Fantasies of the East at the Art Institute

From Abraham Ritchie, the ArtSlant: Chicago City Editor :

In this week’s Gallery Hop for ArtSlant: Chicago, Robyn Roulo mentions the art history behind Lalla Essaydi’s solo exhibition at Schneider Gallery, “Les Femmes Du Maroc.” Roulo talks about the “centuries of women portrayed . . . from the languid and vulnerable to the sensual and stoic,” and how in Essaydi’s self-empowered work “lost are the slave-like harem scenes of art’s historical past.” So what are these sexist and stereotypical artworks that Essaydi is reacting to? I went to the Art Institute of Chicago to find out.

Eugene Fromentin. Women of the Ouled Nayls, 1867. Oil on canvas.

This painting by Eugene Fromentin is on view in Gallery 223. In it, Fromentin paints tensions and stereotypes so palpable I’m not sure I really need to say much about it. The scantily clad white women loll about in the dirty and darkly light alley amidst fully clothed Middle Eastern men making the power dynamic obvious. This is a bit strange since my brief research has indicated that the Ouled Nails (another spelling) is actually a Berber tribe in Algeria whose women traditionally would dance for money building a dowry which would ultimately gain them a husband. They were guided by their mothers, not men. Why then are these white women? I believe that Fromentin conflates European “concern” (and no doubt titillation and attention) about white slavery with an equally titillating exotic flavor, the Ouled Nails women and their dances. It’s important to keep in mind that France had invaded Algeria in 1830 and the public would no doubt assume that this painting was set there (the identification of the tribe firmly sets it in that country) so this image would have served a propaganda purpose also. The result is an image that acts as a justification for France’s colonial occupation of Algeria by playing on racist feelings and stereotypes, yet doesn’t offend Victorian sensibilities because it is ostensibly decrying this made-up situation. Interestingly, according to one website: “In 1893, a man named Sol Bloom brought the first glimpses of belly dance to America by sponsoring various groups from the Middle East and North Africa to perform in the Chicago World’s Fair. The Ouled Nail were among these tribes.” This painting on view at the Art Institute was acquired shortly thereafter in 1894.

Jules Joseph Lefebvre. Odalisque, 1874. Oil on canvas.

This painting is also on view in Gallery 223, look up, it’s hung near the ceiling salon-style (hence the slight glare in the image). The title of the painting leaves no doubt about the subject, an odalisque is a concubine or female slave in a harem. Related to the J.A.D. Ingres portrait (Le Grande Odalisque of 1814) that Essaydi riffs on, Lefebvre also adopts the classical composition of the reclining female nude. We also see the classic signifiers of the “oriental”: incense burners (which Ingres also includes), decorative carpets and rugs, fruit and some pottery. However, whereas in the Ingres image the woman confronts us with her gaze, here Lefebvre averts the subject’s face away from the viewer, objectifying her as all we can see is her body. I would again suggest that the tensions, fascinations and fantasies about white slavery are a major subtext to this image.

Lalla Essaydi. The Grand Odalisque, C-print, edition 3/15, 30 x 40 inches, courtesy of Schneider Gallery.

If we contrast the Lefebvre work to the above by Essaydi, we can see that her simple gestures like depicting her subject with a feeling of self-possession, confronting the viewer’s gaze with her own, being clothed rather than naked (in the Kenneth Clark sense of the word) and even the dirty feet (in contrast to idealized and sterilized woman of Lefebvre) result in a unbalancing of the power dynamic between viewer and subject, diffuse the fetishization of the oriental, and upset the assumption of a male viewer. Essaydi reclaims history and directs our attention to historical inaccuracies and fantasies.

–Abraham Ritchie

This Week’s Words

This week on ArtSlant I review the Buckminster Fuller show at the MCA, Kathryn Born critiques the critics: http://tr.im/l9Ut

Chicago’s Mainstream Art Coverage Reduced to Zero

On April 22nd the Chicago Tribune announced it was cutting 53 positions in its newsroom.  And according to the Chicago Reader blog “News Bites” one of those let go is the Tribune’s only art critic, Alan Artner.  That’s leaves absolutely no one reporting on Chicago’s vibrant and massive art scene in our daily newspapers or other mainstream media.

