through her lens, it is art at its finest

Photographed 5 June 2013
Images and Text © Merisi

Link -> Linda McCartney Homepage
Link -> Linda McCartney at Kunsthaus Wien:
"The exhibition has been produced by KUNST HAUS WIEN in cooperation with
Linda Enterprises Ltd. The curatorial work has been done by members of the
McCartney family and Andreas Hirsch, curator of KUNST HAUS WIEN,
in collaboration with Claudia Schmid of Linda Enterprises Ltd."

26 comments:

  1. So glad you got to see this super show!
    So glad your daughter was there too!

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    1. Great artist, wonderfully put together exhibition.
      We already promised each other to go back there again, during quieter days.

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  2. I saw the poster on the street so many times, but I was too lazy to check what it is! Thanks to your post with precise details, now I know! :) I want to try for sure sure sure!!

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    1. Yes, definitely, you must see it! It is a beautiful and an important show on so many levels.

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  3. Beautiful heartfelt tribute to an extraordinary woman!
    Merci Merisi

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    1. Je vous en prie, Carol!
      Hope you get an opportunity to see it, you'd love it.

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  4. I have one of her books and pull it out now and then to look at it. It would be a pleasure to see this exhibit.

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    1. Well, may be just the reason to come to Vienna?

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  5. I thought that Linda McCartney seemed like a wonderful person and she was a marvelous photographer. This is such a nice tribute for her and I know that yes, you must have appreciated all of it~

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    1. I already promised my daughter we'd be back, during the summer tourist lull.
      Yesterday the entrance fee was waved, and a lot of people used the opportunity to see the show for free. Quiet moving, people who must have been already well into adulthood back then, lining up patiently.

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  6. Anonymous06 June, 2013

    Sounds like a wonderful exhibition. Hope it comes to Sweden too.

    So glad you finally managed to leave me a comment.

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    1. Wordpress has some issues with my gmail address, easy peasy once I figured that out. ;-)

      I also got you on my blogroll for good now (I was mystified why some blogs would disappear again and again, seems I need to "save" new links twice *tata*).

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  7. Wonderful writing. A lovely tribute, Merisi.

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  8. Gotta love such a beautiful day.

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  9. A wonderful tribute indeed, Merisi! Great shots for the day! I would love to see the exhibition!!

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  10. Yes, isn't it a thrilling show full of love of family and countryside and so on.
    So glad you enjoyed it.
    As proud mother I'm so happy that Claudia was able to help bring Linda's work to a bigger public.
    I'm having such a super time in Vienna.

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  11. Hello Merisi,

    I'm sure the exhibit is going to touch many viewers. Linda McCartney was a fine photographer whose family members are only some of her chosen subjects. I cannot look at her picturres without being drawn to wonderful times and places.

    Thank you for letting us all around the world know about the exhibit.

    xo

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  12. Thank you all!
    I hope many of you get an opportunity to see this exhibition.
    Cheers,
    M.

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  13. I would love to view this exhibition. I went to both of the links you posted and spent quite a while going through Linda McCartney's photos. Thanks for sharing.

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  14. A wonderful post, and it's really got me interested in seeing Linda's photography

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  15. Thank you for sharing this post which has rekindled my interest in Linda McCartney's work. So glad you were able to go to the viewing with your daughter. That shared experience was special.

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  16. I would love to be able to see the exhibition. I was able to see Sir Paul in concert a couple of years ago.
    An Arkies Musings

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  17. Anonymous08 June, 2013

    Sounds really nice.

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  18. I'd LOVE to see the exhibit. Seeing that it goes on until October, maybe I can make a trip.... fingers crossed.

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  19. definitely sounds like a must see exhibit. I'll have to go and check out the library to see if I can find one of her books. Thanks for sharing!!

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