Bible Stories cont'd

Wadworth pics

Wadsworth Treasures/ paper #1

Autobiography: Water ......

I visited the Wadsworth this Friday (2/13) for I believe the 3rd time since high school, 10 years ago, anyhoo I wished I had more time. The Wadsworth is an interesting thing, you approach this mini castle of a building expecting to the interiors to reflect the facade, then you're welcomed by and/or shocked by the rainbow swirl walls and modern interiors amongst the Roman/Greco structure. My instant and continued impression was that the Wadsworth is dichotomous. The first gallery I visited was the African American Gallery, located on the second floor. In my opinion it could have been either filled with more or expanded to at least another room, because I left the room wanting more. I was instantly drawn to one piece, a mixed media/ paint/ collage by Howardena Pindell of Philadelphia entitled Autobiography: Water/ Ancestors/ Middle Passage/ Family Ghosts. I've seen the piece before, but its always so interesting because it has so much. Immediately you see the main character, Howardena, in the form of a tree submerged in water. Around the figure are her stories through images. She has a boat hull from the middle passage connecting her to the slave trade, phrases, passages and images referencing racism and sexism. She says of the painting that the piece represents her "multicultural heritage and America's hidden history". It's about ten feet tall and about 4-5 ft wide and filled with things to pick apart. Sixth Sense
Shades

Another of my favorites and is Sixth Sense by Robert Colescott. Its a massive acrylic painting about 7x6 ft. A very haunting and cynical painting about the continued disenfranchisement of African Americans. Colescott's art continues to point towards the issue of latent bondage through current day racism and bigotry. There were a few others present that intersted me. Across from the Colescott painting was a collage by Benny Andrews entitled Shades. I loved this one because it was mainly constructed versus painted. He painted the eyes and other features directly onto the canvas then constructed the remainder of the face, clothing and leaves from painted and unpainted fabric. It drew me right in and it was also 3-dimensional. Like many collages it was very textural which is my kind of art! Moving on from the African American gallery...... the Wadsworth seems to just keep unfolding. Throughout the museum, starting with the connecting room to the Afr. Amer. gallery, is a series of refinely set rooms housing classical art and pottery, plates and furniture. I wasn't exactly moved by many of the art featured although I've always been facinated by the details in some of the classical art like the Rennaisance, Baroque and Colonial periods. I did though find two paintings that I enjoyed. One was a boat scene in oil that I felt that I could walk into, it had so much movement, you could almost feel teh wind off the ocean or lake. The other was garden scene mounted right above a gilded day bed against a blush colored wall. Each room in the section of the museum had its own wall color which seemed to accompany the mood or at least create a mood.
Outside of this series of rooms was another room dedicated to modern art. Within its white modern walls I found another set of paintings to pique my interest. Both by an American social-surrealist and abstractionist Walter Quirt. Both The Clinic and Give Us This Day our Daily Bread/Terrorization of the Poor are examiniations of racist ignorance and the exploitation of the poor. In the same hall were other modern paintings ranging from a Dali-Esque George Marinko and a piece depicting a scene from the Barnum carnival life. Below the gallery, in an open indoor courtyard stood a very Hellenistic fountain. In a completely different hall was an exhibit on Abraham Lincoln which at first I was not moved to see, but something said to just check it out, I was pleasantly surprised. What I found I was not expecting to see. The exhibit was basically about the man, the myth and the legend. What I though it would hold were basic rendering depicting different stages of Lincoln's life, nothing that we haven't seen. What was there were paintings and sculptures that both honored and pulled apart the myth of the Lincoln legend. The collection told both sides of the story, the myth and the truth. I enjoyed it. What I can say about the Wadsworth is that it's stuffy exterior does not in any way reflect its liberal interior. The Clinic Smokey Joe on my Mind... of the Lincoln collection (I snuck this one)!

My tentative schedule

Well........... I've already been to Yale, but I plan on attending again.... then
2. Wadsworth
3. The Bruce
4. The Met and The Studio Museum in Harlem
5. undecided
And they're all subject to change in terms of order at least......
I will keep you posted!