From Deseret News archives:
American dreams
Wide array of art on display at BYU makes a must-see exhibition
In last year's Museum of Art magazine, the institution made an effort to prepare visitors for the change: "When confronted with a pairing of works that seems unusually out of line with the standard practice of displaying works chronologically or stylistically, the viewer can become engaged with the works on a deeper level, seeking to understand the broader meanings of the individual works, as well as the reason for their juxtaposition."
While the museum's attempt to bring new life to its collection through thematic presentation is commendable, the resulting art groupings seem a bit strained at times, as if it were a forced marriage. Fortunately for viewers, there are plenty of stunning brides to counter any contextual confusion or visual discomfort.
In "The Dream of Eden" section, numerous landscapes evoke the vision of America as a new Eden. Frederic Edwin Church, Edwin Evans and John Frederick Kensett are just a few of the artists represented.
We also encounter America's westward expansion and attempt to re-establish paradise, in excellent works by George Inness, Thomas Moran, N.C. Wyeth, Frederic Remington, Maynard Dixon, Mahonri Young and more.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, America's resources no longer seemed limitless, and the repercussions are portrayed through the contemporary work of Patrick Nagatani, Richard Misrach, Douglas Snow, Fritz Scholder, Minerva Teichert and others.
The second area of the exhibit, "American Aspirations," portrays America as a land of opportunity. Here we find works by John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, J. Alden Weir, John Sloan, Everett Shinn, Robert Henri and even Andy Warhol.
"Envisioning America" reveals multiple features of our nation as American artists searched for the country's identity. There are works by Benjamin West, Cyrus Edwin Dallin, Avard Fairbanks, Mahonri Young, Minerva Teichert, Maynard Dixon, Norman Rockwell, Alexander Calder Joseph Albers, John Marin and Man Ray.
This final section also contains a reading room, allowing museum visitors to sit, relax and study more about those artists in the exhibition.
Though presented thematically which may or may not bother you "American Dreams" is a must-see exhibit, and because pieces will be rotated in and out, it is an exhibit that should be returned to again and again over the next five years.
E-mail: gag@desnews.com
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