McNay Curatorial Blog

54, 56…do I hear 61?

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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This week, after much patience and anticipation, we finally got to bring art into the Stieren Center galleries! In fact, nearly all two-dimensional works in American Art Since 1945: In a New Light are hung. We began by placing works in the galleries according to the model layout, shifting objects around and tweaking juxtapositions of artworks as they went up on the walls.

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The installation crew—which includes many artists—has worked with each of the McNay’s curators over the past few months as galleries were re-installed with permanent collection or installed with new exhibitions. In the course of hanging my exhibition, I thought about how each curator takes an individual approach to installing their exhibition, and how the crew likely becomes aware of a particular curator’s style as they work together. Other than the use of a 61” centerline for most works hung on the wall, little else is similar in terms of the four McNay curators’ approach. (Different institutions use different centerline heights…I’ve worked with 54”, 56”, and here, 61”. At home I go for a 58” centerline, when not dealing with doors and windows, stacking works to get a lot on a wall, etc.)

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My general approach to installing works in the galleries is very visual yet regimented. I use the artworks to compose walls or sections of walls, as one would a painting, and create vista and panorama views, with pauses inserted along the way. I have distances between works carefully measured, and use equal and unequal spacing to create symmetry and asymmetry, as well as visual rhythms. Hopefully, none of these techniques are evident—what’s most important is that each work of art appears before the viewer as if it’s the only thing in the room.

I'll Take It!

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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I’m not much of a shopper. In fact, I hate it. (Ok, buying art doesn’t count.) However, I’m very excited by the new museum store which is just off the AT&T Lobby in the Stieren Center for Exhibitions. The design is particularly attractive, with new display units, bright colored walls, lots of bookcases, and a great counter/display case. Large windows let you peer in from the lobby area, just enough to entice you inside to spend, spend, spend!

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Kay Hyde manages the store and buys the merchandise. She has found all sorts of interesting artistic and educational products, many of them featured in the new Impressions. The range of items is greatly increased, reflecting the museum’s diverse areas of collecting as well as temporary exhibitions. Did you know you can also shop online—at anytime, from anywhere—through the McNay’s website (www.mcnayart.org, link to Museum Store)?

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So, what’s going to happen to the current museum store, located in Mrs. McNay’s original residence? That space has been completely transformed into a gallery and seating area. The first installation brings together large-scale modern and contemporary prints, selected by prints and drawings curator Lyle Williams. Comfortable furniture creates an area for rest or reading, a small oasis within the larger oasis that is the McNay.

Join Us...We've Got Magic To Do!

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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Hopefully some of you will get today’s title’s reference to the opening song from Pippin, one of my favorite musicals from the early 1970s. Directed and choreographed by legendary Bob Fosse, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, the original cast included Ben Vereen, Irene Ryan (remember, she was Granny on The Beverly Hillbillies), and Jill Clayburgh. The McNay owns a great design by Tony Walton for this opening number, showing Vereen amid a sea of hands which appear to magically float across the stage. Youtube (www.youtube.com, search Pippin under Videos) has a great clip of Vereen performing “Magic To Do” if you’re curious.

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But, I seem to be digressing….

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A good way to get more involved at the McNay is to JOIN US—to join one or all of the McNay’s auxiliary groups: McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum (MCCF), Friends of the McNay, and McNay Theatre Group. Members of each group enjoy special privileges including exclusive viewings of exhibitions and private collections, unique travel opportunities, and distinctive educational presentations with critics, curators, art historians, and other professionals.

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The McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum (MCCF) supports contemporary art at the McNay and builds bridges between the museum and San Antonio’s vibrant art community. MCCF members participate in the acquisition of contemporary art for the museum, help support the monthly Artists Looking at Art series, and organize the Get Reel film series.

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Dedicated to supporting the growth and expansion of the McNay’s renowned prints and drawings collection, the Friends of the McNay is a dynamic auxiliary group that engages its members to learn, experience, and explore printmaking and print collecting. The Friends group has been a financial supporter of the museum for over 46 years, providing substantial donations toward the purchase of works of art for the McNay’s permanent collection, and is lead sponsor of the annual McNay Print Fair.

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The newest auxiliary group is the McNay Theatre Group, connecting the museum’s renowned Tobin Collection of Theatre Arts to the world of live theatre. This group is your behind-the-scenes ticket to theatres and designers’ studios, as well as conversations with actors, directors, and choreographers. Group dues support the purchase of theatre arts objects for the McNay’s permanent collection.

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To join any of the auxiliary groups, call the membership office at 210.805.1755 or visit www.mcnayart.org/organization.html.

Sneak Preview

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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One of the hallmarks of our first major presentation in the Stieren Center, the exhibition American Art Since 1945: In a New Light, is the inclusion of numerous recent acquisitions. The forthcoming issue of Impressions will include pictures and some descriptive text about many of these works, but I thought it might peak our audience’s curiosity if I discussed a few here.

