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Tahiti, Mexico, and beyond in Boston museums in 2004
BY RANDI HOPKINS
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"Where do we come from? What are we? Where are we going?" Okay, we all get a bit philosophical heading into a New Year, but these existential questions aren’t a prelude to my 2004 resolutions; they’re the title of French artist Paul Gauguin’s epic painting, completed in 1898 in Tahiti, where the adventurous artist spent the last decade of his life, having abandoned wife, family, and Paris for the island paradise. This and other fruits of his journey are on view in "Gauguin — Tahiti" at the Museum of Fine Arts (465 Huntington Avenue; February 29–June 20), with more than 150 works by the colorful artist, alongside Polynesian objects that might have inspired him. The MFA presents a contrasting opportunity for vicarious travel in "Art of the Japanese Postcard: The Leonard A. Lauder Collection" (March 10–June 6), with mini wonders on themes ranging from humor to the Russo-Japanese war. Japan is also on the itinerary in "Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile" at the Peabody Essex Museum (East India Square, Salem; February 14–May 9), which showcases the museum’s fine collection of Japanese art and cultural objects, going behind the white make-up to examine the roots of geisha culture and to offer a peek at the present-day teahouses where these kimono’d figures still perform. "Made in Mexico/Hecho en Mexico" at the Institute of Contemporary Art (955 Boylston Street, Boston; January 21–May 9) cuts loose from predictable "south of the border" expectations with a cutting-edge show of new art from and about Mexico, including Japanese artist Yasumasa Morimura’s re-creations of work by Frida Kahlo and Teresa Margolles based on her encounters in Mexico City’s morgues. If you prefer your armchair to armchair travel, you’ll feel right at home in "Domestic Archeology: Boston and Beyond" at the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University (415 South Street, Waltham; January 22–March 28), an exhibition that imagines the artist as a scientist investigating the realm of everyday household objects. The Rose will also have "Minimal Factory ($1 Market)/Red Bull Party (with DJ)," an installation with ambiance by Bangkok-based Surasi Kusolwong including popular Thai music and Thai-manufactured goods for sale cheap. Domestic notions are likewise the focus of "Stitches" at New England School of Art & Design (75 Arlington Street, Boston) and Newbury College Art Gallery (150 Fisher Avenue, Brookline; both January 12–February 7), with work by 10 artists who are nimble with the needle. Further evidence of artistic interest in seemingly humble objects and materials is "Infinitely Specific" at Montserrat College of Art Gallery (23 Essex Street, Beverly; January 20–February 20), which has photographs and video installations by Janine Antoni, Nayland Blake, Mona Hatoum, Zoe Leonard, and Gabriel Orozco. Obsessions with science, biography, and autobiography all figure in "Gary Schneider: Portraits" at Harvard’s Arthur M. Sackler Museum (485 Broadway, Cambridge; February 28–June 13), a must-see exhibition of the fascinating photographer’s work from the 1970s until now. The question of self also surfaces in "Self-Evidence: Identity in Contemporary Art" at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park (51 Sandy Pond Road, Lincoln; February 7–May 30), with work by 28 artists, including Schneider, whose consideration of the complexities of identity steps way beyond the self-portrait. Drawing the line between what is and isn’t considered a "drawing" has never been trickier, which is why "The 18th Biannual Drawing Show" at the Mills Gallery (539 Tremont Street, Boston; January 16–March 7), juried this year by Rose Art Museum curator Raphaela Platow, is so eagerly anticipated. Will Platow include video? Work in thread or metal? This lively show always raises as many questions as it answers. More amazing graphics are on view in "Richard Serra: Large Scale Prints" at the Addison Gallery of American Art (Phillips Academy, Andover; through March 29, opening reception January 30). Serra’s sculpture can be as lithe as drawing in space; conversely, his work on paper has something like the presence and weight of sculpture. Another can’t-miss show! And if the holidays have tapped you out, visit "Outsider Inside: New Artwork by New York Painter Steve Keene" at the Paradise Lounge (969 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston; January 22–March 24), where this overtly populist artist shows and sells paintings for as little as $5. Devo and Dennis Hopper appear to own his work; shouldn’t you?
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