S+ART

Goings On

This week, two new exhibitions opened at Smithsonian Museums which display work from the permanent collections. Recently opened at the Freer Gallery of Art is the exhibition Seasons: Chinese Landscapes, a collection of works from the permanent collection as part of the series of rotating exhibitions Seasons.

Seasons: Chinese Landscapes explores the seasonal themes and activities that frequently appear in Chinese painting, such as wandering in nature, visiting friends, or composing poetry. The works also depict the unique moods and feelings associated with each season. To allow Chinese voices to inform the interpretation of the works, the exhibition features numerous translations of inscriptions, colophons, and other directly related poems and texts.

text from Freer/Sackler

 

Detail, Pavilion in the Winter Mountains; by Qi Kun. Image courtesy Freer Gallery of Art.

Freer Gallery of Art
Seasons: Chinese Landscapes
December 18, 2010–June 12, 2011
Galleries 6 and 6A

Upcoming:
Seasons: Japanese Screens
December 24, 2010–July 5, 2011,
And July 9, 2011–January 22, 2012

Also recently opened is Watch This! New Directions in the Art of the Moving Image at the American Art Museum. Watch This! is a "new permanent gallery dedicated to the media arts," in which

the museum takes stock of the cutting-edge tools and materials used by video artists during the past 50 years. This installation features key artworks from the history of video art and works by a new generation of artists on the cutting edge of new media art practices. The works range from Nam June Paik's early, innovative experiments with video to Cory Arcangel's reworking of Nintendo games and obsolete computer systems.

text from Smithsonian American Art Museum

 
Grand Central Station #2; by Jim Campbell, 2009. Custom electronics, 1728 LEDs, mounted duratrans diffusion screen. Image courtesy Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Smithsonian American Art Museum
3rd Floor, North Wing

Allison Recht

James Castle

From the day in 1899 when he was born, James Castle (1899-1977) was completely deaf. Though he went to school when he was young, he apparently never learned how to read, write, or use sign language, though it's disputed whether he was unable to learn language or just refused to use it. He was never taught about art, either, but that didn't stop him from creating it. 

Using found materials such as scraps of paper from packaging or mail, and ink made out of soot from the wood-burning stove mixed with water or saliva, he depicted his surroundings with care and clarity.  Undoubtedly, Castle's drawings and collages became his main form of communication, showing his sensitivity and acute understanding of the world around him, despite his inability to understand language.

 
Untitled (Barn interior), date unknown
found paper, soot 
8 x 9 1/4 inches 
Courtesy J Crist Gallery, Boise

 
Turkey, date unknown
cardboard, white string, red and brown washes, soot-and-spit stick-applied lines and wiped soot wash, black wax crayon
12 x 11 1/2 inches

  
Untitled (Madeline), date unknown 
found paper, string, color of unknown origin, soot 
8 1/2 x 3 5/8 inches 
Courtesy J Crist Gallery, Boise

 
Portraits, date unkown
Soot and saliva on paper
6 x 8 1/2 inches

To learn more about James Castle, I highly recommend watching the film James Castle: Portrait of an Artist (Jeffrey Wolf, 2008). The trailer can be viewed at the Foundation for Self-Taught American Artists.

Links:
James Castle: A Retrospective - Phildalephia Museum of Art
J Crist Gallery

 

Allison Recht

Goings on: Thanksgiving Weekend

If you're visiting DC for the weekend, or if you live here and want to use the holiday weekend to explore, a museum highlights tour is a great way to see what's out there. All of the tours listed below are free and don't require a reservation; all you have to do is show up ready to see some great art (I recommend arriving about 10 minutes early).

Hightlights tours are available at:

National Portrait Gallery
Sat. 11/27 and Sun. 11/28 @ 11:45am and 3:15pm
Meet in the F Street Lobby

African Art Museum
Sat. 11/27 and Sun. 11/28 @ 11:00am, 1:00pm, and 3:00pm
Meet at the Information Desk

Freer + Sackler Galleries
Sat. 11/27 and Sun. 11/28 @ 12:00pm
Meet at the Freer Information Desk

Hirshhorn Museum
Daily between 12:00pm and 4:00pm
Request a tour at the information desk

American Art Museum
Daily @ 12:30pm and 2:00pm
Meet in the F Street Lobby

images: Alexander Gardner, Abraham Lincoln, 1865. National Portrait Gallery, America's Presidents exhibit; Edward Hopper, First Row Orchestra, 1955. Hirshhorn Museum and Scultpure Garden, permanent collection.

