The Magic of Bill Traylor

While the High Museum's blockbuster MOMA exhibit Picasso to Wharhol is winding down, this spring still offers the chance to enjoy the work of an altogether different master of modern art, Bill Traylor.

Born into slavery in 1854, Traylor settled in Montgomery, Alabama is his later years, eventually supporting himself by selling painting and drawings produced on cardboard he found on the street.  Traylor's work is full of childhood remembrances and plantation life, street scenes around Montgomery and captured moments of observation.

The 60 works on display in the bottom level of the museum (take the stairs behind the main gift shop to avoid the crowds) are culled from the High's own substantial collection and the holdings of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art.   

 

Traylor is venerated as one of the grand masters of the American Folk Art movement, and like the work of  Howard Finster, his images are simultaneously accessible and profound.  This is a show for kids and connoisseurs alike.

Head to the High before the exhibit closes on May 5. This promo for Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts, an upcoming documentary about Taylor's life, is a great preview of many of the works you will enjoy.

Still High on the High

Today's issue of Creative Loafing has a feature article on the role the High Museum plays in the promotion of contemporary art and artists in Atlanta and the Southeast.  Much of High Anxiety focuses on the tone of the Museum during the tenure of current Director Michael Shapiro.

Jabbing at the High seemed to reach a zenith this year with the Allure of the Automobile, a block buster show of classic cars presented within the curatorial context of a museum.  The show was a huge success, generating big ticket sales in the midst of the recession's crush on nonprofits.

For me, the notion that the High can be a fulcrum for Atlanta's contemporary art scene is noble, but not an appropriate priority for a general museum.   Reading some of the quotes from the article flashed me back to the London art world circa 1992 and the dismay and shock my colleagues and I expressed when one of our instructors had the audacity to bad mouth Damien Hirst.  The young and hip will always be drawn to the young and hip.

My advice?  Support the arts community and enjoy the energy of new ideas you will see in Atlanta's smaller galleries (and on our bridges and walls).  But don't miss either Dali: The Late Work or Titian and the Golden Age of Venetian Painting.  If the High is selling out, I'm buying.

High on Cars

The Allure of the Automobile, the High Museum's latest big game exhibition, is a jaw dropper. The eighteen cars in the exhibit, each a masterpiece of design and construction, combine to offer a unique narrative of America from the height of the Jazz Age through the peak of post war buzz.

On display through June 20, the craftsmanship and bleeding edge styling of the cars will dazzle anyone, including kids. Car lovers will literally be overwhelmed. Car czar Ken Gross selected the best know examples of each model selected for the show.

The installation of the show allows great views of each car and unintrusive signage details the historical context of each piece.




My usual advice for big shows at the museum is in effect. Tuesday is the museum's slowest day, weekends will always be crazy as are Thursday afternoons (Toddler Day). Using the stairs behind the main gift shop at the ticket counter makes you look cool and gets you around slow elevator lines.

My favorite ride is the 1935 Duesenberg Model JN Convertible Coupe. Drop a comment with your favorite.