“Beauty Now,” an exhibition at the Haus der Kunst, celebrates beauty’s comeback during the last 60 years
Until the early 20th century, beauty was considered an essential element of art. Paintings featured nudes and lush landscapes, sculptures elegantly described the contours of the human form. With the arrival of modern art, however, beauty fell out of vogue, to be replaced by shapes and color, shock art and the abstract. “Beauty Now,” an exhibition at the Haus der Kunst, celebrates beauty’s comeback during the last 60 years, albeit with a modern twist. Works by Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Willem de Kooning and a host of other contemporary artists illustrate what today’s society finds appealing to the eye. The entrance to the exhibition is marked by a 1980 work by Jannis Kounellis, a doorway that contains fragments of white marble and plaster casts, representing the blocked portal to beauty. A witty, modern look at the female form highlights the first section of the show, whereas landscapes and nature are the focus of the second section. The exhibition’s amusing centerpiece Lick and Lather (1964), by Janine Antoni, consists of 14 Classical-style, life-size busts, seven of which are made of soap, the rest of chocolate. Jim Hodges’ white wall strewn with cheery flowers leaves exiting visitors smiling. “Beauty Now” — brought to us by the Smithsonian’s Hirschhorn Museum and the Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. — will be on display daily, 10-22, until May 1, 2000. <<< lv