The Whitney Museum of American Art opened its new Renzo Piano designed home, with an ambitious exhibition that reexamines the history of American art from 1900 to today. “America Is Hard to See” presents new perspectives of the Whitney’s collection, reflecting art in the U.S.A. with 600 artworks by 400 artists, the exhibition elaborates the themes, ideas, beliefs, and passions that have galvanized American artists in their struggle to work within and against established conventions, often directly engaging their political and social contexts.
By Dimitris Lempesis Photo: Whitney Museum of American Art Archive
Numerous artworks that have rarely, if ever, been shown appear alongside beloved icons in a conscious effort to unsettle assumptions about the American art. The title “America Is Hard to See”, comes from a poem by Robert Frost and a political documentary by Emile de Antonio. Metaphorically, the title seeks to celebrate the ever-changing perspectives of artists and their capacity to develop visual forms that respond to the culture of the United States. It also underscores the difficulty of neatly defining the country’s ethos and inhabitants, a challenge that lies at the heart of the Museum’s commitment to and continually evolving understanding of American art. Organized chronologically, the exhibition’s narrative is divided into 23 thematic chapters installed throughout the building. These sections revisit and revise established tropes while forging new categories and even expanding the definition of who counts as an American artist. Indeed, each chapter takes its name not from a movement or style but from the title of a work that evokes the section’s animating impulse. Works of art across all mediums are displayed together, acknowledging the ways in which artists have engaged various modes of production and broken the boundaries between them. The majority of the exhibition will be on view through 27/9/15, but some floors will close on a staggered schedule before and after that date.
Info: “America Is Hard to See”, Curating: The Team of Whitney Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, N. York, Duration: 1/5-27/9/15, Days & Hours: Sun, Mon, Wed: 10:30-18:00, Thu-Sat: 10:30-22:00, http://whitney.org
Robert Henri, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, 1916, Oil on canvas, Overall: 49 15/16 x 72in.(126.8 x 182.9 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, Gift of Flora Whitney Miller 86.70.3
Patrick Henry Bruce, Painting, c. 1921-22, Oil on canvas, 35 × 45 3/4 in. (88.9 × 116.2 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, gift of an anonymous donor 54.20
The Whitney Museum of American Art opened its new Renzo Piano designed home, with an ambitious exhibition that reexamines the history of American art from 1900 to today. “America Is Hard to See” presents new perspectives of the Whitney’s collection, reflecting art in the U.S.A. with 600 artworks by 400 artists, the exhibition elaborates the themes, ideas, beliefs, and passions that have galvanized American artists in their struggle to work within and against established conventions, often directly engaging their political and social contexts.
