Hey, there! Log in / Register
MFA's new contemporary-arts wing signals intent to compete in non-old stuff arena, but gaps remain
By adamg on Fri, 09/16/2011 - 7:31am
Greg Cook takes a tour of the MFA's new Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, which has more gallery space than the ICA, says the MFA has found made "an elegant effort" to deal with its "deserved reputation for being slim in its contemporary art offerings and holdings."
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
Thin
The photo-essay shows effectively how the MFA's collection is thin of great 20th century works.
Or, should I say, thin of grate 20th century works.
Heh heh. "Butt gaps." I'm
Heh heh. "Butt gaps."
I'm sorry, you said something about an arena?
When it moved to the
When it moved to the waterfront, the ICA attracted 380,000 visitors its first year, 200k the next, and 260k the year after that. The MFA tallied 876k visitors last year.
So there's an audience out there for contemporary art, and the MFA wants to capture more of it.
But that's not the real incentive. Art museums put on visiting shows to drive their gate and post big numbers. They build new galleries with other game in mind - deep-pocketed donors. As the uber-rich have directed more and more of their collecting into the contemporary art market, old-line museums have struggled to attract and hold their support. After all, serving on the board of trustees and anteing up millions is often, for these rich donors, a gateway to making connections to artists and dealers that will yield sought-after works.
That's why the Met in NYC recently announced its plan to acquire the Whitney's old building to showcase its modern works. And it's why the MFA just built a new wing.
So let's not sugar-coat this. Boston itself might be better served by having the MFA focus upon its existing strengths, and allowing the ICA to build upon its already fine collection. But the MFA would much rather push into the world of contemporary art, seeking to please the uber-rich who sit on its board. It's not about art, in the end. It's about dollars.
not to be cynical, but...
Welcome to America.
Super excited!
Cannot wait to see it tomorrow evening!
I don't really care much for
I don't really care much for contemporary art. Give me the classies from a simpler time. Art of the Americans? Bleah - I've had enough of John Singer Sargent and clay pots from the Yucatan, and really how many portraits of the crossing of the Delaware do we need?
Bring on the mummies, the canopic jars, the kimonos and the Scream. If I never see a Georgia "Yes thats a hooch" O'Keefe painting again, it'll be too soon.
Currently at the MFA
Impressionism and Japanese art are given far less space than once was the case.
More the merrier
On the one hand I don't see myself spending a lot of time in the contemporary galleries. Other than checking to see if something was changed I doubt if many of the works will hold my attention for long.
But I when an artist's personal story grabs me then their art sometimes does as well. Pollock's action paintings and Rothko's color field canvasses didn't mean much to me until I learned about the artists as human beings. Now I see the chaos of Pollock's mind in the chaos of his splatter paintings and I see a near desperate desire to subdue his demons in Rothko's fields of color.
I don't expect all art in the contemporary wing to meet these standards. I expect much to be tame and tepid in comparison. But then I compare the draw rope that challenged visitors to cross it at the Art Institute of Chicago, and as well as the edible art at the Busch Reisinger several years ago, or the mound of candy that was "created" at the Art Institute and Carpenter Center in honor of the artist's lover and partner who died of AIDS. I believe these qualify as contemporary and they have left lastings impressions with me.
But each institution offers different experiences to its visitor. I don't care much for the ICA. The installations I have seen have struck me as too much art but not enough soul. If this art institution was to bring the "Lost and Found" exhibit then I would be very interested in what they present. But their installations generally leave me cold. Appreciating art is a subjective experience and so I am sure there are plenty of people who are moved. For me however the MFA is my favorite of all the art institutions in the area.
Nevertheless the Boston metro area, of the parts easily accessible by public transportation (i.e., not requiring the expense of a car to reach) is disproportionately rich with art. For a small region we get to enjoy an incredible diversity, breadth and depth of the greatest art.
If the MFA wants to promote
If the MFA wants to promote contemporary art, they can stop taking down guerrilla works people put up in the bathrooms.
http://articles.boston.com/2011-06-15/ae/29661877_...
Frodo Lives!
Frodo Lives!
Museum of Fine Arts' 'The Clock' now open for viewing
Don't forget, the Museum of Fine Arts is open for the next 24 hours straight so that the community can visit and view their new acquisition, Christian Marclay's 'The Clock'.
If you enter during the time the MFA is open, you pay your regular admission fee. If you go during the night time hours, it's free.
The exhibit is on display but the rest of the museum will be closed, overnight.
Oh, P.S.: there are only 28 seats inside the space so there may be lines. Plan ahead.