I haven’t always agreed with Artner’s commentaries or criticisms, but it’s important for the Tribune to cover the art scene here in Chicago. Chicago has a massive visual arts community that is dynamic and active on all levels, from local apartment spaces to international exhibitions.  The city of Chicago is also increasingly marketing itself as a center of culture, particularly linked to the international scene.  This has been crucial in our Olympic bid.  An indication of our internationalism is we have both the Cultural Center and Millennium Park currently featuring contemporary Chinese artists (it’s even notable that the dual timing was coincidental).  And yet despite the city government’s growing emphasis on the arts and Chicago’s massive culture scene, Chicago’s newspapers have pulled away from culture coverage.

Ironically, the elimination of Artner was accompanied by this staff memo from Editor Gerould Kern: “Our thinking was driven by the Tribune’s goal to be the Chicago region’s top destination for news and information and grow especially in the digital space. . . [we must] cover the Chicago area better than anyone else across all of our media.”  Despite the popularity and importance of visual art in Chicago, and in the minds of Chicago’s citizens, the Trib has effectively and completely withdrawn from visual arts reporting.

In an era when newspapers are struggling and folding all over the country and looking for ways to reinvent themselves, committing to more arts coverage rather than less seems an obvious and easy way to go.  An increase in cultural reporting would be an easy way for a newspaper to gain a particular identity and voice.  In addition to regular gallery reviews, there could be comprehensive looks at the city’s cultural programming finding crossover interests between institutions or disciplines.  It would be an easy way to appeal to younger readers also, assuming there was a particular focus on emerging art and artists.  An increased focus on the visual arts would facilitate a logical move into cyberspace also, as both easily accommodate images.  The move to the web is something newspapers have voiced a desire for (even in the above memo from Kern) but seem confused on how to do it.  Oddly Christopher Knight’s “Culture Monster” blog on the Los Angeles Times site is well done and seems popular, but was not followed here in Chicago, despite the fact that both papers are owned by the same parent corporation.

Chicago is really the latest casualty of arts coverage, though one may hope it could lead the way revitalizing cultural reporting.  As Chicago reinvents itself as a culture capital it would only make sense that its media follow the play, but they haven’t and it’s disappointing to see Chicago’s mainstream arts coverage decline to nothing.

More Confusion in Chicago’s Newspapers

And not to be left out, the Chicago Tribune is also confused about the Art Institute and its Free Days.

Spurred on by public outcry over the Art Institute raising its fees, two Chicago Alderpeople, Ald. Ed Burke (14th) and Ald. Virginia Rugai (19th) are proposing cutting off some free city services as an act of revenge on the museum. Undoubtedly incurring these new costs will allow the museum to drop ticket prices, which is exactly the kind of backwards, nonsensical logic we expect from our Chicago politicians.

And of course in the midst of this nonsense, the facts are wrong. Tribune staffer Hal Dardick reports that according to park district spokeswoman Jessica Maxey-Faulkner, the Art Insitute has free admission:

“has year-round free admission on Thursday evenings and on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day”

This is INCORRECT. There is no free admission on Tuesdays, it’s Friday and Thursday evening. Some simple fact checking would be nice to see from Chicago’s largest newspaper. From the Art Institute’s website:

Over 300,000 people visit the museum for free. There are many such opportunities:

• One late evening per week (Thursdays after 5:00 p.m.) throughout the year
• Two late evenings per week (Thursdays and Fridays after 5:00 p.m.) during the summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
• The entire month of February
• The week of the opening of the Modern Wing, from May 16 to May 22, 2009

Absent in this fray is both the museum’s PR team and Trib art catchall, Alan Artner. It might be a good idea for especially the museum to start returning phone calls and being proactive, rather than just sitting there taking punches.

My opinion you ask? Well here:

Ironic isn’t it that a Chicago politician is soapboxing about a museum trying to stay afloat when the average Chicago citizen is far more affected by HIGH TAXES in their many chicago forms and are the HIGHEST IN THE NATION. The Tribune even has a countdown about that tax hike. And what about the CTA! How many of us use that every single day? And didn’t they just hike fares from 1.75 to 2.25? That’s almost a 30% increase!! What about Quinn’s income tax increase? And people listen to this guy when he’s upset about the museum?

People complain about the “millions they have in reserves” that’s called an endowment, and the money that that money makes, pays for the bulk of everything else. And with the economy in the toilet that money is less, so the museum has less money. If you spend that down it’s the final step to closing the doors for good. Is that simple enough for everyone?

If we want to talk about where the real fiscal hit is coming to Chicagoans, it’s taxes and it’s the CTA. It’s laughable that a politician blames a museum

Sun-Times Gets it Wrong Too

Looks like Reuters is not alone in its editing woes.

