Koen Vanmechelen, Symbiosis C.C.P, 2011; selective lasersintering (polyamide), wood, stainless steel; 19.75 x 10 x 10 in. Courtesy of CONNERSMITH Gallery.

Upon entering the gallery, I was greeted by the squawking of the birds. In the back of the first gallery, a large wooden cage houses two Red Jungle Fowl chickens, a male and female, and their new offspring. Vanmechelen’s ongoing Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, which he began in 1999, involves interbreeding chickens from different countries in an effort to create “a true cosmopolitan chicken as a symbol for global diversity.” A giant family tree of this breeding experiment spans a wall in the second gallery of the exhibition. He uses the Red Jungle Fowl because it is the ancestor of all modern chickens. In breeding the chickens he seeks to bring them back to their original state of existence, one that is much more healthy and natural than those found in modern poultry processing plants.

Koen Vanmechelen. Leaving Paradise, 2013; installation view, CONNERSMITH Gallery, Washington, D.C. Courtesy of CONNERSMITH Gallery.

Vanmechelen’s work reaches beyond the gallery and involves scientists, scholars, a think tank founded by the artist, and eight farms around the world. Yet the works of art stand alone and provoke the same questions that have driven Vanmechelen’s research for years. Beautiful silhouette photographs on glossy plexiglas adorn the walls, and taxidermied chickens stand elegantly on pedestals. The first piece in the gallery is the 2011 sculpture Symbiosis, a striking bust of half human head, half chicken that underscores Vanmechelen’s understanding of the chicken project as a metaphor for biodiversity and the interrelation of distinct species. Symbiosis also speaks to the human role in genetically modifying these birds into creatures that only vaguely resemble their forebearers. While Vanmechelen’s artistic practice may be unusual, it is also effective; the show had me rethinking the chicken sandwich I had eaten for lunch and wondering how such a banal part of our lives and diets could have me questioning international issues of globalization, diversity, and evolution.

Koen Vanmechelen. Red Jungle Fowl, 2013; lambda print on plexiglass, diptych, 24 x 24 in. (each), edition: 5. Courtesy of CONNERSMITH Gallery.

Koen Vanmechelen: Leaving Paradise, is on view at CONNERSMITH Gallery through June 29, 2013.

"Alfonso Ossorio at the Creeks," 1952. Photograph by Hans Namuth ©1991 Hans Namuth Estate, Courtesy Center for Creative Photography.

The 53 paintings and prints in the exhibition tell the story of how Pollock, Ossorio and Dubuffet influenced each other through not only their close friendships, but also through the sharing of ideas, techniques and even studio spaces. Ossorio, both an artist and collector, bought one of Pollock’s paintings in 1949 and was later introduced to him and Lee Krasner through art dealer Betty Parsons. Pollock then prodded Ossorio to travel to Paris in November of the same year to meet Dubuffet and purchase some of his works. Ossorio’s collection would later be hung in an East Hampton estate purchased in 1951 at the suggestion of Jackson Pollock. Dubuffet wrote a monograph on Ossorio in 1951.

Pollock, Ossorio and Dubuffet were concurrently challenging the canon of painting by forging their own abstract styles. All three grappled with abstraction versus figuration, and each had an interest in process and materials. It seems not a coincidence that Pollock returned to figuration for a period during 1950, as in Number 7, 1952 when he was living in Ossorio’s New York studio.  You can see the influence of Dubuffet in Ossorio’s abstract figural paintings such as Reforming Figure. In the same work, you can see how Ossorio took from Pollock the overall gestural abstraction that fills the rest of the canvas. Dubuffet was highly criticized in his native France, but found solace and praise in New York among Pollock and Ossorio in the burgeoning Abstract Expressionist scene.

Jackson Pollock, "Number 1, (Lavender Mist)," 1950.

While angels, demons and savages are literal subjects in the exhibition’s works, they also serve as metaphors for the personal battles that each artist addressed through their artistic practices. Pollock was a known alcoholic with a volatile personality. His anxiety is palpable in a painting such as Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist), a great example of his “‘demonic’ gestural force.” Ossorio struggles with his Catholic upbringing and incorporates different representations of Christian iconography and values throughout his canvases. Dubuffet fights the idea of art in general, and after abandoning the medium several times, he returns during this period to explore the art of the mentally ill in his “art brut” paintings. The emotionally charged themes throughout the exhibition make clear why these artists got along so well as friends and confidants.

This exhibition gives a rare glimpse into a web of relationships between artists, collectors, critics and dealers that helped shape the Abstract Expressionist movement as well as the aesthetic of each individual artist. Although strong relationships between artists are frequently discussed in writing, it is illuminating to see how these close ties manifest visually when canvases are hung side by side.

Angels, Demon, and Savages: Pollock, Ossorio, Dubuffet will be on view at The Phillips Collection until May 12, 2013.

Installation view, 40 Under 40: Craft Futures, Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, July 20, 2012 – February 3, 2013.

In celebration of the fortieth anniversary of the Renwick Gallery, the exhibition features the work of 40 artists born since 1972 – the year the Smithsonian Art Museum established its contemporary craft and decorative arts program. All of the works were created since September 11, 2011, drawing particular attention to the state of contemporary craft and the way it relates to our society. Although we often associate craft with functionality or pure aesthetics, the pieces in this exhibition have more profound stories to tell in much the same way as contemporary art.  The show explores issues of technology, technique, relevance, and even the current economic climate as it relates to craft. Christy Oates fuses traditional woodworking techniques with CAD software technology to make furniture, while Joshua DeMonte creates jewelry using digital fabrication, both examples of how new technologies are changing the nature of craft. Several artists highlight the importance of sustainability exemplified by Jeff Garner’s sustainable clothing designs and Uhuru’s furniture made from reclaimed materials.

