One of Those Shows I Should Have Liked, But Just Couldn't

Where: Smithsonian American Art Museum

When: closing January 6, 2019

Note: the closing date listed above assumes the federal government will re-open sometime in the next few days.  Since that seems unlikely, you should assume your last chance to see this show is January 1, 2019.  Obviously, this is no way to run a banana stand, and I am really angry that we're in this position AGAIN.  The closing of the Smithsonian is, in reality, the least of the problems with government shutdowns, and the fact that they have been able to remain open for the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, when they take in an enormous amount of money, is good.  Still, this is ludicrous.

Trevor Paglen describes his work as "experimental geography."  He documents things that are not meant to be seen, of which there are disturbingly many.  The item pictured here is "Trinity Cube," and it's made of irradiated glass from Fukushima.  The inner core is made of trinitite, which was created at the Trinity test site in Alamagordo, NM in 1945.  What's on display (lest you fear for your health) is an artist's proof; the original is located at Fukushima, and will be seen when it is safe to enter.

I confess, I felt rather confused by the layout of this show - where to begin and how to proceed?  I guess it makes no difference, but still...I like to have some idea of where I'm going.

I did like the drone photos (large sky pictures, with tiny drones in them); I made a game out of trying to find the drones.  Some of them I saw right away, but others required quite a bit of searching.

Mostly, I was just disoriented by the show.  I understand the point Paglen is making, and I believe it's an important one.  It's just that after the Trinity Cube and the drone pics, there wasn't a lot that held my interest.

Verdict: If you're interested in the surveillance state, be sure to see this show.  If you're looking for actual "art," you may want to look elsewhere. 

Not as Many Laughs as You Might Think

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When: closing January 6 2019

Humor has been a subject of art for centuries, but it turns out, a lot of the laughs don't age well.  The wall notes promise jocular subjects from Leonardo to R. Crumb, which is quite a timeline.  There are more prints and drawings in this show than paintings and sculpture, which makes sense.  I can't think of a humorous sculpture, although there must be some.  Paintings are also not usually funny.  The notes posit that this is because humor is, by its nature, subversive, and therefore, more likely to have been created quickly and out of the eye of the powerful it was lampooning.  Hence, the quick sketches, rather than the painstaking marble.

Other than the origin of the "Ship of Fools" idea (I confess, I was reminded of Gary Larson's "Car of Idiots") and the focus on the hypocrisy between those espousing high ideals in public and not living up to them in private, I found the early works to be a bit too heavy on the excretory and alcoholic aspects to be really funny.  I was delighted to see an Albrecht Durer book illustration, so it wasn't all lost on me.

I also liked the anamorphose - a distorted drawing that can only be seen in a cylindrical mirror.  Who came up with this idea?  Why?  If I didn't actually laugh at the cleverness of this genre, I at least smirked a bit.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, political satire makes its appearance, which obviously continues to this day.   There was mention made of the late 1700s fascination with finding the "perfect view," which, of course, reminded me of Mansfield Park.  Modern day satire included not only Andy Warhol (see the Nixon as Wicked Witch of the West pictured here) and the Guerrilla Girls, with their emphasis on the lack of women artists in pretty much every art museum in the world.

Verdict: An interesting show, with some good pieces, but it's not the laugh riot you might think from the title.

Happy 50th!

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing January 6, 2019

The building that currently houses the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum was originally the Patent Office.  It also was the site of Lincoln's second Inaugural Ball.  For the past 50 years, it has been the home of portraits and American art, as part of the Smithsonian.  This small display celebrates the anniversary of its re-opening.

The building was originally slated to be turned into a parking lot; thanks are due to President Eisenhower for signing legislation to give it to the Smithsonian instead.  It housed the National Portrait Gallery and what was then called the National Collection of Fine Arts.

The display includes many artifacts from the re-opening ceremony; the photo is of a poster designed by Claes Oldenburg.  Am I the only one who sees what's going on with that?  An interesting choice for a publicly-funded organization to make, but this was the swinging '60s, so perhaps that explains it?

The notes also make mention of the fact that the surrounding neighborhood has experienced ups and downs over the years, and I can attest to the truth of that statement.  I can well remember when that part of town was full of seedy wig shops, and people hurried home after work, so as not to be there after dark.  Now, it's a vibrant part of the city, with shops (none of which sell wigs), restaurants, the Capital One Arena and lots of new office buildings.  I work just a block away from the museum, and I never feel uncomfortable walking around, even at night.

Verdict: If you have any interest in DC history or the history of the Smithsonian, this is a very interesting show.