Dave Newbart of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that the Art Institute of Chicago is raising its rates to $18 and introduces the topic like this, referring to the museum’s current exhibition “Becoming Edvard Munch”:

Like Edvard Munch’s famous painting on display at the Art Institute of Chicago right now, the museum’s proposed admission fees might make you want to scream.

The only problem is that Munch’s painting The Scream is in fact not on display.  The famous image is represented by a woodblock print, but the painting itself remains in Europe.

It’s interesting also to note that the comment section on Newbart’s article has disappeared, when I was in the process of registering to post on it.   Did Daley put his foot down on all those bashing our venerable Chicago institution?

Art Institute to Raise Admissions

With the addition of Renzo Piano’s Modern Wing to the Art Institute of Chicago soon to open, it should come as little surprise that they are announcing an admission hike.  To get into the museum it’s now going to cost $18, instead of $12.  One possible bright side is that all special exhibitions are included in the admission price now.

It is notable that $18 is still less than admission at other comparable venues nationwide.  To visit a museum in New York City is $20 for the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art.

The position of the Chicago Art Blog is that all of America’s musuems should be underwritten by the federal government and free to everyone.

What’s that in the Sky? A Bird? A Plane? Renzo Piano’s Addition to the Art Institute?

For everyone that doesn’t live here in Chicago or does live here but can’t make it downtown to see the progress on the addition at the Art Institute, here are some pictures of the progress. The big thing going on right now is the Nichol’s Bridge which will link the museum with Millennium Park, a very good idea in my mind. And yes, apparently this is the shape of the bridge, rounded on the bottom. According the museum’s press release this was inspired by: “the hull of a boat or sleek racing shell. It is a long, thin structure with a rounded bottom.” I thought it would be flat and thinner, but then again there’s only so much modeling you can do with balsa wood (I spent some time looking at the model in the museum’s grand staircase hall). So without further ado here are some photos I took:

This is the where the bridge will lead into the museum. The green trusses are holding the bridge up while the supports are properly secured.

Panning down the bridge towards Millennium Park.

Looking at the bridge across the South Shore train yard. You’ll notice that the bridge is as yet unlinked as this was taken on Thursday. Images of the bridge spanning the road follow.

The landing site in Millennium Park, all ready to receive the bridge.

An admittedly crappy photo I took on my camera phone yesterday. You can see that the bridge now spans Monroe Street.

An admittedly much better photo from the Chicago Tribune, by an unknown photographer. Perhaps they weren’t using a camera phone, taking pictures at night, in the rain.

More Chicago architecture news to come.

Interviews with MCA Director, AIC Curator

Past interviews for anyone interested in our cultural institutions:

Alan Artner for the Chicago Tribune interviewed the new director of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Madeleine Grynsztejn about her plans for the future of the MCA. She keeps her cards pretty close in the interview but the good news is that her Olafur Eliasson exhibit will be coming here next Spring.

Tyler Green for his Modern Art Notes interviewed Art Institute of Chicago curator Lisa Dorin about the “Focus” shows that spotlight a contemporary artist and particular concerns of such a show, especially as they relate to the Art Institute as a whole. It’s in two parts: Part One, and Part Two.

Derby, Looptopia, Horses

So like I said below, check out Looptopia but be aware of the weather, don’t take risks.  That said go out and have fun downtown!  The Kentucky Derby is tomorrow and equestrian art is a long standing genre of art so go to the Art Institute, when it’s free after 10 and you are downtown for Looptopia, and find some horse-art.  One of my personal favorite equestrian related artworks is Horse by Raymond Duchamp-Villon (brother to Marcel, they had a very talented family it seems) from 1914/55-57.  Seen below it is located in gallery 232:

I’d love to hear what equestrian art others like.  I want to see some Stubbs people!

Looptopia Tonight! Freebies Abound!

Looptopia 2008 is tonight, the downtown’s free arts festival. Whether or not it is also intended to show people downtown is safe and not scary is another issue. Freebies abound and the arts are in the air. For a total listing of the events go to the website by clicking here.

Following up on my posts about free admission to museums, the Art Institute of Chicago will be free and open from 10-1 am (!). Who says Institutions can’t party like rockstars? Oddly the MCA will not be open as far as I know.

So check out what’s happening tonight, and go downtown, even if it is raining!

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be careful going downtown tonight, severe storms maybe on the way, and have already hit other parts of the US.  Have fun, but be careful should severe weather blow up.