About Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 2011)
HOT SHOWS. COOL AIR A great way to escape the heat is by visit ing Athens' cool and tranquil art galleries. There are some excellent exhibits on view right now, offering opportunities to enjoy art and super-powered air conditioning. A Lifetime of Work: The Georgia Museum of Art celebrates its artistic "godfather" with an exhibition of Lamar Dodd's drawings and paintings. One hundred works are on display, including drawings, watercolors and oil paint ings from his student days to the end of his career. One of the most interesting things about the exhibition is the way curator Paul Manoguerra has included preparatory draw ings and watercolors alongside the paintings. One can see Dodd's development of a particu lar image in terms of composition and color, tracking his mind at work through the choices he made along the way. The retrospective begins with Dodd's paint ings of New York City during the period he attended the Art Students League. Dating from the late 1920s and early 1930s, these works reflect the influence of contemporary American scene painters, a style he brought to painting images from everyday life when he moved to Birmingham, AL in 1933. "Bargain Basement" (1937), for example, represents his "distinctly Southern" take on the depiction of the landscape and people of the South. This large oil on canvas depicts a cross-section of customers browsing the tables and racks looking for a deal at the Pizitz Department Store in Birmingham. On loan from the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, this painting is only temporarily on view—don't miss it. Athens and UGA make appearances in several paint ings. "Between Classes" (1940) shows a group of students lounging on the grass on North Campus, talking and smoking languidly; two decades later, Dodd's abstracted paintings of the Redcoat marching band and Sanford Stadium reverberate with movement. Paintings from later in his career are also on display. His last series, created while his wife was undergoing heart surgery at Emory University Hospital in the late 1970s, are some of the most intrigu ing. Dodd was given license to observe 25 operations, and made drawings and paintings that provide a fascinating interpretation of the miracles of medicine and the mysteries of the human body. This retrospective presents the work of one man throughout the many journeys he made across the U.S. and Europe, and provides an examination of the way Dodd responded to changes in the world during his lifetime. Visit this special exhibition through Aug. 28. Also on View at the GMOA: Watercolors from the permanent collection. These delicate art works cannot be displayed for long periods of time, so it is a rare treat to have so many pre sented at once. All were painted by American artists and date from the mid-19th century to the 1970s. Some treasures include Charles Burchfield’s "October Wind & Sunlight in the Woods" (1962), Elaine de Kooning's 1977 study for her "Bacchus" series and a paint ing by Jean Chariot, the artist who created the murals at Brooks Hall and the Fine Arts Building on UGA's campus. But wait, there's more! In the gallery adjacent to this exhibition is "The Art of Disegno: Italian Prints and Drawings from the Georgia Museum of Art." Here, the GMOA exhibits 53 works on paper produced in the loth, 17th and 18th centuries by famous artists like Giovanni Battista Piranesi and Parmigianino. Both exhibitions will be on view through Aug. 7. Local Color: At the Lyndon House, the vener able Studio Group artists present their work. Beginning with a group sale in 1981 that became an annual event, this collective has grown over the years to include a variety of artists working in different media. Many have studied and taught at schools in the area, and all have strong ties to Athens, Winterville and Oconee County. This exhibition highlights the group's diversity of approaches and commit ment to a high standard of art-making. A few highlights include Maria Dondero's painted pottery. Her terra cotta bowls and teapots bring a playfulness to functional pieces meant for everyday use. Barbara Allen's wire sculpture and jewelry are also examples of objets d'art that take a more utilitarian role, as do Brett Swanson's elegantly rustic white oak bench and kitchen cart. The Studio Group's painters include Margaret Agner (paintings on silk), Chatham Murray (oil paintings) and Sarah Pattinson (watercolors of scenes from Sapelo Island). The tiny scale of Pattinson's excellent studies provide a keyhole glimpse into a beautiful seaside landscape. The camaraderie this group shares is evident in the two memorials for members Brooks Burgess and L. David Dwinell. Burgess' humorous and expres sive basset hound ceramic lamps and jugs immortalize his beloved pets, while Dwinells' photographs of dancers and other subjects complement the work of his friends. On view (and much of it on sale) through July 30. Caroline Barratt arts@flagpole com The GMOA's exhibition of Lamar Dodd’s work, deluding the painting “Central Park.” is on display until Aug. 28. 312 E. BROAD ST. • 3RD FLOOR • 706.208.5222 • FRIGIDAIRE BUILDING • * Republic “salon ENTRANCE ON JACKSON ST. • WWW.REPUBLICSALON.COH Beginners WEICOME! liriRIINCI fCfSSRRT cm K ' fmDAY I jjrn worn liil?, Sr S20/PI1 m flRIKG REGISTER at 706-355-3161 MfWiM.GOODDlRT.net SX 1fit y c 458 E Clayton St • 706-543-4454 Mon-Thu ll-6:30nnt • Frl a Sal li-7pm Present this ad for 15% OFF ANY 1 ITEM at regular retail price Sorry, Weber grills not included In stock items only Expires 6/31/2011 i [ SHO WPLACEJ JULY 20. 2011 FLAGPOLE.COM 9
