“Artists Making Photographs” at the Whitney Museum of American Art

By: Elizabeth Windsor

Edward Ruscha (b. 1937), Swollen Eye, 1973. Gelatin silver print, Sheet: 7 15/16 x 9 15/16in. (20.2 x 25.2cm). Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Gift of Carla Emil and Rich Silverstein, 2007.8

© Ed Ruscha

Tucked away in the mezzanine between the 4^th and 5^th floors at the Whitney Museum of American Art is the Sondra Gilman Gallery. Although not well signposted, it is in this petite enclave that the “Artists Making Photographs” exhibition is located.  With the work of Chamberlain, Rauschenberg, Samaras, Ruscha and Warhol on view, this is the second exhibition in a series in this space where Whitney curators are showcasing photographs from the permanent collection. The series takes works from artists who are well known as painters or sculptors and pairs a familiar piece with the lesser-known aspect of their work as photographers.  It is a very diminutive sampling of just over a dozen works.

While Robert Rauschenberg’s small black and white photo entitled, Quiet House- Black Mountain (1949) is plainly nostalgic, it is literally swallowed up next to his Untitled (1951) composed of four large shiny canvases covered in newspaper and painted with black oil paint.  As well, the untitled John Chamberlain painted metal sculpture sticks out like a sore thumb next to his blurry color print entitled Downtown (1989).  Lucas Samaras’ Skull with Milky Way (1966) is paired with a series of images of nude body parts, mostly his own.  There is little by way of explanation, and the pairings are seemingly plonked into the tight space without much direction. The stand out photograph is an eloquent travel shot of Cy Twombly standing next to a sculpture of a giant hand that sat atop a broken column in Rome taken by Rauschendberg during his trip to Italy.

Many post-war artists experimented in a variety of media, yet the exhibition takes for granted that anyone would be surprised by this phenomenon.  They employ the cool-by-association technique of positioning an important piece, such a Warhol’s Nine Jackies, next to a series of photo booth images to elevate the significance of mostly not very interesting work.  An unfortunate effect of pairing objects of varying strengths is negating the power of both. An exhibition of the photographs on their own would have been much more effective.  This would stop the viewer from being immediately reminded of why this artist was NOT famous for their photography and wondering why the photograph was collected in the first place.  Essentially, this is a filler exhibition.  Come to the Whitney to see the wonderful “Alexander Calder: The Paris Years, 1926-1933” show and take five minutes to go through the Gilman Gallery on the way; it can’t hurt.

“Artists Making Photographs” is on view through April

 

Whitney Museum of American Art

945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street

Take the 6 Train to 77th Street or the M1, M2, M3, M4 bus to 74th Street

Museum Hours: W–Sun: 11 am–6 pm, F: 1–9 pm (6–9 pm pay-what-you-wish)

Museum Website: www.whitney.org