The Newest Pieces at the Wexner Center
On Friday night, after a long day of working on group projects and assignments with some of my SMF peers, I donned a suit and tie to attend an early showing of the newest exhibit at the Wexner Center for the Arts. Transfigurations: Modern Masters from the Wexner Family Collection was nothing short of breathtaking. The blockbuster paintings were remarkable pieces by Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, and Jean Dubuffet.I found myself arrested with two paintings in particular.
The first was Diego dans l'atelier by Giacometti. At first glance it's an ashen man in a dirty room. But upon closer inspection, it's an inscrutable, otherworldly figure. The artist seems to have poured his tensions and anxiety through his brush, yet the feverish pitch left nothing concrete for the onlooker to see. We are left to ponder.
The other was Three Spokes by Susan Rothenberg. The horse reminded me of a cave painting, but everything else was a mystery: the color scheme, the cut off hooves, the inexplicable cracks, and the white dividing line. I could not possible imagine what it meant, but I could barely take my eyes off it.
Sherri Geldin, Director of the Wexner Center, assembled the exhibit and its début in stunning fashion. Between chatting up the University President and a member of Columbus City Council, I had the pleasure to meet some executives from Huntington Bank, one of Ohio State's closest partners in delivering value to students. While Friday ended up being very long indeed, I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit and made a few contacts along the way.