Japanese Animal Art - It's Not Just Hello Kitty

Where: National Gallery of Art, East Building

When: closing on August 18, 2019

First of all, this is a far larger show than you can see in a lunch hour.  I suppose you could get through it if you ran from end to end, but that's not really any way to appreciate the terrific pieces.  So, I'm advising you to take an extra-long lunch hour, or go on a weekend or day off.

This is a survey of animals in Japanese art from ancient times to the present day, so we're covering a lot of ground.  This series of screens is right at the entrance to the show and sets the tone nicely.  It's colorful and fun and features lots of animals.  And that's largely what the rest of the show does.  The first room includes several ancient representations of dogs and horses, along with Kusama Yayoi (she of the polka dots, pumpkins and mirror rooms) dog sculptures.  The thing I thought about all of these works was how friendly the animals were.  They all seem to be smiling at you, and you just can't help but smile back.  I couldn't anyway, and I was feeling irritable and stressed out when I went over there, so a cheerful welcome was just what I needed.

I also learned that the Japanese have a zodiac, very similar to the Chinese one.  I'm the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, and the same is true of the Japanese version.  Large banners, one for each year were displayed on one of the walls, and the picture on my year was of the Japanese god of seas and storms, whose name happens to be Susano'o.  How appropriate is that?  The god slayed a dragon and removed a sword from its tail.  I've decided the next time I get frustrated at work, I'll remember I'm really the god of seas and storms, slayer of dragons.

There's painting; there's sculpture (some of it massive); there's kimonos - really, something for everyone.  This would be a good show to see with kids, since a lot of the art is accessible and fun.  It's long, but you wouldn't have to see everything.

Verdict: This big show has lots of great stuff and is worth making time to see.

When They Say Glimpse, They Mean Glimpse

Where: Sackler Gallery

When: closing August 18, 2019

There's a small exhibit space at the back of the Sackler, next to the gift shop.  It's easy to overlook, especially if you're there for one of the big shows that open right off the main staircase.  I've seen several nice things tucked away back here, but never anything quite so small as the display of Yemeni artifacts there now.

In a recent issue of Smithsonian magazine, I read a piece on Wendell Phillips and his trips to South Arabia (what is now Yemen).  So this display was quite timely for me.  He traveled to the area in 1950 and 1951 and discovered quite a few objects; literally three of them are on display.  There's also a video, which is informative.

Yemen was a center of the incense trade, as it was a major sources of frankincense and myrrh (and, yes, I thought of the Three Wise Men).  Sadly, the current war threatens the nation's cultural heritage, in addition to causing such human suffering and loss of life.  The metalwork in these pieces is quite sophisticated; it's a reminder that ancient people may not have had our technology, but they were every bit as artistically gifted as we are.

Verdict: This is a small show, but each item is lovely and worth seeing.  If you're stopping by the gift shop, don't miss this!  And if you're not stopping by the gift shop, don't miss it either.

Good Morning Vietnam

Where: American Art Museum

When:  closing August 18, 2019

Prior to the 1960s, American art had become detached from modern life and politics.  The Vietnam War forced artists to confront what was going on, and their collective response was one of anger.  This retrospective of the artistic response to Vietnam is a large display of very angry art.

As we all know, Vietnam was the first televised war, and it brought the horrors of armed conflict into American's living rooms.  I was reminded of a show I'd seen a while back on Civil War photography.  That also brought the war "home" to civilians, and made it much harder for them to pretend that war is a noble endeavor - it's a (literal) bloody mess.

The artists protesting the war were a diverse group: women and persons of color, particularly African American and Hispanic artists who focused on the disproportionate burden borne by their communities, spoke out through their art.  I noticed Yayoi Kusama's photographs of anti-war happenings - without the mirror rooms, you don't need to wait in line to see them.

The piece that stuck with me the most was Edward Kienholz's "The Non-War Memorial."  He took surplus army uniforms and filled them with clay.  They are laid out on the floor, like fallen soldiers.  It's not a flashy piece; there's no blood or guts, but you are confronted with the reality of death.

Verdict: This is not an enjoyable or pleasant trip to the art gallery.  But then, the Vietnam War was neither enjoyable nor pleasant for those who fought.

Before Selfies...

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: closing August 18, 2019

This survey of self-portraits from 1900 to the present is drawn largely from the Gallery's own collection, which totals over 500 works of art.  So if you think memorializing oneself is narcissistic, it's been a problem long before the advent of the smartphone.

The earlier works in the Gallery's collection are traditional representations; it's only in the 20th century that people start taking liberties with the idea of portraits.  Much of the show is composed of paintings or drawings or photographs, but there are also collages, textiles, sculpture and video works.

I was filled with a sense of self-satisfaction when I noticed a colossal head photograph from across the room and identified it correctly as Chuck Close.  As I walked over to take a closer look, I thought to myself, "Wasn't he accused of sexual harassment?"  Sure enough, he was, and the museum made mention of that in the wall note accompanying the piece.

The note went on to say, "The museum recognizes the positive and negative impacts that individuals represented in our collections have had on history."  I think the Portrait Gallery has an issue that other museums don't, in that, if a person's picture is included, there is some sort of implicit approval of that person given by the display.  Of course, not all famous or important people are worthy of approval, and that's where things get tricky.  Over the course of our nation's history, some of our Presidents have done things that do not bear close examination.  Yet all of them are in the Presidential portrait display.

I'm not a curator or museum director, but I think the Gallery has chosen the right course - include people who have played an important part in our history, but use the wall notes to explain them more fully.  I'd also like to give the Gallery credit for highlighting the works and contributions of all Americans.  The early years are largely male and white, but galleries covering more recent years are much less monochromatic.

Verdict: There's some interesting stuff here that's worth a look.