Dan's Papers - April 3, 2009

The current exhibit at Southampton's Parrish Art Museum has a lot going for it. First, the same show is now at New York University's Grey Gallery (in this critic's opinion, one of the best Manhattan art venues).

Secondly, it's the kind of exhibit that is food for thought - it makes the viewer THINK, although often in ways that aren't always complimentary to the show's organizers.

That's not to suggest there's a lack of imagination, innovation and insight. Quite the contrary. The exhibit suggests that some works are not always connected to the theme. Then again, the connection could be there, in a vague way. There's always the possibility, too, that the interpreter just doesn't get it.

A literal reading of the show's title, "Damaged Romanticism," infers a loss of hope and optimism in a world that is (or was) brimming with emotion, passion and idealism. Or, as the exhibit's wall texts explain, a confrontation between classic and contemporary sensibilities, a world full of heartbreak in the wake of hope. (Sounds like a good description of current times.)

The only strong manifestation of this oppositional theme is the expressionistic style conveyed by several pieces. Expressionism, as a way of signifying violent contrasts, is most prevalent in Edward Burtynsky's "Shipbreaking #2," where sharp differences between light and dark define contradiction. Expressionism also suggests that inanimate objects are more important and energetic than people, and there are several examples of this in the exhibit.

Leaving the idea of Expressionism, we have other examples that show contrast, like Annee Olofsson's "Naked Light of Day," where an older woman's hands are placed over a young lady's face. This is one of the more potent pieces in the show because it suggests several meanings. One is that the past (old hands) is less salient and beautiful than the future. However, another interpretation is that the older person is protecting the younger woman from seeing too much of the future, which is dangerous and hopeless. As such, it presents an entirely different worldview.

Life (either the past or future) as dangerous is also depicted by Mary McCleary in "Meters Per Second," a noteworthy embroidery piece that shows people (perhaps a family) falling through space. Other bleak views are suggested by Angelo Filomeno in "The Accident," filled with allegorical symbolism and beautiful metallic threads. In both works, the exquisite craftmanship and materials belie the powerful pessimism.

Petah Coyne's work celebrates the horrors of life, unlike the other artists' works, by contrasting such bleakness with light and humor, suggesting that celebration and loss can occur at the same time.

Sophie Calie's "Exquisite Paine" is also an outstanding piece, a combination of story-telling, words and images that chronicles the end of a love affair in a non-linear way. It's an example that doesn't offer a direct connection to the exhibit's theme, yet its message is extraordinary in its own right, whatever that message may be.

"Damaged Romanticism" will be on view at the Parrish Museum until April 19.