ONGOING: Artist Brian Jungen of the Dunne-za First Nations tribe receives a major survey with "Strange Comfort" at the National Museum of the American Indian. Jungen's work uses found and recycled materials to comment on culture, commodification and globalization, such as the hulking yet playful "Carapace," above, made out of industrial waste bins.
» National Museum of the American Indian, 401 Independence Ave. SW; through Aug. 8, free; 202-633-1000. (L'Enfant Plaza)
THE HIRSHHORN'S NEW SHOW, "Anne Truitt: Perception and Reflection," now open through Jan. 3, is the first major show of her work in 35 years, so there's a lot of new ground to cover. The artist, who died in 2004, was born in Baltimore and resided in the District, and associate curator Kristen Hileman said the area was important to Truitt.
"I think any artist … would want their work to be understood nationally and internationally, so it would be inaccurate to say that she's a 'local artist' or 'Washington artist,'" Hileman says.
"But she very intentionally chose to live and work in Washington, and you can see influences of the Eastern Shore in Maryland where she grew up. This area certainly influenced the colors and forms in her work and her path as an artist."
The exhibition is a survey of 2- and 3-D sculptures that Truitt made during her 50-year career, in which she studied proportion, scale and color. Hileman said Truitt "created a hybrid of painting and sculpture, and painting in three dimensions."
To kick off the show, there's a talk on Thursday at 7 p.m. about Truitt's career. Tim Gunn, chief creative officer at Liz Claiborne, "Project Runway" fixture and former student of Truitt's, will moderate a discussion among artist Martin Puryear, filmmaker Jem Cohen, photographer John Gossage and Hileman. It's free, and tickets are available at 5:45 p.m. in the lobby.
» Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 7th Street and Independence Avenue SW; through Jan. 3, free; 202-633-1000 (L'Enfant Plaza)
Written by Express contributor Amy Cavanaugh
Photo courtesy Hirshhorn Museum
A Visit From Uncle Walt
If you'd scripted it into a movie — even a Disney movie — no one would buy it. But it's true: In 1941, the Roosevelt administration tapped Uncle Walt himself to take some artists and other Disney talent on a goodwill tour of South America. "Walt and El Grupo," opening on Friday at E Street Cinema, is the documentary evidence of that journey.
» E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; opens Fri., Oct. 2; 202-452-7672. (Metro Center)
The Custom of Elegance
One of German filmmaker Ulrike Ottinger's most praised works, "The Korean Wedding Chest," screens at the National Gallery of Art on Sunday. Ottinger's coolly surrealist style lends itself to the regal pacing of the ritual, respecting while revealing its secrets.
» National Gallery of Art, 400 Constitution Ave. NW; Sun., Oct. 4 4:30 p.m., free; 202-842-6799. (Archives-Navy Memorial)
GALLERIES AND MUSEUMS look back as well as forward this fall with a slew of shows that focus on history -- James Osher's photographs, a look at industrialization in Japan, a visit from China's most famous army. There's even a jaw-dropping Hirshhorn exhibition that's been open for a while but won't be around forever.
William T. Wiley: Multitasker
Contemporary American artist William T. Wiley does it all, from drawing to sculpture to film. This retrospective features 88 of his works from the 1960s and on and takes a look at Wiley's ideas on war, global warming, racial tensions, pollution and practically every other problem facing the world today. Educational -- yes. Depressing -- possibly.
» Smithsonian American Art Museum, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; opens Oct. 2, through Jan. 24, free; 202-633-2850, americanart.si.edu. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)
AMID THE FESTIVALS, art films, revival flicks, anticipated indies and upcoming big-budget Thanksgiving turkeys — oops; we mean blockbusters — there is plenty to see in D.C. this time of year.
Herein, we offer a sampling of the screenings we're already popping our popcorn for, written by Arion Berger (AB), Johnathan Rickman (JR) and Nathan Martin (NM).
BEFORE ALAN BEAN became the fourth man to walk on the Moon, he was a test pilot taking night classes in painting at St. Mary's College in Maryland in 1962. He continued private art studies even after serving on Apollo 12 (the second lunar module to land on the Moon in 1969), but it wasn't until he resigned from NASA in June 1981 to become a full-time artist that Bean started painting what he knew best: the Moon. It's all that he's painted ever since.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo landings, the National Air and Space Museum mounted the exhibit "Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World" featuring about 50 pieces of his impressionistic works, plus 18 NASA artifacts related to the mission.
Continue Reading "Space Is the Place: 'Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World'" »
THURSDAY: Ah, Mars. We've all wanted to go there, and maybe someday mankind will figure out how to do it. For now, we'll have to be content with this: the National Air and Space Museum is holding their annual celebration of our neighboring planet.
It's a family-friendly affair, so bring your kids. You'll find the latest images from the Mars Odyssey, a full-scale model of the Mars Exploration Rover and a Martian meteorite. You can even view Mars in 3-D.
Now get out there and learn something about the Red Planet. Just let us know if you happen to find a real live Martian.
Lady Gaga doesn't count.
» National Air and Space Museum, 4th Street and Independence Avenue SW; Thu., July 16, all day; free; 202-633-2398. (L'Enfant Plaza)
Written by Express' Nicole Ocran
Photo by Susan Biddle/The Washington Post
THURSDAY: Walead Beshty is pretty busy of late — his stunning photographic art and sculptures are on display in Los Angeles, New York and, as of Friday, here at the Hirshhorn. Massive, color-drenched photograms like "Six Color Curl (CMMYYC)," above, will reboot your perceptions of photography.
» Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, 7th Street & Independence Avenue SW; opens Fri. May 1, through Sept. 13; 202-633-1000. (L'Enfant Plaza)
Written by Express' Arion Berger
SUNDAY: Sunday is the last day to catch Israeli-born, London-based artist Ori Gersht's lavish and violent works in Hirshhorn's Black Box space. The moving-image piece "The Forest" and flat-screen work "Pomegranate" (detail at right) explore with meticulous attention and a keen eye on art history the effects of violence and abrupt intervention on the natural world.
» Hirshhorn, 7th Street & Independence Avenue SW; through Sun., April 12, free; 202-633-1000. (L'Enfant Plaza)
Written by Express' Arion Berger
THIS WEEK: The Internet has for years proclaimed that this is the age of the comic book, and the National Museum of the American Indian wants in on the action.
"Comic Art Indigene" is an exhibit of comic books illuminating the Native American experience. The exhibit links ancient illustrated stories, including rock wall paintings, to modern comic books and graphic novels.
» National Museum of the American Indian, Fourth Street and Independence Avenue SW; through May 31, free; 202-633-1000. (L'Enfant Plaza)
Photo courtesy of Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
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