John Henry Twachtman, Summer, late 1890's. Oil on canvas; 30 x 53 in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C.
The mild winter weather inspired me to discuss Twachtman’s painting Summer (late 1890s) on a recent tour. Participants from across the globe–Dominican Republic, Ireland, Poland, and the United States–all said Twachtman’s painting reminded them of home. Interestingly, the canvas does depict a home: the artist’s in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Joseph Marioni, Yellow Painting, 2003, No. 9. Acrylic and linen on stretcher 36 x 34 in. Photo: Charles Abdoo
On a recent Spotlight Tour, Joseph Marioni’s bright canvases left many in the group cold. Responses ranged from a resolute “not interested” to a searching, “what do they add to the history of art?” Gallery Educator Alice Shih pointed out that, for some, Joseph Marioni‘s paintings may be best brought into focus by the work of other artists hanging nearby. Alice pointed out sight lines from Marioni to Matisse, to Kandinsky, and along a river of blues and pinks in Gene Davis, to Morris Louis, Adolph Gottlieb, diving into two deep blue Marionis a few galleries beyond.
Alice built further context through metaphor. She told us that the feeling of “egg yolk” pops into her head when she looks at a particular yellow painting by Marioni. (I see pollen, which leads me to the work of another artist recently at the Phillips).
Later I asked Alice if this kind of color association happens for her with other works by Marioni. She shared this list:
*Red Painting (2002): lava
*Yellow Painting, (2011): the song Good Day Sunshine by The Beatles
*Blue Painting (1995): the night sky (it has spotty moments when it could seem like stars)
Joseph Marioni, Blue Painting, 1995, No. 26. Acrylic and linen on stretcher 28 x 24 in. Photo: Nicholas Walster
Does Marioni’s work bring up particular memories, sensations, references, or metaphors for you? Please comment and let us know.
Cecilia Wichmann, Publicity and Marketing Manager
Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Dancers at the Barre, ca. 1900. Oil on canvas, 51 ¼ x 38 ½ in. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C. Acquired 1944.
Earlier this week, I started my spotlight tour by asking the group to collectively come up with ten words or phrases to describe Degas’s Dancers at the Barre. Here’s what they shared:
Bright
Childhood
Delicious
Flexible
Floating
Grace
Lonely
Orange
Painful
Stretch
What word would you use? Leave a comment, and let me know.