Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 1-4, 1953

Oct. 1-4 – Thurs. to Sun.

Minneapolis trip.
A most exciting and stimulating trip.

We left Buffalo airport at 6:50 in a two motor Conair plane. It was already dark, so we could see nothing except lights below – But the irregular geometric patterns made by cities, towns + villages, were so beautiful, like intricate jewelry. – Isolated lights like stars – As we passed over cities the street-lights would be momentarily obscured by the trees, so they twinkled on and off. Dinner served, very good.

We found Richie asleep on the Northwest Strato-Cruiser plane at Detroit – On an impulse, I woke him up, then regretted it as he seemed so tired and confused. He moved over + I sat with him, Bertha in the seat behind. We learned from the stewardess that Fredericks was already on the plane, but we did not disturb him.

On this part of the journey we flew 18,500 ft. high – a new experience. There was some infrequent “bumpiness” but having fortified ourselves with Dramamine; it did not bother us.

Arrived at Minneapolis at 10:20. – We met Fredericks briefly but he had met an old school-mate + went on with him. Altho Davis + Plimpton had planned to meet us, Davis phoned his wife had just returned from the hospital with their week-old baby + he could not come. So the three of us to the Curtis Hotel in a taxi –

Our room a corner one on the 9^th floor, was pleasant. With Ritchie out to a nearby coffee shop for a snack then to bed.

Oct. 2 – B+I breakfast in the dining-hall. Then Fredericks, Ritchie + I picked up by Davis (in a Cadillac) + driven to the school. At his suggestion, I phoned B to come over to the Institute for lunch.

The work submitted could best be described as “standard” No astonishing talent, no originality. – A placid meek re-hashing of accepted and out worn modes. The cowed attitude of young painters today is most amazing and discouraging – they simply do not dare to be original.
Lunch in a newly decorated “lounge” at the museum –

At 5:00 when we emerged from the museum we were amazed at the heat – (later it was told that all heat records for October were broken – 89)
At 6:30 – Russel Plimpton picked us up to drive us to the home of Richard Davis for dinner.

His home situated about 15 miles out in the country close to one of the numerous small lakes which Minneapolis lies. Where the road skirted the lake, we observed hundreds of frogs on the road, many killed by autos, others eerily lit up by our head-lights, scrambling out of the way in awkward arcs of flight.

The Davis home a modernistic one – the central part of it the “living” room – a huge quadrangle 55 to 60 ft square – In the center an indoor patio with bay trees in square boxes, a small pool + fountain + enclosed with glass – all the outer walls (wood paneled) hung with pictures. Davis specializes in drawings + had many fine old-masters.

Dinner served at several isolated tables. –

Before dinner I met and talked with Bill Bryan, director of the Institute of Arts. He brought up the subject again of my teaching a summer class up at Grand Marais on the north shore of lake Superior – I also mentioned to him the gallery crisis and he became alarmed at once and advised me strongly to get all of my pictures out of the gallery before Frank dies.

[note on the on the side of text, “Belongs in Oct. 1 – pg. 92] – When we got to the hotel, we learned that they had failed to provide a board for my bed. When I tried out the bed, it seemed much too soft so I called up the management – twice in fact – to protest, but to no avail – no board was available. We tried to think of substitutes – dresser drawers, shelves, and then I thought of the closet door – so we laboriously removed it from its hinges and laid it on the bed – alas, it was about 1 ½ feet too long! And then Bertha thought of a solution so simple: to lay the mattress on the floor. This we did, and by one a.m. we were settled.

Oct. 3 – A.M. finished selecting sculpture + awarded prizes – Through by 12:30. A brief encounter with Barney Quick – cut off rather summarily by Plimpton so we could have some photographs taken.

To the home of John Rood, (sculptor) for cocktails –
A most fantastic experience.

A palatial modernistic combination home + studio that must have easily cost $500,000 or more. Originally a farmhouse + barn, with a connecting subterranean passage. They used the foundations only + built the new buildings on them – Situated high up on a hill in the center of the city, one had the feeling of complete remoteness. The grounds beautifully terraced + landscaped [next 5 words unintelligible]

The whole place filled with all sorts of egg shaped modernistic things – Iron + glass work etc. All beautifully done it must be admitted.

As we drank cocktails with delicious canapes, Mrs. Rood regaled with a long drawn-out story of the feeding of their dog Susie (a French Poodle – of course) of her reluctance etc etc. Bizarre in every facet –

All the time I kept trying to think of a phrase from the “Constant Nymph” and suddenly it came to me – “The Silver Sty” – only this sty was platinum or uranium plated! And shutters ran through me. Once on a tour of inspection (on the way to visit the working studio) I said in an aside to Richie, “This is the most fantastic place I have ever seen.” “Yes” he rejoined, “I’d like to talk to you about it sometime” and I replied, “I think I know what you are going to say.” (Later he found an opportunity – He said “I kept thinking of a photograph I had seen of Rodin’s studio – and it looked like a pig-pen yet he managed to do some fairly good things!) –

Later someone said that while Rood put up a front, he was extremely unhappy, + assumes a very haughty + superior attitude as a lark.

To - ? Club for lunch –

P.M. The reception –

(Mrs. Wolf-Parker) Who was in my 1949 Duluth Class.

Bob Brown, a short fat fellow who said he was at the Art Students League in 1920 when I had my first show at Kevorkian. McBride’s review decided for him that he must go + see the show.

Bill Bryan drives us to the airport so we can talk “business” some more. We arrive at a tentative agreement of 4 weeks at $1000 – they to provide everything but food. He is planning a trip to N.Y. soon + I asked him to stop off and visit us.

A beautiful exciting trip home – as we were leaving Minn. we flew above a fleet of strata-cumulous clouds, - and saw the sun setting on them. The effect is beautiful “beyond descriptions” – I have heard it compared to an ocean with overlapping waves – but it is not an apt comparison –

We had dinner on this part of the trip.

Later, approaching Detroit, we ran into a small thunderstorm with extreme bumpiness. Rather a thrill.

A long wait (2 hours and 40 minutes) in Detroit – Here we took leave of Fredricks whom we had grown to like very much.

Very warm and humid – our stay seemed endless. But eventually we were on our way to Buffalo; and landed at 1:55 – Art waiting for us.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, October 1-4, 1953