Wednesday 5 August 2009

Saatchi Gallery - Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture

Ending after a six month run at one of the world’s most influential public art galleries, a show dedicated to abstract American art produced a mix of reactions in its audience. Spread out over three floors, the exhibition plainly entitled, “Abstract America: New Painting and Sculpture” was the Saatchi Gallery’s attempt to expose modern American art to a wide audience in one of the major art capitals of the world – London.

At the end of all this, what did we learn about the range and quality of American art and how it is classified and viewed outside the US? Well, for one, we learned that not all of the artists shown by Charles Saatchi, the owner of the gallery and one of the most powerful and recognizable art collectors, are visionaries and contemporary geniuses. This is not to say that there is a lack of talent exhibited, but it is to say that some artists don’t display the shock and awe factor that truly great art can have on its audience.

Gallery 7 is the clear winner in the impact category. The exuberant colors of the pieces in that room jump out at the viewer. The mix of styles and influences comes as a welcome surprise. The room showcases the fantastic and imaginative colour combinations of NY-based duo Eric and Heather ChanSchatz whose collaborative approach is simultaneously all that is wrong and right in modern art. It also includes the tribal inspired paintings of Connecticut-based Baker Overstreet and the whimsical and insightful creations of Miami duo Guerra de la Paz. But even in this room, which is easily the most joyous and inspired of the whole show, something is missing. Some grit. Perhaps imagination. With a dash of a rebellious streak. In short, the type of stuff you find in Juxtapoz (http://www.juxtapoz.com/). What is missing is the art that leaps off the wall, smacks you in the face, then offers you a drink and gooses while telling you about the virtues of street art and all that could be improved to make America a better place. But no. The work in this show sometimes entertains, but doesn’t provoke any further insight or examination.

Often, visitors to the USA say that it is a land of extremes. This large country not only provides a wealth of diversity in landscapes, but more importantly in people. This fundamental part of what contemporary American art is all about should have been at the center of this exhibition. It should have driven the decision to display a wide variety of art from various genres and geographical locations. Yet, it barely scratches the surface. There are some notable exceptions to this – Ryan Johnson’s towering figures, Mark Bradford’s mixed media collages, Carter’s paintings, Jedediah Caesar’s mixed media tiles, and Agathe Snow’s post-apocalyptic crucifixions. And then there is the other extreme – the art that tries too hard and ends up looking foolish. The type of stuff that spends so much time trying to be clever and provocative that it ends up punching the viewer in the face in an annoyingly obvious way. Just like puns in literature, not everything that seems clever to the artist actually translates across to its audience, bushes and box-eating snakes included.

Two of the artists that were chosen to have a whole room dedicated to their work reflect what European opinions are of American art rather than truly the best contemporary American art. Kristin Baker’s work certainly has the advantage of scale and colour. There is an interesting interplay between reality and imagination as you’re not quite sure what you’re looking at, since it seems to change depending on the angle. Yet, it feels too familiar. You’ve seen it or something like it somewhere before. Close but no cigar. In contrast, Amy Sillman’s work has a positively Renoir-esque element to it. American abstract it certainly is. Yet, confusingly, it is rendered in a colour palette that reminds me of paintings of lawn tea parties and flower wallpaper that your grandmother would like. Not quite what I think of when I think of modern day America.

In the end, we must go back to our original question – what have we learned from all this. We’ve learned that showcasing art that is supposed to represent the best of a contemporary art landscape in a country as large and diverse as the USA is difficult – very difficult. Yet, the decision to showcase barely any art that punches you in the gut or at the very least opens your eyes is confusing. It lacks courage and a sense of reality. Next time, perhaps the Saatchi Gallery should take a look at Juxtapoz to get a real slice of contemporary American art that truly shocks and awes the shit out of its audience. In a good way, of course.

As a message to the artists included in its show and a caveat to all reviews, the Saatchi Gallery has posted on its website, “apologies for some of our art critics in the UK. A number of them know very little about contemporary art, obviously. But they do sometimes get there eventually, usually by the time the art is no longer very contemporary. 20 years ago they gave the thumbs-down to our Warhol, Judd, Twombly, Nauman, Guston, Marden exhibitions, that included many of their greatest works - if that's any consolation.” This statement certainly rings true. Unfortunately, it can not only be applied to reviewers of art but also collectors, curators, and the audience. And of course, writers. Well, there’s always a next time.