Last week, I took a trip to the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA), and I was extremely impressed by the wide range of artifacts and artworks housed in the museum’s permanent and temporary collections. Among other pieces, I knew that the DMA was hosting Yayoi Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, and I was excited for an up-close and personal experience with this exhibition!
My exploration of the museum’s contents began with The Keir Collection of Islamic Art Gallery. This expansive collection, on long-term loan to the DMA, included rare manuscripts dating as far back as the 14th century, beautifully crafted pottery, and a large rock crystal ewer, carved from a single crystal and the only one of its type in the United States. Other artifacts from the ancient world included pieces from Egypt, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The exquisite gold jewelry and adornments crafted by ancient Mexican and Central American peoples was really captivating, as were the ancient Greek sculptures, providing a glimpse into the face of a person who would have lived thousands of years ago. The collection even featured an authentic ancient Egyptian mummy on display, which is always a rather surreal sight to behold.
As my journey through the DMA marched forward through time, I had the pleasure of admiring many works of art from famous artists such as Monet, Picasso, Giacometti, and Van Gogh, among so many others. Some of my favorite works were the hand-crafted furniture pieces, including beds, chairs, wardrobes, and a massive mahogany cabinet covered in thousands of small, elaborately cut pieces of mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell, dating back to the late 17th century. I couldn’t begin to imagine the level of skill and amount of time it would take to create something like that!
I finished my museum adventure with Kusama’s All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, which was housed in a separate room and required a special entry ticket. Viewers were required to enter in pairs, and were allowed only 45 seconds within the immersive exhibit. Kusama incorporated her signature Infinity Mirror Room style in this installation, surrounding the viewer in a seemingly endless world of glowing pumpkins covered in black polka dots. It was definitely an interesting and reflective experience being surrounded in every direction by an infinite range of these stylized pumpkins and reflections of myself.
All in all I had a wonderful time exploring the collections housed within the Dallas Museum of Art, and I learned quite a bit about both ancient and contemporary artworks that I had never before encountered. I would definitely love to return soon!