Catégorie : Art

After its debut at the Art Institute of Chicago the exhibition « American Painting in the 1930’s » comes to Paris’ Musee Orangerie. The exhibition includes the iconic Grant Wood’s  « American Gothic » along with lesser-known work produced during « an age of anxiety. »  It is the first time that « American Gothic » (now in the Art Institute of Chicago) has been exhibited in Europe (to January 30, 2017)

The Wall Street Crash in New York, on 29 October 1929, plunged the United States, and Europe in its wake, into a dark decade. The Great Depression swept across the country bringing unemployment, expropriation and a general sense of insecurity. The exhibition provides a diverse selection of how artists using various styles responded to these troubled times. From abstraction to « socialist » realism, the esthetic worlds of painters like Marsden Hartley, Georgia O’Keeffe, or Edward Hopper operated side by side, as American artists began to distinguish themselves from their European counterparts. Included are some Edward Hopper classics such as « Gas » and « New York Movie » along with lesser-known work by such artists as Joe Jones and Aaron Douglas.

The exhibition is a good introduction to a period of art not widely known to the general public. But it would have been better if it had included work by some of the 3,749 artists from the New Deal Public Works of Art Program (1933-1934) who created more than 15,000 murals, paintings and other artworks for post offices and other public buildings. Instead of the movie clips projected at the end of the exhibition, it would have been more informative to see some photos taken by Farm Security Administration photographers (1935-44) such as Gordon Parks, Dorothea Lange and Walker Evans.

  American Painting in the 1930’s, an age of Anxiety. To January 30, 2017. Paris, Musée national de l’Orangerie. The exhibit goes to London, Royal Academy, from 25 February to 4 June 2017

One of the most interesting artists of the French post WWII era is expressionist painter Bernard Buffet (1928-1999). He was part of the anti-abstract group « l’homme Temoin. »  With meteoric success he gained fame and fortune in his early twenties. For awhile he was considered the rival of PIcasso. One magazine at the time hailed him the leading artist of his generation.

Buffet became a celebrity artist with a Rolls Royce and Chateau in the south of France. The French press couldn’t get enough of him. He was Pierre Berge’s lover, who eventually left him for Yves Saint Laurent. He married the writer and actress Annabel Schwob in 1958.  But when fashions and tastes changed his star faded. The French art establishment became interested in abstract art and began questioning some of his work that was so popular with the general public such as his clown series. For years his work was seldom discussed or shown in France.

But now Buffet is back with a major retrospective of his work at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris (to February 26). He is also the subject of a new biography by Nicholas Foulkes: « Bernard Buffet: The Invention of the Modern Mega-Artist. »  The exhibition takes a fresh look at this controversial artist while providing documentation and clips from interviews made with the artist. 

Organized chronologically the retrospective opens with Buffet’s early successes, when his work was triggering a new awareness of a wide range of artistic forms. It covers the early postwar years and their debate about realism, figuration and abstraction; and overall it highlights the paradox of an artist who was drawing on history painting in the context of the disappearance of the subject. The exhibition traces the trajectory of Buffet’s life, which was a blend of artistic austerity and financial ease, of public success and an eventual rejection by the art world.
 
The Musée d’Art Moderne is the only public museum with a large Buffet collection – thanks to the substantial Girardin bequest in 1953 and the Ida and Maurice Garnier donation in 2012. Maurice Garnier (1920–2014) was the artist’s long time art dealer.

Alongside his favourite subjects (self-portraits & still lifes) the exhibition presents several of the other themes he presented in his annual exhibitions at Galerie Garnier: religion (The Passion of Christ), literature (Dante’s Inferno, Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea) and allegory (The Birds, The Mad Women). The exhibition focues on his enduring concern with history painting (the Horror of War series) and the history of painting (The Sleepers, after Courbet) and on his last, spectacular series, « Death, » with its references to the memento mori of medieval times.

Bernard Buffet Retrospective, to March 5. 2017,  Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris

Photo caption: « Clown’s Head, 1955 » Collection fond de donation Bernard Buffet ©ADAGP, Paris, 2016

Paris’ Jeu de Paume hosts a major exhibition this autumn titled « Soulevement, » which translates from French as « Uprisings » (to January 15, 2017). This multimedia exhibition—paintings, video, books, photography— curated by philosopher and art historian Georges Didi-Huberman, reflects on revolts, resistance and protest from Francisco de Goya’s « Los Caprichos (1799) to Maria Koukouta’s (2016) video loop showing immigrants crossing the Greek-Macedonia border.

« Uprisings » contemplates the intersection of art and politics. Along with such historic rarities as Gustave Courbet’s drawing (1848) « Homme en blouse debout sur une barricade, » a book (1851) belonging to Victor Hugo with signatures against the death penalty and a ink drawing by Federico Garcia Lorca « Mierda (1934) the exhibition includes work by contemporary artists such as Tsubasa Kato’s  « Break it Before it’s Broken » (2015) depicting the plight of foreign workers and a film by Enrique Ramirez  « Crossing a Wall » 2013, inspired by the 13th Article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Although there are artists one would liked to have seen in « Uprisings, » this exhibition is thought provoking and well worth a visit.

