Modern in America at the Art Institute of Chicago

Published in Time Out Chicago / Issue 261 : Feb 25–Mar 3, 2010 

This is one of the most effective exhibitions we’ve seen at the Art Institute of Chicago in some time—one that suggests early-20th-century American art is what the museum does best.

“Modern in America: Works on Paper, 1900–50s” highlights prints, drawings and watercolors from the Art Institute’s permanent collection. Though made by iconic American artists such as Edward Hopper, Georgia O’Keeffe and Jacob Lawrence (pictured), these pieces are rarely displayed because of their delicate nature.

European artists dominated avant-garde art until after World War I, when political and cultural transformations enabled Americans to assert their identities as artists. They were aided by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, which employed many of the artists in this show, including Stuart Davis. His painting Electric Lights and Buildings (c. 1931) reflects the waning of European influence, contrasting flowery Parisian architecture with the steel skyscrapers of New York City.

Some of the artists in “Modern in America” were European immigrants—including Arshile Gorky and Willem de Kooning—whose influence helped Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism thrive here. Others display concern for the lives of working people—and a related appreciation for socialism and Mexican murals. These themes are particularly evident in George Grosz’s and John Sloan’s drawings.

The Art Institute’s Department of Prints and Drawings, which organized this show, provides informative, accessible wall text that makes it easy for viewers to pick up on these incredible works’ socially relevant themes. “Modern in America” is a perfect introduction to its subject.