Mary Thomas weighs in on the year's best art
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"Ordinary Madness" at Carnegie Museum of Art. -
Marcel Duchamp's "Fountain," 1917, was among the works in the exhibition "Twisted Pair: Marcel Duchamp/Andy Warhol," which was an extensive and convincing exploration of the relationship between two of the 20th-century's most influential artists.
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With all of the economic and political tribulations of the past year, it's a wonder anyone's left standing -- all the more reason to be grateful for our terrific art organizations and the dedicated staffs that keep them going.
The year's big loss was the resignation of Tom Sokolowski as The Andy Warhol Museum director. Mr. Sokolowski changed the face of the museum, and of Pittsburgh. His replacement has oversized shoes to fill.
On the plus side, the curators of the 2013 Carnegie International were named -- Daniel Baumann of Basel, Switzerland; Dan Byers, Carnegie Museum of Art associate curator of contemporary art; and Tina Kukielski of New York. We can look forward to a creative edition of the globally recognized show begun in 1896.
I didn't get to all of the exhibitions held regionally over the past 12 months, but of those I did see the following 10 stood out:
1. "Ordinary Madness" at Carnegie Museum of Art is a stimulating array of contemporary expression that speaks to both aficionado and novice. Thoughtfully chosen by Carnegie curator Dan Byers, who also wrote a pocket guide available gratis in the galleries, the exhibition illustrates the strength of the collection via individual works, groupings that suggest relationships and a rhythm that propels visitors through this elegant musing. (Continuing through Jan. 9.)
2. "Twisted Pair: Marcel Duchamp/Andy Warhol" at The Andy Warhol Museum was an extensive and convincing exploration of the relationship between two of the 20th century's most influential artists.
3. (Tie) "1934: A New Deal for Artists" at The Frick Art Museum and "Concerning the 1930s in Art: Paintings From the Schoen Collection" by The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. The simultaneous exhibitions of paintings made during the Depression years were not only good but also timely in light of current national woes. They exemplify the benefits of regional institutional collaboration.
4. "Queloides: Race & Racism in Cuban Contemporary Art" epitomizes what the Mattress Factory does best: educate, confront, explore and give artists opportunity to push boundaries. (Through Feb. 27.)
First Published December 26, 2010 12:00 am