Soulevements, (Uprisings) to January 15, 2017, Jeu de Paume, Paris

Photo caption: « Break It Before It’s Broken, » 2015. Laborers of Filipino decent in Malaysia worked together to pull down a structure. This gesture symbolized the breaking of an oppressive system that calls for their deportation. Photo: Tsubasa Kato. ©Tsubasa Kato.

Paris’ Musée d’Orsay tributes legendary French 19th century painter Henri Rousseau with an exhibition « Le Douanier Rousseau, L’Innocence Archaique » placing him in the context of his times (to July 17, 2016).  Rousseau, (1844-1910) famed for his dreamlike atmospheres, enchanted landscapes and jungle scenes, was an important figure in art during the late 19th century and the early days of Modernism. He is still hard to categorize. Was he an inspired self-taught Naif or a harbinger of Modern Art? Maybe both.

The exhibition compares his painting with several of his sources of inspiration,  and paintings by his contemporaries such as Seurat, Delaunay, Kandinsky and Picasso. Divided into thematic sections, the exhibition presents a number of the French painter’s most renowned masterpieces including « The Snake Charmer »  and « Myself » (1889–90), which he wrongly regarded as the first “landscape-portrait” in the history of art, « The Poultry Yard » (1896–98), purchased by Kandinsky and shown at the first Blaue Reiter exhibition in Munich, and « War or The Ride of Discord » (1894) painted with what Rousseau’s admirer Ardengo Soffici described as “childlike innocence.”

Le Douanier Rousseau, L’Innocence Archaique, Musée d’Orsay to July 17, 2016.

The Nuit des Musées is a chance to go museum hopping in Paris for free (until midnight May 21). The aim of the event, organized by the French Ministry of Culture, is to encourage people to get out and see some art. No excuses! In addition to art exhibitions the evening includes workshops, concerts, installations and performances.
 
Most of the city’s museums will be participating including the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou, Arts and Metiers Museum, Palais de la Découverte and Decorative Arts Museum. For the biggies be prepared to stand in long lines. The « Nuit » takes place in thirty cities around Europe. Last year, over 1300 museums in France participated in the European Museum Night, and over 2 million people attended throughout Europe.

In addition to Nuit des Musées future fests organized by Paris include the Fête de la Musique celebrating the start of summer (June 21st) , Heritage Days in September, Paris Summer Quarter Fest, which starts July 14th and Bastille Day’s Night street dances July 13-14.

« Vinyl Vocabulary » is an exhibition of paintings celebrating the release of a new monograph with that title by William  MacKendree at the Vidal- Saintt Phalle Gallery in Paris (May 15-June 5, 2012).

Exhibited across the United States, France, Morocco, and Greece since the late 1980s, William MacKendree’s paintings have been purchased by prominent institutions, including the Neue Galerie and Paris’s iconic Centre Pompidou. Influenced by recent postmodernists as well as such disparate twentieth-century painters as Edward Hopper and Philip Guston, MacKendree’s earliest works are marked by the juxtaposition of powerful linear configurations against vast expanses of canvas. From these early linear creations, MacKendree worked toward the development of a vocabulary of signs, which is evident in his later art featuring motifs from the urban environment and natural world.

This new monograph, a comprehensive survey of his work during the last two decades, presents the varied images and pictorial shifts of abstract fundamentals, reflecting the artist’s  desire to render the painting as a psychologically resonant object through gesture and the material properties of the painting process.

« Vinyl Vocabulary » William  MacKendree, May 15-June 5, 2012 Galerie Vidal-Saint Phalle, 10, rue du Trésor, 75004 Paris

With over 30 million visitors a year, Paris is the world’s most visited city. Among its many attractions are its 153 museums, which showcase an incredibly diverse collection of art from all around the world. In a bid to widen accessibility to this impressive cultural heritage, the city of Paris has allowed free admission to 11 of its museums’ permanent collections. From modern art and antiquity, to literary works, these 11 museums are a brilliant, free access point into a city brimming with culture and the arts:

Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris Dedicated to art of the 20th century, the museum’s collection gives an overview of artistic trends of the century, from Fauvism and Cubism to 1990’s abstraction. Highlights include Picasso, Matisse, Braque, Modigliani and Matisse’s gigantesque The Dance in its very own “Salle Matisse”. 11 avenue du Président Wilson, 75116 Paris Métro : Alma-Marceau / Iéna

Maison de Balzac A literary museum dedicated to the 19th century French writer considered to be one of the founders of Realism. A collection of his keepsakes, paintings and original works on display in the apartment in which he lived between 1840 to 1847. 47 rue Raynouard, 75016 Paris Métro : Passy / La Muette

