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rather strange developments
Modernism at the Cummer
by donald dusinberre    imartsyfartsy@gmail.com

      Everyone wants to meet the President of the United States. No matter who holds the office, no matter which political party you’re affiliated with, meeting the President is an opportunity few can pass up. It’s a unique and rare experience for anyone, even if you don’t understand or appreciate why.

      So it is with seeing a painting by Picasso, Mondrian, or Dali. Even if you think Modern art is ridiculous, you have to concede that it’s significant. Those artists have been glorified by history as masters, and there’s no way you can deny the opinion of millions. The collective opinion of scholars and fans is what certifies an artist as great and puts his or her artwork in the history books.

      The reason we fall for the opinions of others is history itself. It’s fascinating to imagine museum patrons centuries from now looking at the same works of art we’ve seen in our own lifetime. In a small way, we actually contribute to the legend of greatness.

      If you’re smart enough to recognize the opportunity in viewing the work of great artists, then visit the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens soon. The President will probably not be in attendance, but at least you’ll have the satisfaction of being more refined than he is.

      Running through August 12th, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is featuring Rather Strange Developments, an overview of modern art. It features the work of such renowned artists as Wassily Kandinsky, Pablo Picasso, Henry Moore, Piet Mondrian, Salvador Dali and Paul Klee.

      So, what’s the big idea with these works of art?

      One of the main points of Modernism is the removal of discernable subject matter. Realism has no place, and it’s not because the artists were lazy or had poorly developed drawing skills. Modernists felt shackled by realism and made explicit efforts to remove its influence from their work. They were interested in the raw basics of art creation - lines, shapes, colors. Furthermore, they believed that the viewer could glean just as much (if not more) from their art as a realistic work. Basically, if a painting has a subject, then you can consider it not about many things, but you can’t rule anything out if a painting looks like nothing.

      Presented by the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute, this traveling exhibition showcases a prime example from each artist’s body of work.

      Whether you enjoy Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism, Neo-Plasticism, Dada or Surrealism (or none of them at all), this exhibition has something you can truly appreciate, even if you don’t know it yet.

Entertaining U Newspaper, eujacksonville.com. Published by N2U Publishing, Inc. 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. Copyright N2U Publishing, Inc. 2006. Reproduction of any artwork or copy prepared by N2U Publishing, Inc. is strictly prohibited without written consent of the publisher. We will not be responsible for errors and/or omissions, the Publisher's liability for error will not exceed the cost of space occupied by the error. Articles for publication are welcome and may be sent to the following address: 3101 University Blvd., South #201 Jacksonville, FL 32216. We cannot assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and photographs. For information concerning classified advertising phone 904-730-3003.