The Dumpster Divers recently visited Bethany Mission Gallery, where they fit right in. Only Eugene Ionesco could have brought about this historic convergence.
A fan of theater of the absurd, I had gotten tickets to The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium's performance of Ionesco's Bald Soprano. Little did I know that the venue would be Bethany Mission Gallery (BMG). Once I saw it, I knew I had to share it with the Divers.
You can see why I love BMG. Here is one of my favorites: She-He by Sam Doyle (1906-1985):
Bethany Mission Gallery is the private collection of Victor Keen, and is not open to the public. It is like the Barnes, in the sense that it is the collection of one man, and is eclectic because it reflects his particular interests. It encompasses primarily Outsider Art, but also folk art, radios, toasters, tin toys, and all kinds of other stuff. It's a little gem of a museum that is a well kept secret.
This Adoration of the Wise Men, 1985, by William Hawkins (1895-1990), is extraordinary.
Gary Smith, the BMG guy who figures out how to hang the work and manage the logistics of the collection, greeted us, and here is starting to show us around.
Victor Keen gave us the scoop on his collection, and wanted to hear from us about the Dumpster Divers as well.
We were rapt.
Many pictures were taken.
This shows only part of the radio and toaster collection:
Where would we be without the Theater of the Absurd?
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