"Speak softly and carry a big fish" - Face Value at the National Portrait Gallery

Earlier this week, I was invited to the press preview and opening reception for the National Portrait Gallery's (NPG) newest exhibit- "Face Value: Portraiture in the Age of Abstraction."

Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this exhibit. It is one of those amazing times when everything just works: the exhibit design, the flow in the gallery, the narrative, and the subject matter. 

The gallery has two entrances, each with a remarkable statement piece. I entered the exhibit from the exhibit's main entrance and was greeted by Joan Brown's Self-Portrait with Fish and Cat (1970). This portrait is bold, not just in size and color, but in subject matter as well. It sets the tone for the rest of the exhibit. And is where the quote in the title comes from, as the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Kim Sajet, joked that this portrait had inspired her new mantra: "Speak softly and carry a big fish." 

Co-currator Wendy Wick Reaves beginning the tour of the exhibit with:

Self-Portrait with Fish and Cat

Joan Brown (1938-1990)

1970

Oil enamel on masonite Courtesy of George Adams Gallery, New York

In this exhibit, the art truly speaks for itself. The exhibit design works so well with the artwork. The muted gray tones allow visitors to completely focus on the portraits. The simple frames allow the works to shine, breaking from more traditional portrait exhibits, which often seem to utilize the idea that the more ornate the frame, the more prestigious the portrait. With the objects in this exhibit ranging from small square portraits to wood-cuts outs, the staging of the exhibit could have become a challenge to the exhibit's feel and flow. But the placement of the cutouts - placed on simple white circles - allows for easy flow and study. David Ward, Senior Historian at the NPG and co-curators of "Face Value,  even joked that they might seem too inviting, as he wouldn't want visitors attempting to shake Jack O'Hare's hand. 

Frank O'Hare

Alex Katz (born 1927)

1959-1960

Courtesy of the artist and Pace Gallery, New York. 

As I moved through the gallery, I let myself be drawn to different works. One of those works was Elaine de Kooning's Harold Rosenberg. At first I was confused, because it was so different from my idea of a portrait prior to this exhibit. It is loud, inexact, and informal. But it all works. De Kooning's abstraction influences are obvious, but the subject is still easily recognizable (its always great learning new art tidbits from the curators themselves). While explaining this portrait, Brandon Brame Fortune - one of the exhibit's co-curators and the Chief Curator and Curator of Painting and Sculpture - told us that the NPG would be doing an entire de Kooning exhibit next year, which should be wonderful. 

Brandon Brame Fortune explains de Kooing's influences and subject choice.

Harold Rosenberg

Elaine de Kooning

Oil on Canvas

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

My favorite piece, by far, was Chuck Close's Nancy. From the moment I saw it, I was drawn to it. There is just something about the painting. Close referred to his series of large figure studies as heads instead of portraits, wanting to shock his audience with the scale. And he does just that. The detail is exquisite, from her freckles and somewhat frizzy hair to her overlapping front teeth. She is not perfect, but she is hauntingly beautiful in this portrait. And she is an important piece in this exhibit, both as a Chuck Close piece and as an anchor for the exhibit. Whenever I looked over at this part of the exhibit, I found myself staring at her; there's something about Nancy.

Nancy

Chuck Close (1940-)

1968

Acrylic on Canvas

Milwaukee Art Museum, Gift of Herbert H. Kohl Charities, Inc.

In the photograph above is another one of my favorite pieces from the exhibit: Marisol Escobar's Hugh Hefner. This piece was originally commissioned for Time and donated to the NPG. I love this piece because its odd. A comment from David Ward during this part of the tour really struck me. He said that Hefner was "attempting to make sex serious" and this portrait of his kind of alludes to that. Despite his elongated head (yes, I know what I just said) and two pipes, the piece has a seriousness about it that is in opposition with Hefner's brand. 

Hugh Hefner

Marisol Escobar (1930 -)

1966-77

Polychromed wood

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; Gift of Time magazine. 

