The New Museum

I started Saturday morning with a trip to the new SAM. This car sculpture, like "Hammering Man" in the periphery, is banal and lame. The new museum is stunning.


A gorgeous Rothko.

These are french chairs from the Napoleonic/Directoire era. Behind them is a portrait of a man's family, with the man conspicuously absent, from the same era. To a contemporary audience his absence would have indicated that he was away fighting under Napoleon.

I love these objects. The chairs, while still showing all the style and beauty of classical French design, are markedly different from the ornate gilt style under Louis XVI. They show a modesty and strength befitting the time when Napoleon and the Grand Army were forced to repeatedly go abroad to defend France against the European and Asian monarchies that wanted to see the revolution fail. The painting is both a reminder of what a soldier must fight for and a celebration of that sacrifice.

It's interesting that none of the signs accompanying the exhibit included a direct reference to Napoleon. For many Americans his name is too closely associated with presently socio-politically-incorrect concepts like empire and conquest. But to many, including the French people and even the subjects of many of his enemies (like the British), Napoleon was a hero and a defender of enlightenment values and freedom.

This was my great find of the visit. Because the painting involves written media, a photo of it would not have done justice. The artist is part of a new "Abject" movement. I loved this painting and will look for more of his work. I found an interesting discussion of Abject Art here.