HALLOWEEN Twenty_Eleven

Jamie Wyeth_"Self Portrait as Pumpkin Head"

It is a season of many marvels and wonders; of macabre and timeless tales. The season to dream, to celebrate, to scare is now.  Oh autumn! Oh Halloween! You are a joy to all. Certainly your sounds, tastes, climate and aromas are distinct. For many you are the best of seasons and Halloween the best of holidays. Who could argue as the grand masquerade begins in defense of any other. We enjoy it in both its strangeness and its familiar. We truly enjoy as we shiver from the spooky and the chilling in the air.

It is the images of Halloween that stand out in our minds, the visual. The first thought of Halloween is always a visual thing and every-thing is possible. As long as we dream it is the autumnal that ignites like no other. The imagination runs free as we look outward and ultimately express the inner self. Whether witch or warlock, devil or angel, lycanthrope, vampire or Frankenstein’s Monster. We can be whatever we choose on Halloween Day as long as we play in the cherished charade.

If it were possible to sum up the spirit and wonder of Halloween in a single tale Washington Irving’s “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” would probably be the one. It possesses every element of the season. The image of the Headless Horseman is among the most striking in fiction. The Hessian soldier in search of a replacement for his own cannonball removed dome haunts our psyche.

The mystery, fun and thrill of the prank are within Irving’s words. It has been read and told for generations and lives on with no loss of charm. It has inspired films, plays and songs. The above Nineteenth Century painting captures the dilemma of the story’s protagonist; Ichabod Crane, precisely. Enjoy the image and enjoy your haunting this Halloween.

30 AMERICANS @ The Corcoran

30 AMERICANS @ the Corcoran

There is something lively; something wonderful, something engaging on view at the Corcoran (DC). That something is an incomparable exhibition composed actually of 31 artists/creators. Interestingly enough this portion of the Rubell family’s art collection happens to feature works from artists exclusively of African American decent. At different times past a similar exhibition would have been titled “Thirty Negro Artist, Thirty Afro-American Artists or Thirty Black Americans.”  We are presented interestingly enough “30 Americans” because we are (arguably) in the Post-Black period of American/World history. This is a good thing; we can finally look at and perceive the works as purely esthetics or we can interject the racial/nationality factor as we choose or as the given artist chooses accordingly. These are great times indeed and this is a great exhibition!        



Iona Rozeal Brown_Sacrafice #2
courtesy of Rubell Family Collection



Rashid Johnson_The New Negro
Escapist Social and Athletic Club
courtesy of Rubell Family Collection

Among the featured are many of my personal favorites: Kehinde Wiley (the” Prince” of Painters), Kerry James Marshal (the Dean), Jean- Michel Basquiat (the Rebel), Carrie Mae Weems (the Lovely), Kara Walker (the Provocative) and Nick Cave (the Entertainer). All incredible; as magnificent as they are unique…this is what contemporary art is; art without boundaries or singular definition.

This exhibition is of a pivotal moment in history reflecting a definite shift in the way art will be viewed for years to come. Works and artists that were once marginalized are now at the fore-front and making bold statements “Saying it Loud” as is one of the many themes of “30 AMERICANS.”  The central piece of the exhibition and most talked about is Wiley’s “Sleeping” (h132 x w300in.)




Kehinde Wiley_Sleeping_courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection

 

This colossus of a figurative piece is magnificently rendered, exquisite in detail and equally subtle. The basis of Wiley’s work is rooted in those of Baroque Europe practically as practiced by the Spanish masters; Velasquez, de Ribera and Murillo. The same regality and grandeur is also rooted in much of the sculpture, fabrics and objects found in African pieces from the same era. Only a maestro of Wiley’s expertise and talent could orchestrate this visual symphony of a painting. It is a thing spectacular.







Jean-Michel Basquiat_Bird On Money
courtesy of The Rubell Family Collection

 



Carrie Mae Weems
From Here I Saw What
Happened and I Cried
courtesy of The Rubell Family
Collection



Carrie Mae Weems
From Here I Saw What
Happened and I Cried
courtesy of The Rubell Family
Collection

30 AMERICANS features over seventy works ranging from the sublime to the challenging of depiction and content; again the essence of contemporary art. Mixed-Medium, found objects, video, photography, and instillation are on view and each well represented. You will leave it enthralled and invigorated. This show can only be fully experienced in the flesh, in person. It is a very intimate thing; a thing to enjoy.

The ML King Memorial

Sunday (September 11, 2011) marked the tenth anniversary of an horrific and unparelled   American tragedy. It will now also mark my family’s first visit to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC. To attack any part of America as on Nine Eleven Two-Thousand One is to attack all of America. Our visit to the newly   opened King Memorial was at least a personal statement expressing our American “Freedom from Fear.” Our freedoms will not be easily taken from us. There have been too many battles fought for our freedoms. Martin Luther King lived; fought and died for the freedoms of all Americans. His weapon of choice was non-violence. It proved to be a most powerful weapon. He changed the hearts and minds of men and women and won a lasting, ever vigilant peace.  We will not embarrass his legacy by hiding from any unsubstantial threat. King’s Memorial is a fitting tribute to the freedoms that others would want to deny us. 

The Pentagon was struck a decade ago in 2001 and lives were lost. Washington is a very real target. There were threats made again this year; we answered the alleged threats by visiting a very public place; The King Memorial. It was an incredible, beautiful day…it is an incredible, immaculate monument.

The strength, commitment, intelligence and character of Martin Luther King Jr. are unquestionable. He is a deserving leader. Like all leaders he was not alone in his efforts. There were many other leaders; pivotal individuals and groups working in the “Civil Rights Movements.” Thurgood Marshal ; the dedicated lawyer, John Lewis; the student activist, Rosa parks; a woman that simply had had enough and James Peck; a freedom rider. These are a few names among the countless many who were equal parts of “The Movement” and share the glory of this massive monument. If you listen carefully you can hear their voices; feel their spirits, share their victories along with those of Dr. King’s. We are thankful for their truth and bravery; we cannot say nor do enough to honor their deeds.

                                                                                                              

I have spent a few hours around the tidal basin. The tidal basin is a small inlet of water surrounded by monuments: The Jefferson, The Roosevelt, and The Korean War reside there. You will find walkways and cherry trees that blossom brilliantly every spring. The King memorial is there now. The patriotic, the faithful and the curious are lured to the tidal basin daily and especially in spring. They are the seekers of truth, life and even something of the legendary. It is as intangible as a dream yet powerful enough to move mountains of hate and injustice…powerful enough to unite us all.