There are also a few interesting films being shown at the National Gallery of Art this weekend as part of the series Julien Duvivier: The Grand Artisan. All are FREE and being show at the National Gallery of Art East Building Concourse, Auditorium. The films are:

Pépé le Moko - Fri. 11/26 @ 2:30pm
A notorious jewel thief (Jean Gabin) hides out in the old Algiers Casbah until a glamorous "tourist" from Paris lures him to his demise. Pépé le Moko reached iconic status, inspired two remakes, an Italian parody (Totó le Moko), a cartoon character (Pepé le Pew), and even, arguably, had a bearing on Graham Greene's 1940s screenplay for The Third Man. (1936, 35 mm, French with subtitles, 94 minutes)

Voici le temps des assassins - Sat. 11/27 @ 1:00PM
An intense and well-crafted thriller set inside a reconstruction of the old Les Halles market, Voici le temps des assassins was one of the New Wave critic Francois Truffaut’s favorite French films. “Lest we forget that film noir has roots in the French, this gem offers the quintessential femme fatale, hooking the quintessential unsuspecting guy who quickly becomes suspecting, and dangerous”—Pacific Film Archive. (1956, 35 mm, French with subtitles, 114 minutes)

Pot-Bouille - Sun. 11/28 @ 4:30pm
Making his rounds in a Second Empire apartment building, provincial social climber Gérard Philipe  rises to respectability via the aid of eminently satisfied middle-class ladies. "Duvivier's re-creation of Paris in the overstuffed '80s is one of the most extraordinary historical evocations ever…a lavish satire on the triumph of business values over bourgeois morals"—Pauline Kael. (1958, 35 mm, French with subtitles, 115 minutes)

Synopses from National Gallery of Art Film Events

 

Allison Recht

 

Food in Art

With Thanksgiving coming up, it's hard not to think about food. As mentioned in yesterday's post, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has an event this weekend focusing on food in art and the work of Wayne Thiebaud. But Thiebaud isn't the only artist who looks to food for inspiration. For centuries, food has been used in still lives as symbols of hospitality and abundance, references to religion or mythology, and memento mori, and contemporary artists continue to depict food in new ways.

In 2001 photographer and video artist Sam Taylor-Wood made a video titled Still Life. The video shows the time-lapsed decaying of a bowl of fruit. It opens with an appetizing arrangement of fruit, similar to those found in traditional still life paintings except for a ballpoint pen in the foreground, but quickly becomes a literal and explicit memento mori. During the three minute film we are confronted with the outcomes of the passing of time: fading beauty, decay, and mortality.

Watch Sam Taylor-Wood's Still Life. Warning: it's kind of gross.

On a much happier, less morbid note, dcist.com recently featured the work of artist John Holcomb in their article The District As A Pop-Tart. In a series titled The United Plates Holcomb has created prints showing every state and The District of Columbia as food. The illustrations are fun and playful and definitely worth a look. If they don't inspire you to make art they'll at least give you some creative ideas for playing with your food at your next meal.

If you're interested in exploring more food in artwork, the Luce Foundation Center at the Smithsonian American Art Museum offers Food for Thought, a food themed scavenger hunt through the Center's collection. The scavenger hunt can played in person in the museum, or online by downloading the clues and searching the online collection. The Food for Thought scavenger hunt is available anytime the Luce Foundation Center is open, 11:30am - 7:00pm daily.

images:
Wayne Thiebaud, Around the Cake, 1962
John Holcomb, Washington D.C., 2010

 

Allison Recht

Goings On

Film: "Waste Land," 2009
Brazilian-born, Brooklyn-based artist Vik Muniz sets out to make portraits of the garbage-pickers (catadores) at the world’s largest landfill, in Jardim Gramacho outside Rio de Janeiro, using refuse collected on site as his source material. Lucy Walker’s Moby-scored documentary won a 2010 Sundance Audience Award. In English and Portuguese.

