Santa-Rita Contemporary Art

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

On a chilly morning this past November, I made my way to the new art museum in Northwest Arkansas. Perhaps I should start by telling I was visiting the area from the East Coast partly because of family ties but, most importantly, because I find this region of the country to be truly beautiful in its laid-back and discrete elegance and individuality. Over the years I have found this region to be a truly dynamic area of the country marked by the creativity and inventiveness of its people combined with true acceptance and democratic values, an almost idyllic place with a resilient pioneer spirit. So, it is no surprise to me that the museum visionary, Ms. Alice Walton, found that corner of the Ozarks to be the ideal location for the museum.

(click on photos to enlarge)

I parked at the Compton Gardens entrance, a couple of blocks north of the quaint town square lined with storefronts and reminiscent of a simpler time in American life, and made my way down the sloping trail leading to the museum entrance. The work on the grounds was not yet complete and the landscape was marked by the coexistence of nature and machines, large bulldozer types whose characteristic yellow added a dab of metallic color that went well with the arched copper roofs farther away in the distance. The morning was quiet, almost silent except for the girdling of stream waters, the chirping of birds or the rhythmic thumping of a piece of machinery hitting the compact naked ground. As I walked the half mile, inspired by the serenity of the space I remember thinking of a beautiful and somewhat unorthodox rendition of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons I had recently heard. I found myself between new and familiar sensations, as if exiled by the wind into memories or snippets of other times and places, yet most definitely there in the serene existence of the Ozark forest. The large area which is to be covered by water from the spring was still filled with just rocks that gave that particular portion of the grounds an almost illuminated lunar feel or that of a rock desert. And,suddenly,I found myself at the door of America’s newest art museum.

Once inside the building, the interior and exterior space reflect a symbiotic visual relationship of natural and man-made elements marked by an equilibrium of well lit peripheral areas to slightly darker, more intimate inner spaces of the eight connected pavilions. Wherever you are in the building, you are always close to the outdoors and yet always aware of the discrete elegance of its architectural design.

My first visit was an emotive visit, I was in search of an experience I could not define in strictly in artistic terms, simply looking to get a sense for the ‘personality‘ of the place, not unlike the experience one has when meeting a person for the first time, looking for a common ground, feeling a connection or lack thereof. I knew how the collection was divided into periods but had little idea of what works each of the four periods - colonial, 19th century, modern and contemporary- included. Since collections are dynamic and develop their own individuality with time, I knew my first impression would be just that, a mere compass for future impressions. I see a collection as more than the sum of its parts, as an entity with proper life and capable of creating something truly unique. I mentioned this perhaps because I am only too aware of the nearly impossible tendency of some people in the art world to immediately embark on a quest for gaps and to compare any newer collection to those of other museums with competitive fervor. Several years ago, in an interview, Miami based art collector Don Rubell pointed out that a collection is a personal vision and no one can steal that vision.” To that extent, the Crystal Bridges collection has its own vision and a definite quality innate to all great collections, that which Nicholas Logsdail, owner of Lisson Gallery in London refers to as “a driving force”. The periods spanning from the colonial era to the early 20th century are quite well represented and include some outstanding works of great historical significance and beauty. More recent periods still lack some cohesiveness and are, in some cases, marked by the absence of truly significant works by the likes of De Kooning, Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Rothko, to mention a few. But the collection is young and great collections continue to mature over time.

When it is all said and done, the collection includes some great pieces and it is fun - I am aware that the word ‘fun’ may be tagged as simplistic, but I consider fun to be an important element of the process of “growing in art”. Throughout the gallery complex there are a few sitting areas with art books for guests to browse and, additionally, the museum has an outstanding library where visitors can find a multitude of art reference books. One exciting thing was to see the museum full of people, in fact filled to capacity, on a regular weekday. Obviously there is an element of natural curiosity that drives people to the new museum but there is also a true interest in art and culture in Northwest Arkansas. There is definitely an understated and unassuming level of sophistication in this area that goes well beyond what meets the (inattentive ) eye. I strongly recommend you visit. Go and plan to stay a while.

Posted in Aaron Thompson, Anna Fox Ryan, Christine Sajecki, David Murphree, David Wells, Duane Gardner, Henry Dean, Julian Santa-Rita, Patrick McCay, Paula Rubino, Richard Leo Johnson, Stefani Joseph, Susan Laney, THOUGHTS ON ART, Thibaud Thiercelin, Wing Wong, chistina Edwards | No comments

Last November during a visit to Lisbon I met a long time friend at a sidewalk cafe by the river and reminisced about old times in America, the twists and turns of life, and the meaning and present state of art.

We didn’t get too serious on this topic, we both know that our views are but a drop in the big bucket of intellectual discourse, but we restated our belief that art must be the reflection of an inner feeling that seeks expression regardless of its commercial viability. We also agreed that when the result of that exercise yields commercial success, there is no conflict as its nature remains pure, the expression of that multitude of moods, emotions, reflections, and whatever else we find in the make-up of an artist. Again, we knew that ours was only one one of many takes on the real meaning of art and  life,  a discreet exercise in attempting to understand.

So, whatever the paper or the canvas shows must, in our view, reflect an experience that is substantial in its creative impulse, and which finds a freedom of expression at its core, whether through drawing, painting, printmaking, photography, or some other mix of all the above or some of the more recent technologies that have entered the art field.

In the times ahead we will incorporate some new artists and techniques into our group but, and here I borrow Anderson Cooper’s line, Keeping Them Honest…rest assured that our focus remains in art that is more than what meets the eye.

Posted in Aaron Thompson, Anna Fox Ryan, Christine Sajecki, Patrick McCay, Richard Leo Johnson, Stefani Joseph | No comments

Lisbon is the capital city of Portugal, home to a great variety of cultural affairs including visual and performing arts. The last of the Western European capitals to experience a cultural bloom, Lisbon is avidly making up for lost time. All over the city, an upstart generation is laying waste to the sepia-toned stereotypes and gleefully constructing edgy and forward-looking ventures amid the time-worn monuments and quaint cobbled streets.

Sept. 29- October 30, 2009, eleven American artists joined Lisbon’s art scene and had their works displayed at Galeria 9arte.

Posted in Aaron Thompson | No comments