I don’t take many road trips these days, other than on an annual spa weekend with two close friends. And though I’ve lived in China (twice), I’ve never seen Yellowstone or West Texas.
For those, like me, who are U.S. travel-deficient, the Smithsonian American Art Museum offers a handy proxy: a Flickr group titled the “American Art Road Trip,” made up of paintings and photos of iconic U.S. destinations from the museum’s collection.
The photo of Waikiki Beach in the 70′s is cool, but I’ll confess my favorite painting in the group is this rendition of Yosemite’s El Capitan by Japan-born artist Chiura Obata. Interesting to see how an Asian artist interprets a legendary American landscape through his (or her?) own lens. It’s the pioneer spirit made zen.
If I ever do get to Yosemite, I’ll have to reconcile this version with the Ansel Adams photos I’ve so long associated with the American West. El Capitan, 360.
Image: El Capitan, Chiura Obara, Smithsonian American Art Museum