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Enhancing the McNay’s collection of abstract paintings are two works from the 1950s…Alexander Liberman’s Duration, from 1953, and Friedel Dzubas's untitled oil painting from 1959. The Dzubas painting has bold colors and solid forms set in contrast to stained areas, with some additional areas of raw canvas visible. Duration is a narrow horizontal enamel on aluminum painting which hangs away from the wall on a wooden frame mounted to its reverse side, allowing the painting to “float” in space. Liberman is of course well known to the McNay community from his monumental orange sculpture on the grounds.

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Outdoors, in the new sculpture garden, Tony Cragg’s bronze sculpture Holed Heads, created in 2005, is composed of three faces joined together and sitting on their side. The surface of the work is perforated with round holes, allowing light to penetrate as well as allowing the viewer to see the interior. Like the recently installed work by Philip Grausman,Victoria, this sculpture is among the first large-scale figurative sculptures acquired by the museum, and represents a new direction in the McNay’s collecting.

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In a completely different collecting direction, Lesley Dill's Vision Catcher, from 1995, combines oil, thread, and wire on a surface of un-stretched tea-stained muslin, crumpling into folds at the floor. The mottled background creates its sense of nostalgia, recalling 19th-century photographs. The tea-stained muslin features a silkscreened male figure that appears to float in an atmospheric void. Stitched below, it reads, "These—saw Visions—/Latch them softly."

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Finally, in another new direction, two photographs round out our recent acquisitions. Sandy Skoglund’s Gathering Paradise, created in 1991, is a large Cibachrome print measuring 50” X 70”. Acidic pinks and purples pervade this scene of squirrels comically ransacking a home. The playful horde chaotically scrambles while the residents appear unbothered by the pandemonium. On a quieter note, Ernesto Pujol’s By the Waters, 2005-6, shows a robed figure in a meditative pause in a Civil War cemetery. Some of you likely saw Ernesto’s installation here at the McNay, in 2006, which was the first exhibition I organized for the museum…wow, I’ve been here nearly three years already!

Tick, tick, tick...

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

J

The clock is ticking loudly…we are less than two months from the reopening of the McNay and the grand opening of the Stieren Center. Next week architect Jean-Paul Viguier is here from Paris, along with his team and other consultants on the project, to access progress and make more decisions. Jean-Paul will also meet with some members of the press to keep the PR gears grinding forward.

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Last evening was the final outdoor presentation of Artists Looking at Art (ALA), featuring the work of painter Seth Camm (www.sethcamm.com). It was a beautiful evening to be on the McNay’s grounds—over 60 ALA enthusiasts, contemporary art lovers, and Seth’s friends and fans showed up. The ALA program resumes in July with a presentation by costume designer and University of the Incarnate Word professor Margaret Mitchell.

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The McNay’s numerous faithful volunteers will be honored next Monday evening with an appreciation party. As always, awards will be given for outstanding service. The annual party is held outdoors in the Blackburn Patio—I just checked weather.com...the forecast is for a sunny day, with a high of 81 degrees. That sure beats the 90 degrees temps we’ve experienced in the past. This party is a great incentive to become a volunteer…and we’ll now need many more so why not join in! 

Hearing is Believing!

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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In the midst of finishing the Stieren Center, confirming checklists for new exhibitions, hiring additional staff, training docents, and everything else I’m forgetting at this moment, we’re also producing an audio tour for our permanent collection. Under the leadership of Rose Glennon, our education curator, the audio tour will give additional information, interpretation, and insight to a diverse range of artworks in the McNay’s collection. Rose has contracted Acoustiguide (www.acoustiguide.com), a pioneer in this field, to produce our tour.

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Working closely with the McNay’s director, curators, and collections staff, Rose crafted a list which includes significant early acquisitions, popular favorites, and recent gifts and purchases. Professional narration is enhanced with voices from authorities and the community…including some of the artists whose works are examined, and perhaps even a celebrity or two. I suspect that most readers of this blog have experienced an audio tour--if not many--so you’re totally familiar with what I’m describing.

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In addition to an adult tour (no, we’re not revealing any scandals about Mrs. McNay or pulling erotic art from the vaults), a family-friendly tour will be available. So prepare yourself not only to see, but also to hear about the treasures of the McNay.

A Not-So-Secret Garden

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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This morning I had the opportunity to tour the new sculpture garden which is still under construction. Some landscaping details--such as tree or groundcover selection or placement--are still being worked out. The sidewalks are going in, with minor adjustments to precise locations made on the spot. The surfaces of some of the sidewalks crossing through the garden are embossed with a pattern that also appears in the building’s interior. This pattern was created specifically for the Stieren Center and is used to perforate indoor metal gates and screens, as well as to embellish the exterior sidewalks. These kinds of integrated design details will make the Center a place of constant discovery and give it a unique visual character.

