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Nature of the 'Beast'
The American Visionary Art Museum's 12th thematic mega exhibition, 'Home & Beast,' explores a subject that shares much with humanity's earliest art history
Date published: 1/25/2007
By SHEILA WICKOUSKI For THE FREE LANCE-STAR While art historians and archeologists debate what to think of cavemen and their art, nobody talks about what cavemen might think of our "modern" art today. It is a likely guess that they might feel at home in Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum, especially because the AVAM's 12th thematic mega exhibition, "Home & Beast," explores a subject that shares so much with humanity's earliest art. The earliest artists were self-taught, like the visionary artists represented in the collection. Most of what remains of man's first images are beasts that covered cave walls for either decorative or ritualistic purposes. The AVAM's latest show follows this rich tradition delightfully. The "Beast" portion champions human relationships with animals, whether as companions or as religious icons. "Home" covers domestic dwellings, from the teepee, yurt and mobile trailer to the apartment, ranch house and palace. A herd of animal sculptures--dogs, anteaters, porcupines--is positioned at the entrance of the show. Roughly sawn wooden crocodiles that are crude imitations of nature, a "pink elephant" that looms like a pictograph, a panda and a red-nosed reindeer are all predictably included among wild animals tamed by storytelling.
The AVAM also brings up issues of man's proper use of animal life. One wall text discusses the potential of cancer-sniffing dogs. Another is directed at meat lovers. Haitian artist Henri Thezume's acrylic on canvas "Slaughter House" is placed next to Temple Grandin's photocopies of blueprints titled "Detail of a Round Crowd Pen and Curved Chute System" and "Large Layout of a Beef Stockyard and Handling System at a Meat Plant." Thezume specialized in depicting everyday life in a colonial town, with pictures that represent ordinary people in both their inner and outer worlds. Grandin was diagnosed as autistic at an early age, and later completed a doctorate in animal science. Her work with livestock led to the reformation of slaughter plants and farms for humane handling of animals.
Date published: 1/25/2007
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