As I left this gallery for the last two rooms, there was an obvious shift in the feeling of the art. As I was transitioning to art made in the late 1960s and 1970s, it made sense. This was a period in American history where the social norms and the status quo were being questioned.  And this is especially true when it comes to art. It is also more risqué art, delving into the most personal aspects of people's lives. 

From Robert Rauschenberg's Booster - the artists's de-heroization of the space race- to Robert Carston's Classical Exposure - a showing of support and solidarity with the growing women's movement of the 1970s, there is a lot of social commentary in this room. This is not simply a reaction to the post-war/Cold War era, but an in your face question of society. 

The exhibit closes with two portraits: Portrait of Andy Warhol by John Browning Wyeth and Portrait of Jamie Wyeth with Tan Background.  Wyeth suggested to Warhol that they paint each other's portraits and these were the results. The portraits are great examples of the styles the two men were know for: realism and pop. Placed at the end of the exhibit, these portraits are true statement pieces. And that statement, according to co-curator and Senior Curator of Prints and Drawings Wendy Wick Reaves, is that "portraiture was back."

On left: Portrait of Jamie Wyeth with Tan Background, Andy Warhol (1928-1987), 1976, Acrylic and screenprint on canvas, Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville, TN.

On right: Portrait of Andy Warhol, James Browning Wyeth (1946-), 1976, Oil on Canvas, Botanical Garden and Museum of Art, Nashville, TN.

As I mentioned, there are two entrances to this exhibit. The second one is located near the end of the exhibit's narrative. At this entrence, visitors are greeted by Barkley Leonnard Hendricks' Sir Charles, Alias Wille Harris.  The curators mentioned that this exhibit has a large number of pieces by African-American artists and female artists, who were held outside the "Old Boys Club" that many of the well-known mid-century portrait artists belonged to. Which allowed them to to create some truly interesting pieces, according to the currators. And I would have to agree. This piece evokes cool, which is somewhat fitting because visitors enter "Face Value" from the exhibit, "American Cool." 

Sir Charles, Alias Wille Harris

Barkley Leonnard Hendricks (1945-)

1972

Oil on Canvas

National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; William C. Whitney Foundation

And don't forget to check out the gift shop for fun "Face Value" memorabilia! You know I love a great museum shop and the National Portrait Gallery has always had a great one. If you are looking for a fun Mother's Day present for an art loving mom, check out the exhibit catalogue. Its a beautiful book that starts with the poem Hand With A Picture" by John Ashberry, which was commissioned specially for the exhibit. 

It was a great morning at the museum and I was excited to come back that evening for the opening reception to see what other people thought of the exhibit. 

When I walked into the reception I was greeted with the sound of jazz, the smell of food, and the chatter of people talking all around the atrium.

Everyone seemed excited to see the exhibit, but first there were a few presentations. After cocktails, food, and jazz, we listened to Kim Sajet welcome everyone to the exhibit. Then we were listened to a reading of John Ashberry's poem "Hand With A Picture," read by Steven Schmidt. 

I have to admit that I was slightly distracted at the beginning of the reception because I discovered that they could create a shallow pool in the middle of the artium. How cool is that!

At the end of the presentation portion of the reception, we were treated to an amazing performance piece by Daniel Wurtzel called Pas de Deux. It was an absolutely mesmerizing installation, with the two pieces of fabric floating and intertwining in the sparkling air. (This is only a sneak peak, I promise there is more to come on this amazing piece.)

After the presentations ended, we headed upstairs to view the exhibit. I wandered around trying to gauge people's reactions to the exhibit and watch how the flow of people worked in the gallery space. Both were extremely positive. People seemed to really connect with the images, which is exactly what are is suppose to do.

"Face Value: Portraiture in the Age of Abstraction" opens today, April 18th, and runs through January 15, 2015. The National Portrait Gallery is open daily from 11:30am to 7:00pm. 

