America: Painting a Nation

Overview

America: Painting a Nation could have been pretty lame. Super broad survey shows can be antiquated and ineffective in the way they present and investigate art. Remember the recent retrospective of Australian art at the Royal Academy in London (made more famous by the art critic who said John Olsen's work looked like diarrhoea)? It was a bit of a train-wreck. However, Painting a Nation is one of those rare examples of a survey show done right.

On display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until 9 February, the exhibition is a "voyage through American history, across the American landscape and into the minds of the American people". The largest survey of American art ever presented in Australia, this exploration of Americanness is as enjoyable as it is comprehensive. The works have been drawn from four major collections: the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and theTerra Foundation for American Art.

Last year's summer blockbuster at the AGNSW, Francis Bacon, somewhat missed the mark. The gallery was unable to secure many of the really standout Bacons for the show and the overall effect was a little bitsy and garbled. This time around they've got loads of really wonderful works. In addition to the artists who first come to mind when you think of America: Pollock, Rothko, Whistler, Hopper, O'Keeffe and Sargent, there are some stalwarts that aren't so well known outside of the US.

One such artist, Thomas Moran, is represented by several works. Hot Springs of the Yellowstone is an absolute jewel. The small, Turner-esque painting depicts geothermal areas in Yellowstone National Park. It's hard to make landscape paintings exciting, but this one has allure in spades. You can almost feel the mist rising from the springs. Despite being hung in a corner, you can't miss it. The picture possesses a preternatural glow; it's an amazing work and a reminder that even in the age of conceptual, multimedia art, sometimes you just can't beat a really masterfully executed oil painting.

Henry Ossawa Tanner, the first African-American artist to receive international acclaim, is also featured. Portrait of the Artist's Mother is a haunting work. She has been captured sitting on a large chair, in profile, holding a fan. Her expression is affectingly plaintive.

The room devoted to Modern art contains, among other paintings, two exceptional works by Georgia O’Keeffe. Horse's Skull with Pink Rose is one of the stars of the exhibit. O'Keeffe evokes the dusty plains of New Mexico in her exploration of a national symbol, death and beauty.

Painting a Nation is the latest in Sydney's International Art Series, an initiative of Destination NSW and the NSW Government that seeks to bring world-class artists to Sydney galleries and museums. The program has been pretty stellar so far. The Anish Kapoor exhibition last summer was fabulous, and the upcoming Yoko Ono show should prove to be a hit, too. As Dr. Chris McAuliffe, curatorial consultant for Painting a Nation says, "looking at great art makes you a better person".

Image: Jackson Pollock, No. 22, 1950 (detail), image courtesy of the Art Gallery of New South Wales.