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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.
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