Monuments Men: The True Story

So, this past month, as everyone has been talking about all the great Oscar movies and the fun new comedies, my focus was on something a bit different. I had been waiting to see the movie The Monuments Men for ages and so, opening weekend, my mom and I decided to go see if it lived up to our expectations. 

And it totally did! Now, I know that it received mixed reviews, so I'm going to say this right now. This a story about how museum curators and art specialists become reluctant action heroes (kind of) to save the most amazing art in Western Europe. This is not your typical war movie, with big battle scenes and lots of explosives. That would be bad for the art. And despite the fact that there are many comedians in the film, this is not a comdey. It is Hollywood's version of a true event and -as in all life stories - there are highs and lows, so it is part comedy, part drama, and part action movie all rolled into one. 

Anyway, I loved this move, so I decided to do some more digging into the true story of the Monuments Men. I am still deciding whether or not to read the book the movie is based on by Robert Edsel. But in the mean time, I did some searching to find out more about the true story. And those searches led me to the Archives of American Art and their current exhibit The Monuments Men: On the Frontline to Save Europe's Art, 1942-1946. 

I decided to go and check it out. An important piece of information on the logistics of the exhibit. The Archives of American Art is located in an office building on 9th Street in DC. However, the exhibit is in a room that the Archives has in the National Portrait Gallery/ America Art Museum complex. Hopefully this clears up any confusion if you decide to go (I was a bit lost at first). 

When I finally figured out where I was suppose to go, I entered the museum complex through the Portrait Gallery side and made my way towards the atrium. 

And through the door on the left side. There are no signs directing you towards the exhibit and the people I asked were a bit confused with what exhibit I was looking for. So, I figured that I would give you directions. 

Once through this door, go to the end of the short hallway and turn right into the Lawrence A. Fleischman Gallery.  

There, now you've made it to the exhibit!

The exhibit is small but effective, telling the story of these remarkable men and women through photographs and documents. Although there are only six cases of objects in the exhibit, the pieces chosen by the curators seem to tell a complete story. 

It begins with the George Leslie Stout's concerns about the potential loss of centuries worth of European art and his original proposal concerning the "Protection of Monuments." Stout was an art conservator at the Fogg Musuem at Harvard and one of the main advocates for the need to protect European art - and thus European history and culture - from destruction. 

Draft Proposal for protection of monuments, December 1941.Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. 

The call for action went out from many of the country's top museums shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor and many members of the art community heeded the call. 

Monuments Men Walker Hancock (second from left) and George "Ole Pops" Stout (second from right), June 1945. Thomas Carr Howe papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. 

The exhibit continues to tell of the search for the massive collection of art that the Nazis had stolen and hidden away. 

**Spoiler: If you have not seen the movie yet and want to be surprised how it plays out, stop reading now. The next parts will give pieces of the movie away.**

Inventory list of looted art from the Göring collection found at Berchtesgaden and transported by truck to Munich Central Collecting Point for repatriation, July 26–August 4, 1945. Thomas Carr Howe papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

One of the most important recoveries in the movie was the recovery of Michelangelo's Madonna and Child. It occurs almost at the end of the movie and appears to be the most important discovery for the team. We see some of the repatriation of art, but much of it is glossed over by George Clooney's character (Based on George Stout) in his debriefing with Roosevelt. 

Rescuing Michelangelo’s Madonna and Child, Altaussee, 1945. Thomas Carr Howe papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

But the exhibit goes further. It shows the vast amount of art that had to be catalogued and repatriated. Images of the crate stacked on top of crate and stack after stack of painting convey the shear volume of this operation. 

Herr Sicher, George Stout and Thomas Carr Howe inspecting paintings, 1945 July 9. Thomas Carr Howe papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

One of the most interesting characters in the movie is Claire Simone (played by Cate Blanchett). She is one of the only women in the movie but plays an extremely important role. That character is based on Rose Valland, a French art historian who worked tirelessly to save thousands of pieces of art during and after Nazi occupation. Part of the exhibit that I really enjoyed was seeing her during the cataloguing and repatriation of the recovered art. 