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Key in the discussion of the garden is the placement of outdoor sculptures. As we surveyed progress and changes, we began to visualize where sculptures could be placed. Quite unlike installing works in interior galleries, determining locations for (sometimes) massive outdoor works is a bit trickier. Moving a 300-pound concrete sculpture requires a bit more than two guys in white gloves. Check out the video here on our website showing the recent installation of the Grausman sculpture (look under Art at the McNay/Acquisitions/Victoria by Philip Grausman/watch a video).

Let There Be Light

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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Among the opening exhibitions of the new Steiren Center for Exhibitions in June is American Art Since 1945: In a New Light. For the first time in the McNay’s history, the postwar collection of American art is going to be fully featured, including several significant new acquisitions that we’ve not yet exhibited publicly. The exciting mixture of paintings, sculptures, and photographs which comprise American Art Since 1945 explore the wide-range of themes, subjects, materials, and approaches with which recent artists work.

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Rather than present a chronological survey, as a more traditional approach would take, we will juxtapose artworks by artists employing different subjects, using various materials, and working at different periods over the last six plus decades. Traditional representations of the everyday world and innovative uses of the human figure will be in counterpoint to painterly, gestural abstractions and pure non-objective compositions. New gifts from generous donors and recent strategic purchases will comprise an important aspect of the exhibition.

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As a sneak-peak, here are some of the artworks to be included: Chakaia Booker’s sculpture made from recycled rubber tires, purchased last fall by the McNay Contemporary Collectors Forum; Lesley Dill’s fabric wall hanging, also a gift from MCCF; a recently purchased large-scale abstract painting by Friedel Dzubas; a colorful pull-toy by Red Grooms, a recent gift; Raoul Hague’s direct-carving wood sculpture, a gift from the Raoul Hague Foundation; two important recent purchases—a very large, classic Op painting by Larry Poons, and an automobile-parts assemblage by John Chamberlain; Kiki Smith’s enchanting porcelain sculpture of Alice in Wonderland, purchased to enhance the figurative area of the collection; and finally, Sandy Skoglund’s large, brightly colored surreal photograph, another gift of MCCF.

Victorious Victoria

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

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Much has happened this week at the McNay, both indoors and outside. Progress on the reinstallation of the main collection galleries continues…the dining room has been reinstalled with its 19^th-century paintings, including a newly acquired picture by Jean-Charles Rémond. Back of house renovations, including work in the print room, are moving forward. And of course details on the Stieren Center and sculpture garden are rapidly progressing.

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Another significant event which took place this week was the outdoor installation of Philip Grausman’s stainless steel sculpture titled Victoria. Commissioned last year by the McNay, the stylized portrait of one of the artist’s studio models now stands on the museum’s grounds just off of Austin Highway.Victoria’s simplified but sensual modeling gives life and personality to her cast-metal face. However, from the rear, the sculpture simultaneously gives the impression of a gigantic abstract plant or tree, growing out of the ground.

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Victoria was fabricated at a foundry in Pennsylvania and shipped to San Antonio on a flatbed truck. The sculpture was placed over an internal armature which is bolted into a concrete pad. A large crane lifted the sculpture from the back of truck, high into the air, and onto the armature. Actually, it had to be lifted twice…first, to determine the proper placement on the concrete pad, facing in the correct direction towards North New Braunfels street…and then again, after the armature was secured in place. While all of this moving occurred, the sculpture was partially wrapped in white plastic protective packing. An onlooker remarked that, with her head swaddled in white, she looked a bit like she was recovering from plastic surgery. However, in the end,Victoria is radiant, gleaming in the afternoon sun.

One Down…Several to Go!

By Rene Paul Barilleaux, Chief Curator/Curator of Art after 1945

The first of the new exhibitions which will reopen the McNay in June has been completely installed and will sit quietly in the dark for the next three months. Organized by theatre arts curator Jody Blake, The Ballets Russes at 100: Treasures from the Tobin Collection is a sumptuous feast of some of the most significant theatre designs in the McNay’s collection. Since this era in the history of dance is among my favorites, I’m particularly delighted to see this work come out of the storage and on public view.

Sprawling beyond the Tobin Library where theatre exhibitions are generally presented, this Ballets Russes presentation spills into the adjacent diamond-shaped Brown gallery, allowing Jody to present much more material from the theatre collection than usual. Lush, colorful scene and costumes designs are enhanced by a small but spectacular group of vintage costumes. I know that Jody has done a phenomenal amount of research in preparing this exhibition, ably assisted by our current Tobin intern Mary Bleve Shaw. You’ll see the results of their labor not only in the selection of objects, but in the informative, interpretive texts found throughout the exhibition.

Hopefully, it will be one of those times when you walk into a silent gallery yet hear the absent music.