Discarded dolls, once cherished playthings of innocent childhood, have found
a new life in Beth B's dark and disturbing exhibition now on view at the Herbert
F. Johnson Museum of Art, through Aug. 17.
"Playthings" is a noisy and animated exhibition that explores the world of children, their loss of innocence and the societal pressures as well as potential abuses that await them in adulthood. A small plaque outside the exhibition warns of its adult theme.
The artist, Beth B, also has used film, video and photographs to tackle such controversial subjects as AIDS, sex, domestic violence, racism and pornography. Many of her films have been shown in New York and at various film festivals, most notably Sundance, and a recent video work was commissioned by the Whitney Museum of American Art.
In the Johnson Museum exhibition, one scruffy-looking plastic doll whose dress is blown up by a fan on which she stands recreates the famous cheesecake pose of Marilyn Monroe. Other disquieting installations in the exhibition feature a teddy bear and doll suspended from the ceiling, a forlorn-faced doll lying in a small wooden box with its arms behind its back and its legs tangled, and a cackling doll spinning round and round on a child's potty seat.
All of these untitled works, according to museum curator Sean Ulmer, speak to the artist's "desire to illuminate inadequacies, injustices, immoralities and the latest manifestation of her [Beth B's] continued interest in the multitude of problems and issues facing society."
A diversion from the grim world encountered in the above exhibition can be found in the Johnson's show of quilts, now on display through Aug. 24. "Uncommon Quilts: Treasures from the New York State Historical Association" presents 15 handmade patchwork and appliqué quilts dating from 1790 to 1890.
Standout exhibits include Hannah Stockton Stiles' large pictorial quilt (1835) featuring a "Tree of Life" in the center and a series of scenes believed to depict her life growing up along the Delaware River decorating the border, and Abby Antoinette Tiemann's Mariner's compass quilt, which shows off one of the most difficult patterns to sew. The quilt is especially impressive when one considers that it is the work of a teen-ager.
A white-on-white pineapple quilt from 1870 stands in contrast to the cluttered Night Hunt parlor quilt designed in 1855 by Sophronia Young Kinne of DeWitt, N.Y. The latter quilt, which was meant to be displayed, not used, is an example of horror vacui -- the aversion for unadorned space seen in late Victorian decorating. It is difficult to find a square inch on the quilt that is not decorated with needlework.
In another featured exhibition, "The Collector's Eye: Gifts from an Anonymous Donor," the Johnson Museum celebrates the gifts it has received from a single donor. This impressive collection, which is on view through Aug. 24, includes works by Thomas Eakins, Edward Hopper, Wassily Kandinsky, Camille Pissarro and others.
Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.