Photos From SFMOMA How Wine Became Modern Exhibit

When I was invited to tour the SFMOMA's "How Wine Became Modern" exhibit — which YumSugar visited in November — I wasn't quite sure how relevant it would be to my field of art, design, decorating, and architecture — you know, considering that it's about wine. I thought, "Maybe there'll be some cute tabletop decanters to decorate with." What I expected was a discussion about how wine had marked its place in contemporary culture and everyday life (cocktail parties, conversation, television, etc.), rather than in the broad world of modern design. Both, as it turns out, are true.

Leaving the exhibit, I couldn't help but think about how much the fields of modern design and architecture are under the influence of that buzz-inducing grape juice. From industrial design to photography to sculpture, there are dozens of artworks related to the topic that are not only beautiful and thought provoking, but also created by some of the most influential artists of our time. Like the exhibit's curator, Henry Urbach, who admitted he had no interest in wine or winemaking before dreaming up the project, you don't even have to like wine (or even drink) to enjoy this show; the artwork alone is intoxicating.