Cildo Meireles, “Atlas,” transparency in light box, 2007 (courtesy of the artist and Galerie Lelong)
185th ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN ART
National Academy Museum
1083 Fifth Ave. at 89th St.
Friday, April 9, free with museum admission of $10, 6:45
Exhibition continues through June 8
212-369-4880
www.nationalacademy.org
Founded in 1825, the National Academy is in the midst of its 185th Annual, featuring painting, sculpture, and installations by sixty-five American artists who are not members of the academy, selected by a panel of National Academicians. The exhibit includes work by such artists as Ghada Amer, Petah Coyne, Barkley L. Hendricks, Valerie Jaudon, and Dana Schutz, with all but one piece dating from 2006 or later. (Delfina Nahrgang’s “Woman in the Mosque I” is from 1994.) The show, which has several empty rooms because of budget constraints (keep on moving even if you think it’s over, as that last room past a narrow hallway is often overlooked by visitors), contains some fine painting; among the award winners are Richard McLean’s “Toward Delano,” Elisa Jensen’s “Trapped Sky,” and Charles Parness’s “Sometimes the Yoni Gets Angry with the Lingham.” Richard Van Buren’s “Green Movement” captured the sculpture prize, while Chuck Holtzman’s “Untitled (#798)” won for best graphics. Be sure to sit in the chair that is part of Sam Hernandez’s “I’m Listening,” which offers a unique perspective. Alison Elizabeth Taylor’s unusual wood inlay and shellac piece, “Bombay Beach,” gets a position of prominence, standing boldly by itself. Cildo Meireles slyly comments on Piero Manzoni in the playful light-box transparency “Atlas.” Perhaps the academy’s boldest selection, for a somewhat traditional organization, is Nina Yankowitz’s multimedia installation “Buried Treasures,” which comments on great and overlooked scientific discoveries made by women.
Nina Yankowitz, “Buried Treasures,” installation with video, 2008 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
On April 9 at 6:45, chief curator David Dearinger will lecture on the history of the National Academy’s annual exhibition. In addition, there will be a guided tour of the annual on May 7 at 6:45; artists Julia Randall, Ghada Amer, and Judith Bernstein will participate in “Let’s Talk About Sex: Gender Issues in a Post-Feminist World” on April 16 at 6:45; and curator Marshall Price will host a tour and lecture of the exhibit with artist Sarah Walker on June 4 at 6:30.
Kihachi Okamoto’s goofy, fun Eastern Spaghetti Western, with lots of references to other samurai flicks, is based on the novel PEACEFUL DAYS by Shugoro Yamamoto, which was also turned into Akira Kurosawa’s 1962 Asian oater SANJURO. But this time around, it’s played more for laughs. Tatsuya Nakadai, one of the main villains in both SANJURO and YOJIMBO, stars as former samurai Genta, a laid-back dude who gets caught up in the middle of an inner struggle of a split clan (one group of which contains seven rogue samurai). He meets up with former peasant farmer Hanjiro (Etsushi Takahashi), who dreams of becoming a brave samurai and involves himself in the same battle, though on an opposing side. As the plot grows more impossible to follow, with lots of betrayals, double crosses, would-be yakuza, and romantic jealousy, so does the riotous relationship between Genta and Hanjiro. Masaru Sato’s score is fab as well. This special screening at 92YTribeca, part of the Closely Watched Films series, will be hosted by Elliot Kalan with comic book artist Evan Dorkin.
