American Painting, 1959-2009

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building

When: November 28, 2010

Somehow, I missed this exhibit's listing when I made my plans to visit shows closing in November, but happily, I noticed it in time to see it before it ends.

As you might guess from the title, this exhibition is of paintings by American artists, completed between 1959 and last year. It's not a very large exhibit, which meant I was able to go back and look at paintings I particularly liked. Usually, I'm pressed for time, and only get to look at things once.

One of the pieces I liked very much was entitled Swamp Maple (4:30). Not the most promising of titles, I grant you; I was surprised that it was a picture of a lovely tree, with not a trace of the primordial ooze. My first thought was that if I owned this piece, I would place it lower on the wall (I was craning my neck to see the top). When I looked at it again, I decided that the placement was deliberate; the viewer must look up to see the top of the painting, just as you would if you were looking at an actual tree.

There were also a couple of pieces that I would describe as "not art." My definition of art is very simple: if I can do it, it's not art. The "not art" examples in the show included some white canvases with a black box on them - sorry folks, not art. Give me some paint and a ruler, and I can do just as well.

The piece pictured above was grand. It looked like a painter's drop cloth, arranged to resemble curtains. The colors were lovely, and you rarely see art that looks as if you could toss it in the washer with the bathroom towels.

The most amazing thing in the show was a painting I thought did not exist - a Georgia O'Keefe that I like. I don't put her in the "not art" category - I couldn't possibly paint as she did. My interest in bleached steer skulls and vaginas dressed up as flowers, however, is quite small. I mistakenly believed that those were her two subjects, as I had never seen an O'Keefe that wasn't one or the other. I now stand corrected; her painting, Sky with Flat White Cloud, is a lovely piece. To me, it looked like a white sandy beach, with the ocean in the background, and I have a fondness for peaceful waterside views. Whether sky with cloud or sand with water, it is lovely and well worth a look.

Verdict: By all means, check out this small show. It's likely to be overlooked by those at the gallery for the Arcimboldo show (yes, it's on my list), which is a shame.