Today, after a colleague asked me last week what was new on the Mall, I spent the afternoon researching the answer. First stop, my beloved National Gallery of Art where they are in eager preparation for their next opening: "Cezanne in Province" on Sunday, January 29th. Presently there is a Homer show that I'd seen months ago and so skipped, a collection of the bird prints of John James Audubon (which was alive with children and parents and bird houses and laughter and shouts of excited discovery -- very UN-NGA, and very delightful!), and a small show of the prints of the French artist Félix Buhot. The images presented here are his from that show. The bottom image actually being a painting, but very sweet and captivating. I spent the bulk of my time here, and kept thinking how limited my college education in printmaking was! My instructor Mrs. N. G.-W. was just not up to the task.... But neither was I, I guess, since it's only taken me 23 years to figure this out!
Afterwards, I walked over to the Hirshhorn which is also in the birth throws of launching a new exhibition of the works of Hiroshi Sugimoto, but continues with a retrospective of objects from its permanent collection. Objects that they are augmenting from time to time. This visit's standout was an amazing little bas-relief by Isamu Noguchi. Approximately 2 feet wide by 3 feet tall, it was a gently formed "landscape" in white that had angled openings (some oblong, some round) through which half a dozen muted shades of light emitted. The mounds were topped with hooks through which twine stretched, and threaded upon which a few cork balls hung and kept taught via the force of gravity. This addition cast shadows across the surface and helped to highlight and isolate the color created by the light. It was so simple and I could tell that most of the people in the gallery thought it inane at best. Why is beauty so hard to see?
To this I would add a painting by Louis Morris called "Point of Tranquility" which I swear could be his 'masterwork'. I will scan and set its image in a post just before this one.
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