When the Whitney Museum of American Art moved to its new location downtown in 2015, the Metropolitan Museum expanded from its iconic 5^th Avenue location to include the vacated 1966 building designed by Marcel Breuer located at E. 75^th and Madison.  Opened on March 18, 2016, the intent of the newly leased space is to expand the Met’s modern and contemporary visual and performing arts program through monographic and thematic exhibitions and performances such as the current solo exhibition of the works of deceased abstract artist Nasreen Mohamedi.  But, in a twist that distinguishes these endeavors from its competitors such as MoMA, the Breuer also draws upon many of its own important pre-20^th century historical works and loaned works to present new comparative viewer experiences that underscore the relevance and appreciation of art history.

In the inaugural exhibition “Unfinished: Thoughts Left Visible” the Met Breuer does what only a museum with the depth of the Met can do and that is to hang 550 years of art history from the Renaissance to the present in a way that unites old and new in more than just a chronological timeline.  In this exhibition, visitors are faced with 197 “unfinished” works by masters ranging from Titian, Michelangelo, Rubens and Rembrandt to Monet, Degas and Cezanne to Picasso, Freud, Pollock and Neel, to name but a few.

With each work, the viewer is asked to consider whether the work is unfinished or finished and in so doing to focus both on technical execution of the work and the intent of the artist.  And while some works are clearly “unfinished” such as the work above by Albrecht  Dürer, others appear to adopt an intentioned lack of finish such as Ferdinand Hodler’s 1915 watercolor of his deceased mistresss where the unfinished purposely conveys the finish of a life.

Exploring the age old debate about whether certain historical works were finished or not, the Met Breuer showcases select works for multiple purposes.  First, many of the unfinished works invite the viewer to investigate the artist’s process such as this Self-Portrait (2002) by Lucian Freud in which the artist’s layering and build-up of paint to produce realistic flesh-like colors and facial features is evident.

Similarly, in the work below by Gustav Klimt, with its underdrawing and contrast between its completed and uncompleted sections, the viewer is provided insight into the stages of his portraits for which Klimt became famous.  Second, this work and many others give the curators the opportunity to tell the viewer why the painting remained unfinished.  Here, the viewer learns that the subject (Ria Munk) was a young woman who committed suicide before the commission and that the artist died before he could complete the work.  A wide range of stories are told, perhaps for the first time, enriching the viewer’s experience.

Finally, “unfinished” works are used by the curators to show how artists throughout the centuries intentionally chose the unfinished to experiment and adopt important aesthetic alternatives to the traditional view of finish.  By using seemingly unfinished approaches, artists could be more expressive and convey spontaneity and even challenge the viewer to use his/her own imagination to complete the concept.  In this work by Picasso, the artist has purposely painted the focal point with great detail while leaving the margins “unfinished” and yet he considered the work finished as evidenced by his signature.

So, on your next foray to the Big Apple, be sure to take in this new Met experience!

Shannon Robinson is the curator and chairperson of the national biennial exhibition Windows to the Divine (Nov. 17-Dec. 13, 2016) and the national symposia sponsored by Collectors for Connoisseurship (Nov. 2015 at Denver Art Museum and Oct. NYC 2017).  More about Shannon…

Who says Napa is only for oenophiles and foodies?  Think ART while sipping wine and indulging in Michelin starred cuisine!  From the Napa Valley Museum to the di Rosa collection to the Hess Art Museum, Napa offers art lovers much more than great food and wine. 

Last month, with artist Vincent Xeus as our host (he also serves as a commissioner on the Yountville Arts Commission), we experienced NAPA VALLEY COLLECTS, in its third year at the Napa Valley Museum featuring The Art of Collecting, a unique and diverse exhibition of over 50 works loaned by resident collectors of the Valley.  Touring the exhibition with Guest Curator, Doreen Schmid, we were visually and intellectually stimulated by a wide range of art collecting styles and media, including sculpture by Andro Wekua, owned by Howard and Cindy Rachofsky, founders of The Rachofsky House and photographs by Ansel Adams from Turnbull Winery owner Patrick O’Dell.  We also attended “Collective Conversations”-the Museum sponsored panel discussion with five of the lending collectors from the Exhibition.  The conversation proved engaging, humorous and thought provoking and represents the types of educational forums that Windows to the Divine endorses as a way of encouraging  individuals and communities to collect and share their art. 

Another must-see example of collectors sharing their art with the public is the famed di Rosa collection of approximately 2,000 works by more than 800 artists.  Considered the most significant holding of Bay Area art in the world, the nonprofit public trust was born from the vision of Rene and Veronica di Rosa, longtime art collectors and Napa vintners whose association with Bay Area artists flourished in the 60’s during Rene’s viticulture classes at UC Davis where he met and befriended artists and professors, including William T. Wiley, Robert Hudson and Robert Arneson.  In 1982, Rene sold the vineyards, comprising 250 of their 450 acres in order to focus exclusively on building an “art park” for the public with the di Rosa collection as its centerpiece.  The property includes a 35-acre lake and wildlife preserve and three galleries contained in the Gatehouse, Main Gallery and the historic residence of the collector couple shown here.  

Finally, while enjoying Napa’s more than 450 wineries, art lovers should also venture down the bucolic country road leading to the Hess Art Museum at The Hess Collection Winery; an international collection of modern and contemporary art, including the work of Francis Bacon, Anselm Kiefer, Robert Motherwell and Frank Stella, housed in three museums (Napa, South Africa and Argentina) and started in the 60’s by Donald Hess.  Believing that collectors have a responsibility to share their collections and make them accessible to the public, the Hess museums are open to the public and free of charge.

At Windows to the Divine, we applaud the efforts of other arts-related organizations and for profit corporations like the Napa wineries that affirm the importance of collecting and the need to make art collecting more accessible to everyone.

Shannon Robinson is the curator and chairperson of the national exhibition Windows to the Divine and the national plein air event Altitude and Attitude. More about Shannon…