Edith Standen and Rose Valland examine artwork, armor, and sculpture to be returned to France, May 1946. James J. Rorimer papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.

At the back of the exhibit was an interactive panel, which allowed visitors to call a number and hear an interview with one of the original members of the Monuments Men. In theory, this is an amazing idea, a way to draw the audience further into the story. In reality, however, it just didn't work for me. All the interviews I tried were fuzzy and hard to hear, likely because of their age and the original quality of the recording. If there was a way to clean up the recordings, I think I would have really enjoyed that part of the exhibit. 

Over all, I truly enjoyed the Monuments Men exhibit. As an art fan and a member of the museum field, the importance of this story really hits home. Throughout the movie, people keep asking the Monuments Men if the art is worth the sacrrifce. I believe that it is. Because it is not just something pretty to admire, but a part of history and culture that reflect where society is at that point in time. And I am grateful to all the men and women involved in the protection and recovery of this art.

On a side note, this elderly couple was in the room the entire time I was there (I tend to take much longer than most people in exhibits because I am taking and retaking photos and making sure I jot down enough information in my notes). They seemed to have a true connection with the event, making me wonder if they had seen any of this up close. 

The exhibit opened the same day as the movie, February 7th, and will be on display until April 20, 2014. The museum is part of the Smithsonian, so admission is free. The museum complex is open from 11:30am to 7:00pm. 

And if you have time, enjoy a cuppa in the atrium, it really is beautiful! 

Iconic Hollywood

Some of the most iconic Hollywood costumes went on a short vacation to the UK last year and became one of the hits of London. Part of the extremely popular exhibit "Hollywood Costume," these costumes were on display in the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London. If anyone had gone to the Smithsonian last winter and was disappointed not to see the Ruby Slippers at the National Museum of American History, they were hanging out in London for a while.

I first wanted to see this exhibit last year when I was in London, but I couldn't really justify spending the pounds to see American costumes. Instead, my travel companion and I explored the V&A's permanent collections (one of my first blog posts http://exhibitlife.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-v.html). I hoped that I would be able to see it back in the States. So when I heard that it was making a stop in Richmond, I couldn't wait to go. 

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) is hosting the exhibit this winter. While the museum itself is free, visitors need to purchase tickets for this special exhibit (although it is free for members). The tickets are time stamped to ensure that the exhibit does not get over crowded. I was lucky and was able to pick up a ticket for immediate entrance.

As I made my way towards the exhibit, I was guided by images of Batman and Spiderman.

And as I turned the corner, Rose and Austin Powers were waiting to greet me.

Because of the nature of this exhibit and the copyrights associated with films the costumes are associated with, photography is not allowed within the exhibit itself. But the VMFA was kind enough to grant me access to their media shots. So, this blog post will be a combination of their media shots and pictures I took outside of the exhibit. 

The exhibit starts with some well know costumes from fairly recent films: Matt Damon's non-descript gray outfit from The Bourne Ultimatum, Helen Mirren's Barbour jacket and scarf from The Queen, Beyoncé's  glittery stage outfit from Dreamgirls, and Edward Norton and Brad Pitt's outfits from Fight Club. These costumes start the exhibit off with an explanation of the costume design, how everything that goes into an outfit, from cut and color to buttons, is deliberate, to make the audience see the characters as authentic. 

Fight Club, 1999 ©20th Century Fox/The Kobal Collection/Merrick Morton.

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

The exhibit then examines how different costume approaches can create alternative personas for the same characters. By placing two different Cleopatra costumes side by side - Claudette Colbert's green gown from 1934 and Elizabeth Taylor's embroidered overlay from 1963. I loved seeing how the choices of two different costume designers affected the overall perception of the chapter. 

