"Then & Now" Exhibition-Austin Museum of Art

Austin Museum of Art:
Modern Art. Modern Lives. Then & Now
A review by Karina Reyes

The Austin Museum of Art Exhibition of “Modern Art. Modern Lives. Then + Now” blends together a thought-provoking and interesting array of portraiture dating back from the impressionist movement.

Largely acquired from local collectors, this exhibition has an impressive array of works. It features a selection of from 19th, 20th-century and contemporary artists.

The overarching theme in the show is portraiture—yet in a non-traditional aspect. The presiding message seems to be: portraiture can be used—even in drastically different eras—as a tool to convey ideas of self, groups and current issues to the general population. As the exhibition discussion states, at any period in time “to be ‘modern’ was to be of one’s own time. But in the arts, being modern also meant pushing against the constraints of the present to envision new possibilities, especially new ways of shaping and depicting contemporary society.” Artists have long held the role of forcing society to reflect on critical issues, and it is this role that the exhibition seemed to address.

Eugene’s Delacroix Portrait of Charles de Verninac upon entering into the first section of “Then,” meets the viewer with a confrontational gaze. Painted with rich, vibrant tones, which the description claims was a bold statement in Delacroix’s time, this painting seems to capture the calm, but assured nature of his nephew.

Edouard Vuillard’s Woman in an Interior With Two Bonnard Paintings (Annette Solomon) is also an aberration from the strict guidelines to which most portraits of the eighteenth century had to conform. Standing at the side of the room, seeming almost out of place in her dark clothing contrasted against the warm yellow tones of the room, perhaps this painting is a statement on this woman’s discontent in her surroundings. The painting, as alluded by the title, may also be a statement about the woman’s relation to the artist since it is the “Two Bonnard Paintings” that is the title, not the woman’s name.

Pierre-August Renoir’s "Young Girl in a Blue Dress" (also known as Bust of a Young Woman) is no mere portrait either. Though more in the convention of a waistline-up framing and in the more formal clothing and pose, the expression on the woman’s face is different from traditional portraiture. There is a sense of other-worldliness, as if the woman thinks of something far out of the viewer’s comprehension. One’s own gaze is pulled out of the painting by the woman’s intense focus on something not depicted.

The series of sketches by Edgar Degas, titled "Portraits of Actors and Actresses," addresses specific actors and actresses personality, capturing them each in their prime moment that presents them as an artist. All are dramatically staged or posed, such as Mary-Louise Marsy or Polin, each portrait shows the individual for what they are, which in turn defines who they are.

Camille Pisarro in "La Mere Jolly" also explores a person in his or her ideal setting, yet the setting is rather a different one. The mother depicted here sits complacently, knitting in a sunny garden. Pisarro here was concerned not with the accurate portrayal or representation of the woman, as the brushy, impressionistic work dispels of that idea, but to portray her in a naturalized setting. We see this woman in her prime place, not as a posed model, but in her everyday life.

"The Smiling Blind Man" by Pablo Picasso is also a perspective on “people at the margins of society.” The man in the picture sits, much like Pisarro’s figure, in his chair, seemingly wondering in his own contemplation. Picasso, as discussed in the exhibition’s detailing, concerned himself at one point with representing people not in mainstream society. Portraiture, in this case, was not like much portraiture—in trying to display status or wealth or even preserving someone’s record in time—it’s simply the portrayal of a common person in a common setting. This might have something to do with the impressionist movement’s goal of showing moments in time, in capturing the simple essence of something or someone.

As we make our transition into the “Now.” part of the exhibition, we see what seems at first a dramatic transition, but in actuality is an extension of the themes begun by impressionists. In this section of the exhibition, we see artists pushing, rather more forcefully, against the boundaries of traditions and confronting sociological issues.

Julie Speed’s "Still Life with Suicide Bomber #1 and Suicide Bomber #2" raises many questions of the conflict in Iraq. Staged as a traditional still-life with fruit, the piece is both revolting and yet, the viewer can’t help but feel it is normal. The mangled piece of finger in the foreground cannot be called a true portrait, yet it is still retains the polished, staged characteristics of traditional portraiture. Speed made an impressionable statement of the detrimental effects of war, commenting perhaps on its acceptability in society.

"Immigrant Backpack" also forces the viewer to contemplate on another current issue—immigration. Made of soft sculpture of vinyl and thread, artist Margarita Cabrera put together an ensemble of what the viewer assumes is found in a typical backpack of an immigrant. Tortillas, a ratchet, a wallet with a wallet-sized picture of the Virgin Mary, a can of beans and children’s books, among other things, lie in display. The portrait here lies in various simple objects that immigrant workers live off. Though there is no human figure in this work, one gets the feeling of the humble, simplistic lifestyle of a person, thus a person is metaphorically present.

Kehindle Wiley is more direct in his message in "Elcias." An oil on canvas work more closely in line with traditional portraiture in the direct gaze and representation of a being, this work still breaks with tradition in subject matter and the way in which the man is portrayed. Wiley does series of works that presents young African-American men in portraits filled with floral décor. This work directly confronts the viewer to consider the role of African-Americans within society—what is the difference between these young men and men deemed worthy of portraits throughout time? Wiley uses portraits as a way to raise self-awareness.

Marie Watts’ column of blankets is a derivation from the rest of the exhibition. While her idea of blankets as a good exemplification of a person’s being, and I enjoyed her concept that because we are received and exit this world in a blanket, I feel it was a bit of a stretch to call it a portrait. The work definitely exhibits a different aspect of human beings, but rather than defining anything about them, it is simply a mediatory tool in the transition from life to death. Despite its incongruity within the exhibition, however, I felt it was one of the most compelling pieces present.

The show must have proved difficult for curators to pull together, as it is binding together many different artists with contrasting ideas, themes and ways of representing human beings. I applaud their tact in piecing and making two drastically different eras work together. The organization as you walk around from start to end was well thought-out and the various themes they had in separate rooms made it easier to classify and understand individual works. It was refreshing to see traditional stuff contrasted so masterfully with contemporary work of our day.