Sebastian Martorana, "Impressions," 2008. Marble. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia A. Young in honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Renwick Gallery and the 30th Anniversary of the James Renwick Alliance.

I was immediately struck by a work in the first room by professional stone carver and sculptor Sebastian Martorana. Impressions is a beautifully realistic pillow sculpted from a slab of a marble that originally served as a door stoop in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. This especially resonated for me as marble steps are an icon of Baltimore’s landscape where several generations of my family have lived. Martorana sculpted the creases in the fabric as elegantly as those in the drapery of an ancient roman sculpture, a skill that defined sculptors of that time.

The artists in the exhibition work with materials as varied as glass, paper, metal, fibers, wood, and yarn. Sabrina Gschwandtner is another artist who brings a traditional craft – quilting – into a new light. In a statement about feminism and labor, she weaves quilts from 16mm feminist documentary film reels that were deaccessioned from the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Sabrina Gschwandtner, “Hula Hoop,” 2010. 16mm film and polyamide thread. Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Chris Rifkin in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Renwick Gallery. Photo by Sabrina Gschwandtner.

In addition to the compelling works of art on view, the exhibition’s educational features were engaging and pertinent to a 21^st century audience. Each wall label had a QR code linking to supplemental information online and a touchscreen monitor at the end of the exhibition featured videos submitted by each artist. I got to know each artist as they revealed themselves through YouTube videos.  Stacey Lee Weber gives us a tour of her studio where she creates sculptures out of pennies; Melanie Bilenker demonstrates the process of embroidering with her own hair; Matt Moulthrop explains how he is the third generation in his family to have work in the permanent collection at the Gallery; Bohyun Yoon makes music on camera with tubes of glass blown in his studio. Although craft and decorative arts can seem archaic, the Renwick Gallery proves this to be untrue in both the exhibition’s diverse selection of work and attentive educational elements.

This show left me feeling inspired and intrigued by both the hard skills and craftsmanship of the artists, but also the creativity and ideas explored through their crafts. The young artists featured in the exhibition prove the continued vitality of craft as it constantly adapts to respond to the contemporary landscape and tackle significant big-picture issues. If 40 Under 40 is any indication, I’d say the future of craft is looking bright.

40 Under 40: Craft Futures is on view at the Renwick Gallery through February 3, 2013

Jules Olitski, "Patutsky in Paradise," 1966. Acrylic on canvas. Collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto.

Laid out across three lofty gallery spaces in the curvilinear Katzen Art Center, Olitski’s career unfolds through five distinct stylistic chapters – Stain Paintings (1960-1964), Spray Paintings (1965-1970), Baroque Paintings (1973-1981), High Baroque Paintings (1983-1989), and Late Paintings (2000-2006). The space’s shape initially made for a confusing layout; it was only through a very helpful printed gallery guide that I became aware of the intentional chronological flow of the exhibition. Despite my difficulties with the layout, the tall ceilings and bright galleries were optimal for viewing each colossal densely colored and textured canvas.

Installation of "Revelation: Major Paintings by Jules Olitski," at the American Museum at the Katzen, Washington D.C., September 15 - December 16, 2012.

Olitski’s stain paintings welcome you into the exhibition, where geometric shapes of acrylic color appear to float on raw canvas, creating harmonious, whimsical compositions much like those of fellow color field painters Helen Frankenthaler and Morris Louis. Across the room, lofty clouds of electric colors fill the canvas and vibrate off his spray paintings. These paintings are stunning in person, bringing the artist great praise at the 1966 Venice Biennale. And yet, in 1973, he moved on to his so-called “baroque paintings,” which upon first glance have a hard time standing out next to the punchy stain paintings and compelling spray paintings, but are equally compelling upon closer inspection. Olitski used a combination of rollers, sprayers and squeegees to create the rough built-up surfaces in these muted monochromatic canvases that beg to be touched. Moving into the exhibition’s second gallery, the textures get increasingly richer and the tone of the exhibition becomes more serious and contemplative. The high baroque paintings are complex canvases formed from thick globs of metallic impasto reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, echoing his allover compositions, gestural brushwork and brooding melancholic effect. The rich texture and metallic pigments produce a shimmering effect of movement and shadows. The final gallery presents Olitski’s late paintings, which truly represent the culmination of his many years of experimentation. The canvases combine the bright colors and circular shapes of his early work with the dense textures of his later work, resulting in a dynamic, cosmic aesthetic.

Jules Olitski, "With Love and Disregard: Splendor," 2002. Acrylic on canvas. Private Collection. © Estate of Jules Olitski/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

Painting was a spiritual experience for Olitski. He describes, “I’ve come to believe that this power I can surrender to in my studio is indeed a higher power.” Beyond the playful colors and pleasing compositions, the artist reveals a serious and emotional side through his works. Through the exhibition, it becomes clear how the word ‘revelation’ is tied to Olitski. It may refer to the revelation that Olitski had each time he sat in his in studio and was struck with an idea, or the revelation of each new stylistic chapter of painting, or the revelation of a new means of applying paint whether it be via spray gun, roller, leaf blower or using his own hands. Through experimentation in paint, Olitski continued to challenge his own aesthetic and push the limits of abstraction.

Revelation: Major Paintings by Jules Olitski is on view at the American University Art Museum through December 16.