Watteau to Degas: French Drawings at the Frick Museum

Jean-Honore Fragonard  Le Calendrier des vieillards, c. 1780

Pen and brown ink, brown wash, over black chalk underdrawing

Frits Lugt Collection

Sometimes I wonder if I might have previously lived in 18th Century France because my fascination for that time period seems to know no bounds. Although I have a deep appreciation of contemporary art, my heart still skips a beat when I stand in front of artwork by the masters of the 18th century like Boucher and Fragonard.  And while the exhibition of drawings from the Frits Lugt Collection currently on at the Frick Museum in New York is not confined to artists from the 18th century, it was those images that made me swoon. The skill with which Fragonard and Boucher exhibit in these small drawings is extraordinary. A few simple lines can express so much life! And while it may appear on the surface just to be a pretty picture, a closer look often reveals the beginning of a narrative (something that I'm trying to incorporate into my own work). This show of exquisite drawings also includes works by Watteau, Degas, Morisot, and Ingres among others continues through to January 10, 2010.

Frick Museum
1 East 70th Street, New York

Georgia O'Keeffe Abstracts at the Whitney Museum

Georgia O'Keeffe will never be considered a fashion icon but she was a woman who knew her mind and had a distinctive sense of style. Looking at photographs of her in her minimalist black clothing, her sense of independence and vitality is evident. She was ahead of her time, both in her style of dress and her artwork.

In 1915, Georgia O'Keeffe leaped into abstraction using charcoal as the medium for her first experiments. These drawings are the best place to begin your tour of the 125 abstract paintings, drawings, watercolours and sculptures by Georgia O'Keeffe now on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Music in Pink and Blue Number 2, Georgia O'Keeffe

I've always admired the sensual forms and deft handling of colour that defines much of O'Keeffe's work, but hearing the artist's voice on the audio guide accompanying the exhibition added much to the experience. She said that she used abstraction to explore her thoughts and emotions and asserted that her work was not sexual imagery but about feelings. This is a must see show before it closes on January 17, 2010.


Georgia O'Keeffe Abstractions
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York
September 17, 2009 - January 17, 2010

Contemporary Drawing at the MOMA New York

Amelie Von Wulffen copyright 2009

To better understand the state of contemporary drawing practice, I visited the show "Compass in Hand: Selections from The Judith Rothschild Foundation Contemporary Drawings Collection" now on at the MOMA. Curator Christian Rattemeyer selected from this collection of 2500 drawings to present several hundred works. Contemporary artists from around the world are represented but are mostly clustered from New York, LA, UK, and Germany. Divided into abstraction and figuration, the work illustrates the fact that artists have stepped outside the traditional definition of drawing on paper to include the use of unconventional media, with many incorporating collage and appropriated images into their work. Really, anything goes these days!!

My favourite pair of images were by Elizabeth Peyton and David Hockney. Although somewhat traditional in style compared to what was on display elsewhere, the simplicity and elegance of their line was captivating to me. Another image that still haunts me is an emaciated horse and rider created out of cigarettes, although I cannot recall the name of the artist.

This exhibition is beautifully hung and there is lots of space to stand back and appreciate the work. If you are interested in contemporary drawing practice, this show is well worth a visit. And if you cannot make it to the MOMA before the show closes on January 4, 2009, the MOMA website includes an enlightening video with the curator.