A Lot Like Yesterday, A Lot Like Never

Billed as a masterpiece by some (not so much by others) I spent a good portion of last Saturday at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, watching Video and Sound Artist Christian Marclay’s The Clock. With the help of six assistants and almost three years, Marclay was able to create a twenty-four montage of thousands of film and video clips depicting or referencing the precise time of day.

Originally debuting at White Cube, Mason’s Yard last fall, The Clock went on to be screened at Paula Cooper in New York and at this year’s Venice Biennale where it was awarded the Golden Lion. “The Clock has an appeal, as everyone is concerned about time. We never have enough time to do anything,” Marclay told a news crew after his big win in Venice.

The MFA’s debut of The Clock (it co-purchased one of the six copies in existence with the National Gallery of Canada) coincides with the opening of the museum’s new Linde Family Wing for Contemporary Art, a $12.5 million refurbishment of the museum’s 1981 west wing, designed originally by noted architect I.M. Pei.

Christian Marclay’s The Clock will be on view at the MFA until October 10. For more information go here.

The House that Malcolm Built

This past Friday, I braved the cold and the after Thanksgiving crowd to sneak a peek of the highly anticipated Art of the Americas Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. After walking into the Shapiro Family Courtyard, the massive cube that connects the new wing to the original building, it would be hard for anyone to argue that this extensive and costly project is anything but a success for the MFA and the entire Boston arts community.

Ruth and Carl J. Shapiro Family Courtyard © Chuck Choi. Image courtesy of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

About ten years ago, well known (infamous, to some) MFA Director Malcolm Rogers began to build support for the expansion, eventually raising $504 million for the new wing. Criticized in the past for his staff overhauls and controversial exhibits, you can feel Roger’s fingerprint throughout the new wing, which will undoubtedly serve as a lasting reminder of his tenure at the MFA.

Designed by London based architectural firm Foster + Partners, the 133, 491 square foot addition houses more than 5,000 pieces from North, South and Central America in 53 galleries. As you ascend the four floors, you are also moving forward in time. The lower ground level consists of a relatively small collection of Pre-Colombian, Andean and Native North American art along with pieces from 17th century New England. Level one and two takes visitors through American Colonialism, American Impressionism and beyond. These two levels showcase what the MFA is most well known for; it’s expansive collection of 18th and 19th century American art and artifacts. Iconic works by John Singer Sargent, John Singelton Copley, Thomas Sully, Samuel McIntire, Winslow Homer and Louise Comfort Tiffany are all on view, and not to be missed by any visitor to Boston.

The Passage of the Delaware, Thomas Sully. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of the Owners of the old Boston Museum. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

In sharp contrast to the breadth of work exhibited on floors two and three, the fourth floor consists of a poor collection of modern American art. Although it houses several pieces by Goergia O’Keefe and Arthur Dove, the MFA’s holdings in this category are rather dismal. In a review of the wing, Boston Globe Art Critic Sebastian Smee described the offerings on the fourth floor as “blowsy and third-rate,” a fair assessment in my eyes.

Despite the disappointment the fourth floor provided, the new wing is highly impressive. It transforms the entire visitor experience at the MFA, highlights collection strengthens and embraces where Mr. Rogers and the rest of the MFA staff need to focus acquisition efforts.

For visitor information go here.

Editorial Disclaimer: The author of this post received discounted or complementary admission to the above mentioned exhibition, courtesy of the host institution, organization or gallery.