Sunday, November 16, 2014

Modern American Prints and Drawings from the Kainen Collection

Where: National Gallery of Art

When: through February 1, 2015

I make a point of going to every new exhibit at the Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art, even if I think it's something that won't appeal to me.  I've discovered some wonderful things this way, most notably Yinka Shonibare, my favorite artist.  It had been a while since I'd been pleasantly surprised by a show, and as I looked at the description of this one, I confess I was less than enthused by the idea of seeing it.

But I'm nothing if not dedicated, so over to the National Gallery I went, and what should I discover but a new artist to like!  His name is Louis Lozowick, and I fell in love with his drawings, which are in the first room of this small show.  Some of his pieces show a tremendous precision of line, including Still Life #2 and others an exuberance of subject, like Luna Park.  All of them are quite fine, and I'll be on the lookout for more of his work in other exhibits I see.

Overall, I liked the works in the first room better than the later works, on display in the second room.  Post-WWII modern works just don't do it for me.

Verdict: This is a small display, so easily combined with something else on offer.  It's a nice overview of the Kainen's collection in this area, and we can look forward to seeing more of their generous gift in exhibits to come.

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