Being a child of the 90's, one of my favorite costumes in the exhibit is Kate Winslet's costume from Titanic. It is an iconic costume, from when the audience first meets Rose. The exhibit walks the visitor through the extreme details that went into the outfit. I couldn't get over the fact that the bow on the hat looks even bigger in person than it did in the film! It is positioned right next to the costume that Jack (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) wore for much of the movie. This provides an interesting juxtaposition between the presentation of the upper and lower classes. From the impeccable tailoring of Rose's suit to the detailed mending of Jack's breast pocket, these two costumes really are great examples of how the details add to the authenticity. 

Titanic (Kate Winslet),1997 ©20th Century Fox/Paramount/The Kobal Collection.

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

The next segment of the exhibit delves into the relationship between directors and costume designers. While costumes are used to highlight aspects of this relationship, the main focus of this section are interviews with certain directors, their costume designers, and lead actors. This section highlights The Birds, Closer, Gangs of New York (loved this interview!), and Sweeney Todd. 

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

Directly across from these interviews, the exhibit addresses Hollywood's long obsession with royalty. From different perceptions of Elizabeth the First, to a fanciful take on Marie Antoinette, to an amazingly detailed vision of Guinevere of Camelot, this section of the exhibit is sure to awe visitors, if simply because of the amazing craftsmanship that went into each costume. 

The last part of the first section of the exhibit takes a detailed look at multiple characters that Meryl Streep and Robert De Niro have played over their careers and the costumes that defined them. Again, the draw of this section is not necessarily the costumes, but the interviews with the actors about their work with the costume designers. 

Iron Lady, 2011 ©Film 4/The Kobal Collection.

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

From there, you enter a hallway that is meant to reasonable a sound stage, where parts of costumes from Gone with the Wind are housed in traditional museum cases. And at the end of the hall, is perhaps the most iconic Hollywood costume of all time: Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The Seven Year Itch. And it really is amazing!

The next few rooms focus on different genre's of movies: from action and suspense, to sci-fi and fantasy, and ending with femme fatals, musicals, and comedies. My favorite room was the middle one, which seemed to focus on sci-fi/ fantasy.

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

 The spotlight in this room was on the iconic Indian Jones outfit: the leather jacket, the fedora, and the whip (which I happened to get to just as the Indian Jones theme song began playing). It was amazing to watch video explaining the origins of each piece, from the whip to the pants. Behind the costume was the movie poster from Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom, along with quotes from the movie and the actors. My absolute favoirte was a quote from Harrison Ford which said:

"It's a very bizarre costume. It's this guy sporting a whip, whose usually off someplace really hot in a leather jacket."  

The exhibit ends with a focus on the Wizard of Oz, complete with a mock set of that includes the yellow brick road. I had a small issue with the placement of this section, because it was suppose to be the final piece of the exhibit, but with the way most people were moving around the room, it was in the middle. I would have liked to see it as the true end of the exhibit. Another disapointment: although the V&A had the original ruby slippers in their exhibit, the VMFA appears to have a reproduction pair. I guess the Smithsonian wanted the original pair back a bit sooner. 

Photo courtesy of the VMFA

My favorite find from the gift shop this time was a picture book of Audrey Hepburn's life. It was just so cute!

Overall, it was a fun exhibit. I highly recommend it to anyone who is in the Richmond area. But you have to hurry, because "Hollywood Costume" is only on exhibit through February 17th. 

And if you do go, I also suggest checking out the cafe. I found this amazingly cute ruby slipper cake pop that I just had to try.

 And it was both delicious and cute!

History through the News: The Newseum part 1

So, with so many of the DC museums closed because of the shutdown, there were only a few museums to choose from when my cousin came to visit on her fall break. Of those museums, the one that looked the most interesting to both of us was the Newseum. I had been to the Newseum years ago when it was located in Virginia, but hadn't been since the new facility had opened on Pennsylvania Ave. So, deciding to brave the rain and the protesters, we got in the car and headed into the city. 

View from the Newseum's terrace. 

