Old Critics, New Shows

By F. Lennox Campello

There are loads of terrific new shows in the Greater Washington, DC area to visit this month, but first I must discuss some of the things about art criticism that bother me.

Why Blake is Wrong (Again)
When an art critic hangs his or her entire reputation on joining in early on his writing career with a traditional anchoring art criticism agenda, and for years and years pounds this agenda forth as the true (and only) Gospel for contemporary art, it takes either:

(a) A huge amount of professional courage to realize that the times have left your founding ideas (and the foundation of your agenda) behind as a quaint, and once revolutionary concept, or (

b) Ignore the present, and continue to pound your dated agenda and discredited, once collective ideas and communal concepts as if they're still new, and novel and applicable.

Blake Gopnik, the intelligent and erudite chief art critic of the Washington Post, has told his readers time and time again that:

- Painting is dead

- Video, Installation Art and Photography are the only contemporary genres worth exploring

- There's something "icky" about nudes

- The holy grail of the art market is a non-existing "new" painting art movement

- Being "up to date" and "new" are key things in contemporary art (nevermind that Video, Installation Art and Photography are quite aged in years now and not the "new kids on the art block" that maybe they once were when Gopnik started writing).

- There's nothing "new" that painting can offer that would have looked much out of place over the past five or ten years in any high-end New York gallery.

- Skill is "banal"

- There's something "icky" about nudes (did I mention that already? Well... he harps on this aversion over and over).

Last month, Gopnik reviewed"Life After Death: New Leipzig Paintings From the Rubell Family Collection" at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, and it was a predictable attack on the success of painters whose only flaw is that they have decided to paint in a realistic style and ignore the worn-out chants of dated critics like Mr. Gopnik - good for them and good for the Rubell Family!

Art Shows
Here are some great shows to visit these coming few days:

The Gallery at Flashpoint has A. B. Miner, Ian Jehle, Nekisha Durrett: Me, You & Those Other Folks through November 22, 2006. The very talented and diminutive Lucy Hogg will be moderating the artists' talk at the gallery on Saturday Nov. 22 at 3 pm. A. B. Miner is another one of my favorite DC area painters, and I think that collectors should pick up all that's for sale at this show. Additionally, Ian Jehle is easily one of the best contemporary portrait artists around.

Numark Gallery will close afetr"The Last Show," which is Numark Gallery's final exhibition celebrating 11 years in DC. Participating artists include Shimon Attie, Chan Chao, Diana Cooper, Tony Feher, Terri Friedman, Doug Hall, Peter Halley, David Jung, Robert Lazzarini, Nikki S. Lee, Sharon Louden, Carter Potter, Robin Rose, Adam Ross, Michal Rovner, David Ryan, Jim Sanborn, David Shaprio, Dan Steinhilber and Yuriko Yamaguchi.

One of my favorite artists on the planet, Molly Springfield has a show titled "Gentle Reader" (and an Artist Talk on Saturday, November 11, 2 pm) at Transformer (1404 P St NW, Washington, DC 202-483-1102).

DCAC in Adams Morgan has "Herb's Choice: Born Again Dada through 05 November in the DCAC gallery.

With an opening reception on Thursday, November 2, 6-9pm, and running through November 30, 2006, Orchard Gallery (7917 Norfolk Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814 tel. 240/497-1912) has "A Closer Look," collages by Sophia McCrocklin. Her color-infused collages take on a new theme relating to the late work of Monet's nympheas. Using a technique that incorporates painterly painting with collaged fabric pieces, she also pays allegiance to Matisse's cutouts. McCrocklin's own heritage is her native Kentucky quilt.

The superbly talented Leo Villareal returns to Conner Contemporary in DC with an opening reception on Friday, November 3: 6-8pm. The show is titled "Origin." This is Villareal's third solo with Conner.

Bethesda's Fraser Gallery showcases the third solo exhibition by DC's best-known landscape photographer, the exceptionally talented (and highly collected) Maxwell MacKenzie. The opening reception is Friday, November 10 from 6pm - 9pm as part of the multi-gallery Bethesda Art Walk. The show runs through January 6, 2007. If you want to collect photographs, a few by this master photographer is a must for any serious collection.

A few blocks away, Bethesda's Gallery Neptune opens "Three" (Kim Bentley, Rion Hoffman,and Kirk Waldroff) with a public reception at Gallery Neptune on Friday, November 10, 6-9 PM. The artists were first "discovered" at the amazing DC area art extravaganza known as Artomatic which is easily one of the nation's best "art fairs" to discover new, emerging artistic talent.

Painter Jane Hahler's solo-artist exhibit, "Color in the American Townscape," will be shown in The Art League Gallery in Old Town Alexandria, VA, November 9 - December 4, 2006. The opening reception is November 12, 2006 from 2:00 - 4:00 pm.

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Old Critics, New Shows