2014 is the final year the Whitney Museum of American Art will spend at its current locale on 945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street. In the spring of 2015, the main collections will up sticks and move to a new home in the Meatpacking District. Before that happens, there is plenty of fodder for dwellers of luxury Upper East Side apartments (who double as contemporary art lovers). Here’s a look ahead to the most tantalizing exhibitions and events set to take place over the next nine or so months.
Edward Steichen in the 1920s and 1930s: A Recent Acquisition (Until February 23)
Running since December 6, this exhibition of photographs by Edward Steichen comes courtesy of Richard and Jackie Hollander (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University in Evanston were the two other grateful recipients of vintage Steichens). Edward Steichen is widely regarded as one of the finest photographers of the 20th century. His striking works – typically black and white – will be recognized by millions from advertisements and magazines such as Condé Nast (for who Steichen worked a stint as chief photographer). Among the Whitney’s portion of donated Steichens is Foxgloves (1925), a portrait of Marlene Dietrich for Vanity Fair (1931), and a heavily-stylized advertisement for Coty Lipstick (1935). Accessible, memorable art.
American Legends: From Calder to O’Keeffe (Until October 19)
The Whitney’s holdings of artwork from the first half of the 20th century is staggering. The American Legends series rotates the museum’s stockpile, ensuring that returning visitors get to see different masterpieces each time. Showcasing until October 19 are works including Oscar Bluemner’s vivid Last Evening of the Year (1929), Paul Calder’s raunchy Sailors and Floosies (1938), New York Interior (1921) by Edward Hopper, and Jacob Lawrence’s socially-poignant Tombstones (1942).
2014 Whitney Biennial (March 7 – May 25)
This time round, the Whitney Biennial promises to be a bit different. Three outside curators will oversee one floor of the museum each. These floor spaces will represent “a range of geographic vantages and curatorial methodologies.” Donna De Salvo, Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Programs at the Whitney explains that while there is little overlap in the artists selected, visitors will still be able to discern a common ground (for example, interdisciplinary ways of working, artists working collectively, and artists from a variety of generations). The Whitney Biennial has been happening since 1932, and has since become a highlight of the New York art community’s spring schedule.
Jeff Koons: A Retrospective (June 27 – October 19)
Contemporary his output may be, but Jeff Koons has already earned himself a retrospective at the Whitney, commencing in the summer of 2014. Jeff Koons: A Retrospective is the first major presentation of the artist’s work in a New York museum. On show will be 120 objects dating from 1979 to the present; a comprehensive overview of Koons the artist. The exhibition will tell the chronological tale of Koons’ development; expect to see his lithograph billboard New! New Too! (1983), the stainless steel bust of Louis XIV (1986), and Koons’ Moon (Light Pink) ‘balloon’ mirror (1995-2000). Koons is known for his playful approach to challenging mass culture, industrial fabrication and cult of celebrity. Though his work is childlike in many ways, much of it is tinged with darkness. This will be the final exhibition at the Whitney before it relocates.
Image courtesy of: ©iStock.com/supermimicry