It was strange that on the Sunday of a holiday weekend, we got a prime parking spot right in front of the National Museum of Natural History. It was only a three block walk to the Newseum, and before I knew it we were looking at a tall, sleek building. The buzz created by the visitors was a sharp contrast to the locked Sculpture Garden and the closed Archives we had passed on our short walk there. When we stepped inside, I have to admit that I was impressed by the shear size of building and excited to see what the day had in store for us.

After purchasing our tickets (they are good for 2 days and there is a student discount available), we made our way down to the orientation video, which explains what is the best for visitors to explore the museum. Having decided to follow the museum's recommendations, we began our tour on Level 1, where we saw three very different but cool exhibits: The Berlin Wall Gallery, Creating Camelot, and FBI Exhibit. And of course I took enough pictures to make each their own posting. 

The first post will cover the permanent exhibit that I thought was the best done in the entire Newseum: the aforementioned Berlin Wall Gallery.

Looking down from level 6 of the Newseum

The Berlin Wall Gallery is the first gallery you come to after exiting the orientation video. The gallery space is designated by a large section of the wall itself. 

After briefly touching a “piece of history” as instructed by the label text, my mom, cousin, and I headed over to get a closer look at the wall. 

There is something about this object that is awe inspiring. The art/graffiti on it tells part of its history, in stark juxtaposition to the clear surface of the concrete on the other side. After studying the art on the wall’s original West side, we headed into the gallery.

In the center of the gallery stands an imposing concrete tower. There are no panels explaining what it is on the outside of the structure, but it had an ominous feeling about it. Walking into the doorway - one of the only openings in the tower - you can hear indistinct industrial noises. There is a small panel labeling the tower a “Death Tower.” During the period when the wall was up, 300 of these towers lined border between East and West Berlin, from the East side. These towers were used to prevent illegal border crossings. This particular one used to stand at Stallschreiberstrasse, less than a mile from the most famous border crossing in Berlin- Checkpoint Charlie. 

After exiting the Death Tower, we moved to the first of the main text panels. These panels, which are on the three walls of the gallery, tell the story of the wall, from its very beginning to its famous fall. That story is told through the use of multimedia text panels. There is the traditional text that tells the historical narrative and personal stories. My favorite of these was the story of the young reporter who was one of the first to see (and report on) the first barricades that went up between East and West Berlin. 

But the story was not just told in still images and label text. Each panel had a video screen that added not only a multimedia dimension to the exhibit, but also a more emotional connection to the narrative. The videos were collections of news clips and stories about from different periods in the wall’s history, keeping with the museum’s intent to teach history through the news that made it. 

There were also a few other objects selected for the exhibit, to add a more tangible dimension to the panels. The first object is what is probably one of the most recognizable signs in from the recent history: the sign for Checkpoint Charlie. The other object in the main gallery is harder to place, but the inclusion of a photograph on the panel above it identifies it as one of the anti-tank barriers used at Todesstreifen. 

The final panel tells the story of the breaking down of the Soviet control of East Berlin and the tearing down of the wall. It focuses on the images made famous by newspapers around the world of the wall coming down. It is a very moving ending to the story. 

Now, I was a year old when the wall came down (although my mom did prop me up in front of the TV so I can say that I did watch it come down), so it wasn’t as powerful to me as it was to my mom.  Throughout the entire exhibit she had been talking about what it was like to live through certain events and how it seemed like the wall would always be a barrier between the two Berlins. Her commentary enhanced my experience at the exhibit, because to me, this is all history. But to my mom it was her childhood and early adult life. This was her news, not her history. Which I think is one lesson the exhibit is trying to get across to people born after the wall came down. This was millions of people’s reality, unfolding daily in the media. 

The gallery is not large and the panels are not as in depth as they are in many other of the Newseum’s exhibits, but this exhibit may be worth the price of the ticket on its own. It flows well, tells a meaningful story, and invokes an emotional response from patrons. Definitely one to check out. 

And next time, the Newseum part 2 and the JFK exhibits.