- “Enassamishhinjijweian”
It’s really great fun having the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art collection revealed in tasty bites while we wait (and wait) for the museum to open. Last week’s serving (posted originally on former blog site arkansasartnotes.tumblr.com) was of two modern pieces, the mystical landscape “Enassamishhinjijweian” (103 by 112 inches) by Minnesota artist Tom Uttech and the challenging figurative piece “Supine Woman” by Wayne Thiebaud. The museum news release is here.
Sotheby’s has a little information on 36-by-72 inch “Supine Woman” (1963): The painting was sold at auction in 2009 for a stunning $1.8 million. More about the sale and an artist biography here.
Recent acquisition revelations show Alice Walton, who once said the museum would focus on works created before 1950, is now eager to show contemporary works, many of them large-scale. I once envisioned Crystal Bridges to be a showcase of early American portraiture and landscapes with some early 20th century modernism; now it looks like Walton will have a little bit of everything, save perhaps performance pieces involving body fluids and other like head-turners. Perhaps Walton’s new purchases — like ”Enassamishhinjijweian” — can be chalked up to influence by new director Don Bacigalupi.