Coronavirus19 Diary - An Almost Normal Day

The Art Institute, it is one of Chicago's great treasures, indeed, a national one. It to, is plagued by the virus which continues to ravage our country, as well as the world. Shuttered for several months it has just reopened. Albeit with some areas closed, greatly reduced opening hours and 50% of it's former staff. The other 50%, like so many others, laid off, jobless in an unwelcoming employment market. 

Presently unemployed myself I decided to take a break from pursuing job boards and with a friend that is retired, pay it a visit. We have a membership, surprisingly affordable, and generally go 4 to 5 times a year. 

There is an exhibition of the works of El Greco, 4 years in the making. The exhibit, already scheduled to close, was extended. The museum went into it's dormant state just 7 days after it had opened. They were able to extend the loans of the works, gathered from collections around the world. After all, I thought, where would they return them to? Another shuttered museum? While not a huge favorite of mine I knew that it would be my only opportunity to see some of the pieces in the exhibition. 

We arrived at the museum during the first hour which was reserved for members only.With safety protocols and capacity limits in place we gave my name and phone number at the entrance of the special exhibition galleries and wandered other portions of the massive cultural treasure trove, my friend remarked that it was impossible to be bored there, while waiting for a text informing us that we would be the next to enter. 

I have another friend, we have known him for over 20 years, who works in installations at the museum. I reconnected with him a few years back at the neighborhood gym. I once asked him what it was like to hang a Monet, "You get used to it", he replied. He is extremely well educated when it comes to art, surrounded by it during every work day. He mentioned that they had rehung the El Greco show to allow for social distancing. 

A couple of days earlier he had sent, through Messenger, a photo of a newly exhibited Keith Haring work. He mentioned that a Basquait was displayed in the same space. We headed to gallery 293. The large, fantastic, almost garish in a good way, Basquait takes up one wall. The Haring is on the opposite wall  Two large Haring designed terra cotta urns sit to one side of it. The urns, the friend told me, had been in storage "forever". 

We pondered what else remains in storage that we don't see. Over the years I have discovered works pulled from the deepest recesses of the vaults during special exhibitions. There are always surprises in the prints an drawings galleries. Works on paper cannot be displayed for more than 90 days due to their fragility. We discussed what these two artists might have created had they lived. Both died quite young, Haring from AIDS, Basquait from a heroin overdose at the age of 27. 

Our number came up and we returned to the entrance of the special exhibition galleries and entered the dark world of El Greco. Biblical scenes abound. In an example of savvy middle ages marketing, the painter would sometimes paint copy after copy of a work to create name recognition and a more affordable, "mass produced" product. Several examples of these are displayed side by side. 

We discussed the wealth of the Catholic church. Many of his works were commissioned for cathedrals, chapels and other religious spaces. He once had a Cardinal as a patron, living in the Cardinal's palace. A Cardinal having a palace itself a comment on religious priorities. 

Before we left we spent a few minutes in the Asian galleries, amazed at the age of the pieces, some over 3000 years old. My museum "eye in the sky" has told me that the museum wants to expand these galleries as there are thousands more pieces in storage. Plans were being worked on for an expansion pre pandemic.

As we returned home, masked and socially distanced on the capacity limited bus, my friend said it had almost, almost, felt like a normal day.