Repetition and reflection

[Josiah McElheney's Endlessly Repeating Twentieth-Century Modernism]

I went to the MFA-Boston on Friday to see the El Greco to Velasquez exhibit (see Boston Globe review here) along with another exhibit of work by the contemporary Spanish artist, Antonio López García. The El Greco, etc. was interesting, although not my favorite period for art. A sizable portion of it was, of course, heavily religious, reflecting the intense Catholicism of the time. It tapped a vague memory of devoted Catholicism from my childhood, a relic without much current, but still curious. The López García was certainly a contrast -- devoted to, or perhaps obsessed with, commonplace scenes of refrigerators, dirty studios and stained bathrooms, and huge flat vistas of Madrid seen from rooftops, rather charmlessly sprawling like Los Angeles towards distant hills. I did like his giant bronze Buddha-like baby heads -- "Day and Night" -- positioned on either side of the museum's Huntington Street entrance.

[López García's "Night" baby head, with crabapple blossoms; 5/2/08]

I also liked Josiah McElheny's Endlessly Repeating Twentieth-Century Modernism installation (see photo above) in the West Wing's lower galleria near the café. There's an interesting interview with McElheny here, on repetition and seamless interconnectedness, its beauty and its horror, the modern ideal of self-reflection (the "examined life") and its narcissism. McElheny says that the subject of much of his work is "a utopia that falls apart." Maybe that's why I liked it -- as I mentioned before, I seem to be drawn to the juxtaposition of "perfect symmetry, and its anarchic spoiling." My eye is caught by rhythmic patterns and then the joy of breaks and variations in that repetition, like jazz. While stopping in the gift shop, we noticed a display table with eye-catching repetitive images on books and things from another exhibit at the MFA, Rhythms of Modern Life: British Prints 1914-1939. So after refueling in the cafeteria, we went to have a look.

Although there were many works with sober themes of war and of the mechanization of the Industrial era, there were also many beautiful playful works -- lots of repetitive lines of speed and motion, hand-printed in gorgeous colors on fine translucent Japanese paper. I bought a postcard of Cyril E. Power's The Eight (at left), which reminded me of standing on a bridge over the Charles watching crew boats racing below. (The museum was smart -- they also printed the image on piles of crisp white t-shirts.) You can read a nice article at Art Knowledge News on the exhibit.

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My Flickr set on my MFA visit is here. And you can see Lorianne's account at her blog and her Flickr set of the baby heads here (where I found out the actual title of the López García baby heads as well as what kind of flower petals were falling, having neglected to ascertain either when I was there -- I suspect part of my attraction to the repetitious that day was a bit of insomnia-induced autism).

[Crosswalk on Huntington Avenue; 2:45pm, 5/2/08]

 

Comments

[marja-leena]

Thanks for this interesting art review! I wish I could see some of these works, especially López García's work which is fairly new to me.

[Lorianne]

Actually, the only reason I knew the title for the big baby heads was I saw you looking at the placard in the indoor exhibit that gave the title for the outdoor installation. (It was on the wall near the glass case of small baby heads.) So whether you remember reading that placard or not, you actually discovered it first. :-)

[leslee]

Marja-Leena: I thought of you when I was looking at the British prints - I was wishing you were there to explain the process to me! I was really delighted by many of them. The López García not so much, but I thought maybe if I'd seen the movie I'd appreciate it more. Alas, it's not on Netflix. I'll have to search around.

Lorianne: Well, just because I was looking at it doesn't mean I read it! I'm not even sure what I read. :-)

[dale]

(o)

[beth]

Great picture of the big baby head! I like that print too...it was fun reading this post, and made me wish I could get there to see these shows. But at least you let me do it vicariously!

[rr]

Oh how gorgeous! and what beth said.

[Dave]

Excellent capture with the crabapple blossoms!

OT: I see you're reading Kay Ryan. How is that one? I have another of her books, and it's a favorite. Very impressive combination of word music, punning, and general wit/wisdom.

[leslee]

Thanks, all. Glad you enjoyed.

Yes, a friend recommended Kay Ryan - very tightly honed little gems, which I always like. I can't compare it to her others, not having read any before.

[Erika]

Ooh, thanks posting a shot of the glass and mirrors installation. Saw that at the Institute of Contemporary Art a year or so ago, but I was unable to find a picture to help express my fascination with it to my friends. (Landed here via whiskey river).

[leslee]

Hi Erika! Glad you stopped in and commented. Yes, I found his work fascinating, too. And I heard that McElheney had been at the ICA before. I need to get out there again soon...