TONIGHT - Thursday, 11/18 @ 8:00pm
Hirshhorn Museum, Ring Auditorium
Independence Avenue and Seventh Street SW
FREE

www.hirshhorn.si.edu

 

 

Food in Art Family Day
As Thanksgiving approaches, discover how food has been a source of inspiration for artists in our collection. Try a scavenger hunt through the galleries or sketch out the decoration for your own delicious cake. Decorate your own apron and pick up a recipe for frosting inspired by Wayne Thiebaud’s pastel cakes and pies. Don’t forget to stop by the photo still-life station and get those fruits and veggies ready for their close up!

Saturday, 11/20 @ 11:30am-3:00pm
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Kogod Courtyard
8th and F Streets NW
FREE

image: Wayne Thiebaud, Neapolitan Meringue, 1986/1999, Smithsonian American Art Museum

www.americanart.si.edu

 

Lathe Demonstrations
Watch the Capital Area Woodturners, Chesapeake Woodturners, and Montgomery County Woodturners demonstrate the process used by the artists in A Revolution in Wood to create their unique pieces. Related Exhibit: A Revolution in Wood: The Bresler Collection. 

Tuesday, 11/23 @ 12pm-pm
Renwick Gallery, Palm Court, 1st Floor
1661 Pennsylvania Avenue NW (at 17th Street)
FREE

image: Derek A. Bencomo, Hana Valley, First View, from the "Peaks and Valleys Series", 1997, Smithsonian American Art Museum

www.americanart.si.edu

 

Allison Recht

Goings On

Halloween is this weekend, and whether you want to have some spooky fun or pretend it's just another weekend, there's something going on for you.

On Saturday the Corcoran Gallery is hosting a family workship called Wild Beasts and Creatures. From the Corcoran Gallery's Website: "Journey to the wild and discover fierce lions, serpents, and beasts on this gallery safari. Let the bronze sculptures of Antoine-Louis Barye be your guide along the way as you learn about animal fables from cultures around the world. Continue the adventure in our art studio and create your own wild creature out of clay. Workshops are limited to children ages 8–12 and their adult companions. Space is limited and advance registration is required."
Image: Antoine-Louis  Barye, Roger and Angelica on the Hippogriff. c. 1846. www.corcoran.org

Saturday, October 30, 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m.
Corcoran Gallery of Art and College of Art + Design
500 Seventeenth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006
202-639-1700
$15 with advanced registration

Recently opened at the National Portrait Gallery is Elvis at 21: Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer. This collection of photographs shows Elvis Presley as he was rising to fame in 1956. The photographs take an intimate look at Elvis's public and private life, as well as everyday life in 1956.

Now through January 23, 2011
The National Portrait Gallery - 2nd floor
Eighth and F Streets, NW
Metro: Gallery Place–Chinatown (red, yellow, green)
FREE

Get in the Halloween mood on Sunday with Ciné-Concert: Häxan—Witchcraft through the Ages. The American premier of the original score is being shown at the National Gallery of Art. From NGA's website: "One of the most fascinating works in the history of cinema is Christensen's visually stunning study of witchcraft, a blend of fictionalized vignettes and nonfiction texts exploring medieval sorcery practice. Frequently evoking paintings by Bosch, Häxan conveys a sense of dark emotion let loose on a naive world. Accompanied by a live performance of the original 1922 musical score under the direction of Gillian B. Anderson. (Benjamin Christensen, 1922, 35 mm, Danish and Swedish with soft-titles, 110 minutes)"

October 31 at 4:00PM
National Gallery of Art - East Building Concourse, Auditorium
Auditorium: 4th and Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Gallery: 4th and Independence Avenue NW
Doors open 30 min. before show; seating is first-come first-served
FREE

 And of course, if none of these events strike your fancy, you can always carve a pumpkin or make some DIY Halloween decorations!

