This exhibit brings together political and original poster art from the former USSR, Vietnam, Cuba, Ukraine, China, Poland, Germany and the U.S. to explore the question "Is it propaganda or is it Political Art?" It's an important question for museums and collectors, especially in the United States, where 'political art' has too often been dismissed as 'propaganda'---denying wider understanding and appreciation of both the art itself and the messages it seeks to convey. DUE TO COMMITMENTS ELSEWHERE, THE GALLERY WILL BE CLOSED THIS WEEKEND, April 12/13. It will re-open by appointment next Monday, April 14, and resume its weekend schedule (Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 6 pm) beginning the weekend of April 19/20. For additional information, please call 202 638 3612. Read More
"Las Furias," at the Prado in Madrid, is that rarest of all museum exhibits: instead of presenting art in a vacuum, curators at the museum have assembled an exhibit of 16th and 17th C masterpieces meant to deliver an unmistakable political message to Spain's governing class---either take steps now to quickly end Spain's worst economic crisis in memory or face protests born of desperation that could lead to bloodshed and a break up of the Spanish state. "Las Furias" is an example of how art that's centuries old can be given contemporary meaning. It also reminds us that fine art has always been created to convey the messages of the artists who created it---or the patrons who commissioned it. Who knew that Titian's painting of Sisyphus, one of the greatest paintings of all time, was commissioned by the Queen of Hungary as a warning to the Hapsburg's enemies? Is it possible to imagine museums in tne United States presenting an exhibit like "Las Furias" to be shown here?
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