Down
through the magnificent Atrium of the Hamilton Building to second floor again
and time for the current blockbuster special exhibition: "The Western: An
Epic in Art & Film". The
premise is the power of the "West" in the American conscience and how
iconic images transferred from art to film and then back again and finally back
and forth to create a range of Archetypes that infiltrate every aspect of our
culture and modern zeitgeist. It's
an ambition proposition, but in hands of this curatorial team one that produced
an amazingly coherent and thought-provoking thesis through all manner of the
visual arts and cinema. I found
myself constantly delighted by the works on display and projected. In the world of art exhibitions, this
one was hit right out of the park!
Remington's painting is the first thing we encounter and who else would be more appropriate? He is the quintessential artist of the Old West, a west that was still contemporary (or barely historical) in his own lifetime.
Stereo-optics
of images by William H. Bell (1830-1910)
"Sunset,
Green River Butte" 1915 by Thomas Moran (1837-1925)
Moran
was the master painter of the western landscape creating enormous canvases so
large that no normal sized room could faithfully accommodate them. And so to discover this charming
little--I mean 8" x 10" beauty was both atypical and delightful. If only I'd held the camera straighter!
"Madonna
of the Prairie" 1921 by William H. D. Koerner (1878-1938)
This
is an image that was replicated in film by director James Cruze in the 1923
Paramount Picture "Covered Wagon". Like how cool is that?
"The
End of the Trail" 1918 by James Earle Fraser (1876-1953)
Is
there a more quintessential sculpture of the defeat of the spirit of Native
American Indians?
"Indian
Warrior" circa 1922 by Alexander Phimister Proctor (1880-1950)
Nearby
is this contemporary counterpoint of Native American Indian dignity and
resolve. The juxtaposition
illustrates the schizophrenic relationship of the Native American Indian to the
broader cultural understanding of the mythic "Wild West". It's a dichotomy that will persist
throughout both art and film to this present day.
"Cowboy
Singing" circa 1892 by Thomas Eakins (1844-1916)
And,
of course, not every image was one of such weighty intentions as Thomas Eakins
reminds us.
"Westward
the Star of Empire" 1867 by Theodore Kaufman (1814-1896)
At
this point, I'm routing for the Indians!
"The
Great Train Robbery" 1912 by Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945)
"Piegans"
1918 by Charles Marion Russell (1864-1926)
You
may be asking yourself by now, "So where's the cinema?" It's here. It started back next to the N. C. Wyeth painting with a
video looping of D. W. Griffith's seminal film "The Great Train
Robbery". And at this point
in the exhibition key moments from classic Westerns start to dominate the works
beckoning one to sit, take a load off, and rest a spell.
Yes, that is the bike from "Easy Rider".
"The
American Indian (Russell Means)" 1976 by Andy Warhol (1928-1987)
"Indian
Power" 1979 by Fritz Scholder (1937-2005)
In
spite of his name, Scholder was a powerful force in the Native American Arts
world. He embraced is LuiseƱo
Indian heritage and upbringing in South Dakota to spend his life as a role
model for Native American artist.
I had the privilege of experiencing a seminal retrospective of his work
shortly after the Museum of the North American Indian opened here in
Washington, D. C. It was a
profoundly moving exploration of the meaning of culture and the triumph over
adversity. One of the most
astounding works was a set of human skull paintings that Scholder made using
Coca Cola and his own blood. I
don't need to explain the significance of this. You can do the math.
"Cowboy
(Blue Plaid Shirt)" date unknown by Duane Hanson (1925-1996)
The
last work of art you encounter is this sculpture by Duane Hanson. Hanson made ultra-realistic works of
stereotypical human beings in common moments that provide just enough nuance to
challenge the prevailing understanding of the stereotype. It's all the difference between dressed
up manikin and art. I wonder how
many visitors would get it?
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