‘Van Gogh to Rothko’ exhibit gives Crystal Bridges visitor artist context

For many, the 20th century art movements that feature wall-size canvases covered with swaths of single colors of paint are difficult to understand, let alone put into context with the whole of art history. Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is offering visitors to its newest exhibition a visual and interactive adventure through time that charts the development of modern art movements in America and beyond.

“Van Gogh to Rothko: Masterworks from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery,” opened Saturday (Feb. 21) and runs through June 1, 2015. The exhibition, on tour from Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, N.Y., documents the development of major art movements that have been instrumental in shaping the course of what we know as “modern art.”

The 76 artworks by 73 influential artists from the late 19th century to the present began a tour of the country in March 2014 to celebrate Albright-Knox Gallery’s 150 years of collecting.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is considered to house one of the finest collections of modern art in the world, thanks to its early curators’ vision. When it was founded in 1862, other museums were adding to their collections of old masters and classic works created by mostly European artists. According to Dr. Janne Sirén, Director of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the institution’s founders of the saw an opportunity to set themselves apart. They focused their acquisitions on emerging artists who were setting the stage for ground-breaking art movements that would shake up the art world in the 20th century.

“Many of the works in the collection were acquired close to the date of execution,” Sirén explained.

One example on display in this exhibition is Andy Warhol’s 100 Cans, which was painted in 1962, and acquired by the gallery the following year. The piece also carries the distinction of being one of the last that Warhol painted completely by hand. Subsequent works saw the artist incorporating screen-printing as a way to quickly re-create the repetitive images for which he has become known.

NOT JUST AMERICAN MALES
While modern art is often thought to be the domain of primarily American artists, a number of international artists were also a part of the move away from realism and traditional techniques, and inspired what happened in this country. Henri Matisse, Salvador Dali, and Joán Miró are a few of the international artists represented who influenced American artists at work in the 20th century.

The exhibition also features several female artists, who, at the time they were working, were often overlooked by curators for traditional art institutions and their contemporary art critics. Van Gogh to Rothko includes the works of such modern female masters as Frida Kahlo, Lee Krasner, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

THROUGH THE CENTURY
Van Gogh to Rothko is arranged in chronological order, allowing visitors to experience the influence and inspiration of each art movement as new artists came along and new movements emerged.

The exhibition begins with Post-Impressionism, and Vincent van Gogh’s painting La Maison de la Crau, 1888. Artists like Van Gogh were less concerned with naturalistic representation, focused instead on conveying personal and emotional responses to subjects with their medium. The exhibition then moves to Cubism. Works carrying this designation often incorporate three-dimensional objects depicted on two dimensional surfaces, or break objects up into basic geometric shapes – a kind of “deconstructing” of an image.

Van Gogh to Rothko also features Surrealism, which features works that document the artists’ attempts to unlock the unconscious mind. Artists often called upon Freudian methods of free association, such as the piece by Joán Miró, Carnaval d’Arlequin, 1924-25.

The most significant representation in the exhibition is approximately 20 mid-century American artists, many of whom identified themselves as Abstract Expressionists. These artists include Willem de Kooning, Grace Hartigan, Robert Motherwell, and Jackson Pollock.

From the Abstract Expressionists, the exhibition moves to Pop Art. A movement that sprung from postwar-America’s economic boom, it embraced the visual language of mass culture and consumerism. Op Art followed, with artists using optical effects often based on geometric abstraction to create illusions, such as Bridget Riley did to create her painting Sequel, 1975.

AN INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE
Crystal Bridges Museum seeks to ensure that visitor experiences in their galleries go above and beyond the usual “stroll and glance” that are found in some museums. Free audio guides have been created for this exhibition, with audio equipment available at the museum’s welcome desk.

Other interactive opportunities include a 10-minute gallery film titled Jackson Pollock 51, directed by Hans Namuth, and a listening station paired with Mark Rothko’s Orange and Yellow that streams classical music and sounds and is intended to create an immersive and meditative experience.

The Artist Studio Interactive Space is a new concept, set up at the end of the tour to allow visitors to explore studio practices of artists in the exhibition. Following up this kind of exhibition with a hands-on experience is a first for the museum.

“I often feel inspired after viewing great art, but it’s easy to lose that inspiration by the time you get home,” Crystal Bridges’ Director of Education and Engagement Niki Stewart said in explaining the idea behind the space. “I hope [The Artist Studio Interactive Space] will give visitors new appreciation for techniques used in the works included in the exhibition.”

The space features interactive stations such as Create Your Own Selfie inspired by Frida Kahlo’s Self Portrait with Monkey, 1938; the Figurative Sculpture Station equipped with wire and other tactile building materials inspired by Alberto Giacometti’s Walking Man (Version I), 1960; and a software-based “touch table” that invites visitors to create a digital piece inspired by Jackson Pollock’s method of action painting.

Public programs are also scheduled to allow visitors to enjoy more engagement with the exhibition. A Spotlight Lecture with Albright-Knox Gallery’s director Dr. Janne Sirén is scheduled for Feb. 20. Two performances of RED, a play about Mark Rothko are scheduled for Feb. 25 and 27. The play features local actors Troy Schremmer and Zach Stolz, and directed by Mark Landon Smith.

Visit the Crystal Bridges website for more information about these and other public programs.