Allison Recht

 

Going On: Art and the Movies

 

If you haven't had a chance to check out the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the American Art Museum yet, tomorrow presents the perfect opportunity. On Friday, September 24 at 3:00 p.m., three distinguished scholars join senior curator Virginia Mecklenburg to discuss the influence between art and film. They will look at movies ranging from silent films to the epics of the 1940s. After listening to the talk, linger in the exhibition, Telling Stories: Norman Rockwell from the Collections of George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, and learn how two of today's greatest filmmakers have been influenced by Rockwell.

The lecture is free, but registration is required. Visit www.eventbrite.com or call (202) 633-8490 for reservations.

For more information about the Rockwell exhibition, visit http://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/archive/2010/rockwell/.

Going On: Community Day - African Soul

On Saturday, September 18th, the African Art Museum hosts a Community Day from 12 noon to 4:30 p.m. This year's theme is "African Soul." Events include arts-and-crafts activities, dance performances and workshops, face painting, a film screening, and a creation station, where participants will have an opportunity to interact with international artists who work and create in public spaces. The programs are all free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://africa.si.edu/calendar.html#/?i=1.

MAKIYKUMANTA-Peru: Arts and Cultural Legacy

This year’s Indian Summer Showcase at the Smithsonian has yet again proved to be a phenomenal success.  The National Museum of the American Indian has featured a continual series of cultural displays from Argentina, Mexico, Bolivia, Hawai’i, and Peru in its annual summer celebration.

What’s coming up next?  The 6-day festival of “MAKIYKUMANTA-Peru: Arts and Cultural Legacy.”  This event runs from Tuesday, July 13^th through Sunday, July 18^th and is co-sponsored by the Embassy of Peru.

  

 

 

Here is a sampling of daily events:

 10:00am- Arts and Crafts Exhibits Open

10:00am-10:30am- Open

10:30am-11:00am-Open

11:00am-11:30am- Children's Workshop by Antonieta Merida (ceramics)

11:30am-12:00pm- Musical Performance by INCA SON

12pm- 12:30pm-Perfomrance by INCA SON (includes dance lessons)

12:30pm-1:00pm- Open

1:00pm-1:30pm- Films/Videos

1:30pm-2:00pm- Films/Videos

2:00pm-2:30pm- Musical Performance by INCA SON

2:30pm-3:00pm- Performance by INCA SON (includes dance lessons)

3:00pm-3:30pm- Senora de Cao (conference)

3:30pm-4:00pm- Open

4:00pm-4:30pm- Rural Community Lifestyle (conference)

4:30pm-5:00pm- Open

5:30pm- Arts and Crafts Exhibits Closes

  

Location:

American Indian Museum

Potomac Atrium, 1^st Level

Fourth Street & Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, DC 20560

The National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, D.C., is located on the National Mall between the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum and the U.S. Capitol Building.

Hours: 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM daily

This event is FREE to the public!

In addition to enjoying music, performances, food demonstrations, films, lectures, and dance, visitors are able to purchase textile, silver jewelry, paintings, ceramics, and wood/stone carvings.

Come see the beauty and spirit of these Peruvian arts!

Action! Storytelling in the Paintings of Norman Rockwell and the Films of Lucas and Spielberg

 
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg—two of the most recognizable big screen titans—have contributed immensely to modern American film.  Their power of storytelling has created wonderment and fantasy in viewers young and old.  But where did they learn their storytelling talents?  Believe it or not, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg both attribute some of their success as filmmakers to the artist, Norman Rockwell.

  

Running from July 2, 2010 through January 2, 2010, the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum will have an exhibition called Telling Stories, which highlights the connections between the films of Lucas and Spielberg and the definitively American art of Norman Rockwell.  Recognizing the connections among their work, the filmmakers amassed collections of Rockwell’s art, further tying together themes of growing up, small town values, imagination, underdog heroes, and nationality.

  

Rockwell managed to create entire scenes, lively and energetic, on a single canvas.  A total of 57 of his works, a catalog, and appropriately, a film, are included in this revealing exhibition.

Location:

Smithsonian American Art Museum

1^st Floor West

Enter from the Kogod Courtyard

(Monday and Tuesday are least crowded)

Hours: 11:30 AM until 7 PM

Admission is free.