Musée Bourdelle A museum devoted to the work of Rodin’s star pupil, Antoine Bourdelle. A large collection of his drawings, paintings and sculptures are on permanent display in the studio, house and garden, including his impressive 21 studies of Beethoven, 18 rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris
Métro :Montparnasse – Bienvenüe / Falguière

Musée Carnavalet : Musée de l’Histoire de Paris A vast history of Paris from prehistoric times to the present day. Located in two mansions, the collection includes paintings, artefacts and furniture recording the development and expansion of the city from the small village of Lutece to one of the most visited cities in the world today. Highlights include a beautiful perfume and wine bottle from the 4th century and paintings showing the infamous storming of the Bastille in 1789. 23 rue de Sévigné, 75003 Paris
Métro : Saint-Paul / Chemin vert

Musée Cernuschi : Musée des Arts de l’Asie One of the largest museums dedicated to art of the Orient in Europe, the museum consists of Henri Cernuschi’s collection of pieces acquired during his 19th century travels around the world. The museum houses over 900 Chinese, Korean and Japanese artefacts, offering a retrospective of various eras and dynasties, including a fine collection of archaic bronze pieces from the 3rd century BC. 7 avenue Vélasquez, 75008 Paris. Métro : Villiers / Monceau

Musée Cognacq Jay, Musée du XVIII siècle The collection of Théodore Ernest Cognacq and Marie Louis-Jay, founders of the La Samaritaine department store. The museum displays decorative items and fine art with an emphasis on 19th century French pieces, including paintings by Hubert Robert and Jean-Antoine Watteau. The works are all displayed in 20 panelled rooms in the styles of Louis XV and XVI. 8 rue Elzévir, 75003 Paris. Métro : Saint-Paul / Chemin-Vert / Rambuteau

Mémorial Leclerc et de la Libération de Paris, Musée Jean Moulin Two museums devoted to the World War II occupation of Paris, and two of its key figures, French general Maréchal Leclerc and Jean Moulin, leader of the Resistance. Audiovisual displays transport the visitor into occupied Paris and the two museums work alongside each other to offer two historical perspectives on this period of French history. 3 Allée de la 2e DB, Jardin Atlantique 75015 Paris. Métro : Montparnasse-Bienvenüe / Gaîté / Pasteur

Petit Palais, Musée de Beaux Arts de la Ville de Paris A panorama of art from Ancient Greece to the beginning of the 20th century. The collection includes art objects of the ancient world, 17th century furniture, paintings from the Italian and French Renaissance, and well known pieces by Delacroix, Monet, Sisley and Courbet. An impressively diverse collection of works, all in display in the recently renovated Petit Palais, constructed as part of the Universal Exhibtion in 1900. Avenue Winston Churchill , 75008 Paris. Métro: Champs-Elysées Clémenceau

Maison de Victor Hugo The house in which the great French novelist lived between 1832 and 1848, now turned into a museum dedicated to his life and works. The collection includes some of his furniture, mementos of his writing career and more than 450 of his drawings illustrating scenes from his own novels. Hôtel de Rohan-Guéménée, 6 place des Vosges, 75004 Paris Métro: Bastille / Saint-Paul / Chemin-vert

Musée de la Vie Romantique A literary museum devoted to the Romantic period, in particular to the French writer and 19th century rebel George Sand and the painter Ary Scheffer. The collection includes much of Sand’s jewellery and a plaster cast of the hand of the composer Frederic Chopin, one of her many lovers. Housed in a picturesque hotel particulier with a charming garden. Hôtel Scheffer-Renan, 16 rue Chaptal, 75009 Paris. Métro: Saint-Georges / Pigalle / Blanche / Liège

Musée Zadkine A museum dedicated to sculptor Ossip Zadkine in his former home and studio. The collection shows Zadkine’s involvement in the Cubist movement in the early 20th century and his later interest in African art. A highlight is the garden, where the artist’s major works are on display, including his memorial to World War Two in the sculpture “The Destroyed City”. 100 bis rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris
Métro : Notre-Dame des Champs / Vavin

Museums Free First Sunday

If you’re lucky enough to be in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, these museums are all free:

Musée National d’Art Moderne, Centre Pompidou, 4th
Musée de l’Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, 5th
Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet, 16th
Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, 3th
Musée National Eugène Delacroix, 6th
Musée Gustave Moreau, 9th
Musée National Jean-Jacques Henner, 17th
Musée du Louvre, 1st
Musée National du Moyen Âge – Thermes de Cluny, 5th
Musée National de l’Orangerie, 1st
Musée d’Orsay, 7th
Musée National Picasso, 3rd
Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, 16th
Cité Nationale de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, 12th
Musée du Quai Branly, 7th
Musée Rodin, 7th

Paris Museum Pass

And if these free museums are not enough, the Paris Museum Pass is a great way to jump the
queues and save some money. Valid for more than 60 museums and monuments in and around the
Paris region:

2 days: €35
4 days: €50
6 days: €65

http://en.parismuseumpass.com/