The (Literal) Art of Correspondence

Where: Archives of American Art

When: closing January 4, 2019

In the 1960s, artists starting sending art through the mail - not shipping paintings or sculptures, but making art out of envelopes and letters. I suppose this is yet another thing that our digital age has taken from us: the opportunity to receive a work of art in our post box.  I know you can use different backgrounds and fonts in an email, but somehow, it's just not the same.

Mail art not only allowed artists to communicate with others, it also allowed them to circumvent museums and galleries to share their work with their correspondents.  Perhaps one could make a comparison to bloggers sharing their thoughts outside the world of newspaper reviews and criticism?

Marginalized groups (whether outside the mainstream based on gender, sexual orientation or political beliefs) were also users of mail art, as it allowed them to communicate without fear of reprisal from those in power.  Alternative art required alternative methods of distribution.

Verdict: Worth having a look at this one-room show; you never know what might be in the mail carrier's bag...

A New Location for In Memoriam

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing January 1, 2019

Obviously, with the death of President George H. W. Bush, the Portrait Gallery has a new "In Memoriam" display.  What sets this apart, is that it's not in the usual space on the first floor, but within the American Presidents display on the second floor.  As you can see from the photo, there's a black drape hanging over the portrait to indicate his recent death.

Verdict: To say this is "closing" on January 1 is a little mis-leading.  The portrait will remain indefinitely, so you can see it whenever you like.  I'm assuming it's the drape that will be removed.

Leaving the Landscapes Behind

Where: National Gallery of Art, West Building

When: closing December 31, 2018

I think the only good thing about a threat of a government shutdown is that it gives me some serious incentive to get out to the museums before they close for who knows how long.  This past week, I saw more exhibits than I've seen in months, including several I would have been sorry to miss.

The first one I visited was this Corot retrospective at the National Gallery.  Although he's known primarily for his landscapes, this show is entirely portraits, almost all of women.  Unlike other French artists, who showed idealized visions of feminine beauty, Corot opted to portray his subjects in a more realistic light.

In the show's first room, all the women appear in some sort of costume; apparently, he kept lots of clothing in his studio for this purpose.  The clothes are not "real," but the women in the clothes certainly are.  No blushing milkmaids or inscrutable foreign maidens here.   Not only are they not all exquisitely beautiful, they are not all smiling and demure.  They look right at the viewer, and if they are less than happy, the viewer knows it.

Although Corot painted in the 19th century, the beginnings of modernism are visible, if one knows where to look.  Many of his works are unfinished, giving them an abstract look.  The wall notes show pieces by Picasso and other modern artists that seem to take their cues from Corot's work.  I'm not knowledgeable enough about modern art to say if the connections are real, but the similarities are certainly there.

My favorite piece in the show is one called "Woman with a Pearl."  The model is looking out at something the viewer cannot see, and has a sort of veil over her hair and face.  It doesn't obscure her face, but does provide a bit of glitter to the painting that one doesn't often see in 19th century works.

Verdict: This is an intriguing show, which I would recommend.  While you're there, check out the lovely holiday decorations (some are visible in the photo) - always a treat.

Mail Call

Where: National Postal Museum

When: closing December 2, 2018

Here's yet another show I rushed to see before it closed.  I'm very much of two minds about the Postal Museum: on the one hand, it's part of my beloved Smithsonian, but on the other, it's such a nuisance to get over there.

Most of the time, I'm not sure that the exhibits I see are worth the trek.  They're okay, but nothing to really write home about.  Just when I'm about to skip a show, I remember the fantastic display of "secrets" that people wrote in to the USPS - I'm very glad I didn't miss that.  And I really enjoyed the show about FDR and stamps, and I got to see the world's rarest stamp...you see the quandary I'm in.

So this time, I forked over some money to Metro and took the subway over to Union Station to pay a visit.  This show is part of the 100th anniversary of the ending of WWI, and deals with the letters between servicemen fighting overseas and their families.  Mail from home was enormously important, obviously, as was mail sent back to the US.

Those letters from the front didn't always give a realistic view of what was happening, both because people didn't want to horrify their families, and due to censorship of the mail, lest the letters fall into enemy hands and reveal important information.  Charitable organizations would distribute post cards to soldiers, sometimes with pre-printed messages - which seems a bit impersonal, but I suppose was better than nothing.

The name of the show, "My Fellow Soldiers," was taken from the beginning of a postwar letter from General Pershing to all the members of the American Expeditionary Force, recognizing their service.

Verdict: An interesting small show, easily managed in a lunch hour, depending on how long it takes you to get to the museum!