Walking into a room full of bronze sculptures, oil paintings, sketches, photographs and woodcuts, it is difficult to understand what this disparate collection of artwork has in common. The pieces are created by artists of diverse ethnicities from all different time periods and are made from a wide array of media.
"Landmarks of World Art and Architecture" is an exhibit on display in the Harvard Art Museum that presents this array of pieces. It is the current installation in the Teaching Gallery at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, a room in the museum that displays artwork that typically corresponds to a class being taught at the time. The class that this exhibit is linked to teaches undergraduates various methods of analyzing art, as the different works are meant to provide a variety of subjects with which to practice.
Even if one isn't an undergraduate student at Harvard enrolled in this class, it is still possible to get a lot out of the exhibit. Some of the questions that are proposed to students taking the class are included in the description of the exhibit. This inclusion of outsiders is a nice touch because it gives visitors something to think about, allowing them to explore their own ideas and opinions as they peruse the exhibit.
Some of the things to ponder while perusing the exhibit include how the medium contributes to the message of the art, the messages the different works convey, the context of each piece and who the artist is. Of course, it isn't required to give oneself a homework assignment while at the gallery in order to enjoy it, as the collection is engaging enough on its own.
A particularly interesting piece is the ornate plaster painted gold that is part of the decorative wall found inside Chicago's Schiller Building/Garrick Theatre. Titled "Star-Pod Design from Proscenium Vault" (1891-92), the most intriguing part of this work is that it was designed by one of Chicago's most famous architects — Louis Henry Sullivan. When people think of architecture, they usually think of the structure of buildings; most people do not have the opportunity to get a close-up look at the ornate designs that usually decorate very high ceilings.
Another work worth mentioning is "Untitled" (1929) by Marianne Brandt, which is essentially a photo-montage of newspaper clippings with accents of plastic, glass and metal. There are five different women facing all different directions, a zebra and a giraffe. These subjects combine with other images, materials and symbols in a way that results in confusion as to what the meaning of the artwork is. Perhaps Brandt is trying to suggest something about the relationship between nature and the more artificial world of fashion.
Overall, "Landmarks" is an interesting exhibit, but the layout is not ideal. There are many works of art crammed into one small room. This would not be as much of an issue if each piece had a plaque by it providing further information and details. Instead, there is a sticker with a number on it next to all but one of the pieces. In order to find out about a certain painting or sculpture, people need to walk over to a white plaque buried in the corner that has all the information. While walking back and forth in such a small room is not terrible, it isn't very convenient for museum visitors.
Besides the exhibit itself, the atmosphere is also fun to be in on a Saturday morning, when a decent number of Harvard professors and students can be found discussing the artwork. Eavesdropping on professors can be informative, and overhearing a student trying to impress a peer by using lofty language can be pretty entertaining. At the very least, walking around the museum will make visitors feel scholarly.
"Landmarks of World Art and Architecture" will be at the Harvard Art Museum until May 9. It is located on the fourth floor of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at 485 Broadway. Student discount tickets are available with free admission on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. with a Tufts University (or any Massachusetts school) I.D.
