Elements of surprise
This year brought delightful new art to the bay area.
By Lennie Bennett
Published December 17, 2006
Area museums gave us no blockbusters this year. But they did offer something that, for me, was even better: Thoughtful exhibitions that often didn't play things safe, bringing new art that offered unexpected visual experiences. Here are my favorites, with thanks to the museums for bringing them to us.
Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg
"From the Fire: Contemporary Korean Ceramics," on view through Dec. 31, presents us with art from a culture we rarely see locally. With 54 artists and almost twice that number of works, it's a broad survey of what's happening in a country that for centuries has been known for excellent ceramics.
Tampa Museum of Art
"UnderCURRENT/overVIEW" and "Wild Things: The Art of Maurice Sendak," above, are tied in my mind because they were each so different and interesting. "UnderCURRENT," a summer show, was liberated from the local geographic restrictions of previous years, casting a wider net throughout the state that yielded an especially strong group of women artists. "Wild Things," which closed in April, satisfied the popular craving for materials from his children's books but delved deeper into the artist's heart of darkness. It's one of the few shows that had genuine appeal for all ages.
Gulf Coast Museum of Art, Largo
"Will Boys Be Boys?" was an act of bravery and bravura for the small regional museum, a provocative exploration of the male persona in traditional and new media. It might not have appealed to a broad audience but anyone who took the time to see it should have come away with much to think about.
Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg
"Salvador Dali and a Century of Art from Spain: Picasso to Plensa" was a brilliant summer show. Any special exhibition there has a hard time competing with the permanent collection but this one did, with works by Dali's contemporaries such as Picasso and other Spanish artists. It was not only good looking, it made the point that Spain, long considered artistically hermetic, has made broad waves.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota
"Master Drawings from the Yale University Art Gallery," on view through Jan. 7, covers four centuries of European art. Many of the names are unfamiliar but they demonstrate what a vast genre drawing is. And, because drawings are so light-sensitive they're rarely taken from storage drawers. Seeing so many from one of the world's great collections is a rare treat.
Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa
"Vik Muniz: Reflex" stood out even among the Contemporary Art Museum's strong offerings of new art. His re-creations of famous works by other artists in funky materials such as peanut butter and jelly or chocolate sauce, which he then photographs for posterity, have a childish delight and deep seriousness. The show, which closed in October, invited us to enjoy the fun, then contemplate the metaphor.
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art, Largo
"Weird and Wonderful: Graphics by Leonard Baskin," which closed in October, gave us a look at printmaking from a master printer and artist. From etchings to screens, he could do it all and keyed each process to his powerful themes and masterful drawing technique.
Lennie Bennett can be reached at 727 893-8293 or lennie@sptimes.com.
If you go
Dali Museum
Currently: "Dali by the Decades," a chronological exhibition of works from the permanent collection, includes interpretive photographs, text and graphics, through Jan. 28; "Dali and the Zodiac," the Dali Zodiac is explored, includes the Dali Zodiac print suite, Dali's own Zodiac, a look at the history of the Zodiac group and the origins of Catalan Mysticism, through Jan. 28. 1000 Third St. S, St. Petersburg. (727) 823-3767.
On the Web: www.salvador dalimuseum.org includes a link to the summer's big show.
Museum of Fine Arts
Currently: "From the Fire: Contemporary Korean Ceramics," through Dec. 31. "Sosaku Hanga: Modern Japanese Prints," through Dec. 31, plus exhibits of decorative arts and photography from the permanent collection. 255 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg. (727) 896-2667.
On the Web: www.fine-arts.org.
Ringling Museum of Art
Currently: "Yale University Master Drawings," plus "Encore! Art of the Historic Asolo Theatre," both through Jan. 7. Also, the miniature Howard Bros. Circus, "The Greatest Show on Earth," and "Boys from Baraboo to Big Top Bosses: History of the Ringling Circus 1884-1964," in the Museum of the Circus. 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. (941) 359-5700.
On the Web: www.ringling. org for more on the art museum and other attractions on the property.
Tampa Museum of Art
Currently: "Minimal to the Max: The Brownstone Collection," "Josef Albers: Color Genius," a selection of prints, both through today only. "Luis Montoya and Leslie Ortiz: Revisions of Nature," bronze, super-sized sculptures; "Theo Wujcik: Global Warming," both through Jan. 7. 600 N Ashley Drive. (813) 274-8130.
On the Web: www.tampa gov.net/dept_museum
University of South Florida Contemporary Art Museum
Permanent collection includes broad holdings in graphics, sculpture, photo-graphy and African art. 4202 E Fowler Ave., Tampa. (813) 974-2849.
On the Web: www.usfcam. usf.edu has more on USF CAM and Graphicstudio.
Gulf Coast Museum of Art
Currently: "Clyde Butcher: The American Wilderness," 37 large-scale black-and- white photographs, including views of Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve, Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park and the Pepperwood Redwood Forest in Northern California. 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. (727) 518-6833.
On the Web: gulfcoast museum.org offers an overview of the permanent collection and current programs.
Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art
Currently: "Picasso Ceramics from the Bernie Bercuson Collection of the Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale," a touring exhibition featuring decorative ceramics and "From War to Peace," with prints, drawing and posters by Pablo Picasso, through Jan. 7. St. Petersburg College Tarpon Springs campus, 600 Klosterman Road. (727) 712-5762.
On the Web: Take a virtual tour at www.spjc.edu/central/museum.