Culture: Visiting Whitney Museum Of American Art, New York

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - New York is known as a global financial center. But the megapolis also is a center of arts and offers some of the world´s best museums. The Whitney Museum Of American Art impresses by her architecture & belongs to the leading art collections of the world. This week my wife and I visited the Whitney again, our second visit there (here my report from 2015 driveby ).

Again the museum presented pieces from her own collections and some temporary art shows. We could see many famous paintings, but made also some discoveries. Spotting the audience, who often was as eye-catching as the artworks, was part of the fun.  I display here my favorites, a very subjective selection as usual.


                               Size Matters

I really like this wall filling mural by Henry Taylor, called "Ancestors of Ghengis Khan with Black Man on horse" (2015-2017, Acrylic on canvas). Taylor replaces technical skills with raw power & ambition. Size matters!

But the Whitney has also place for traditional talents. The girl seems to be fascinated by Clyfford Still`s "Untitled" (1956, oil on canvas).  I am also impressed by the dynamic of Thomas Hart Benton`s masterpiece "Poker Night (from A Streetcar Named Desire)" (1946, tempera and oil on linen) & Edward Hopper`s "A Woman in the Sun" (1961, oil on linen) is a classic as well.




          Washington Crossing The Delaware

We spotted more eye-catchers including "Buildings, Lancaster" by Charles Demuth (1930, Oil and graphite pencil on composition board) followed by "Pittsburgh" by Elsie Driggs (1927, oil on canvas) & "Washington Crossing The Delaware" by Larry Rivers (1960, oil and oil stick on linen).

Alex Katz belong to my favorite painters because of this unique style. His portraits are very recognizable. Above you can see his "Ada on Blue" (1959, oil on composition board) followed by Fairfield Porter`s "Portrait of Ted Carey and Andy Warhol" (1960, oil on linen).

                                                           Hypermobility
                                                                   

There is a temporary show called "Calder: Hypermobility" which "focuses on the extraordinary breadth of movement and sound in the work of Alexander Calder" (through October 23, 2017). Above a snap shot of one of his mobile pieces.

There was another temporary show called Whitney Biennial 2017, which focused on new experimental & avant-garde works. Above paintings by Jo Baer: "In the Land of the Giants (Spirals and Stairs)" (2012, oil on can´vas) & "Dusk (Bands and end-Points)2 (2012, oil on canvas).

Above images by Tala Madani: "Shitty Disco"; "Black Sun" & "Babeless".

Above a creation by painter Kerstin Brätsch and sculptor Debo Eilers  who work together as KAYA followed by a part of Ajay Kurian’s installation "Childermass" which stretches from floor to ceiling in the Whitney’s open stairwell.

Enjoy!