Here’s a review of the Saul Steinberg: Illuminations retrospective currently at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on exhibit April 6 through June 24, 2007 posted by Heather Goss in the DCist. Steinberg (1914-1999) was an incisive satirist and artist who’s illustrations and drawings were featured in dozens of books and in countless New Yorker magazines. -JS
Saul Steinberg @ Smithsonian American Art Museum
By DCist contributor Sriram Gopal
An exhibit designed as career retrospective must be a daunting proposition, especially when focused on a prolific artist whose output ranged over sixty years. Too many pieces, and the exhibit becomes bloated. Too few, and the audience does not get an accurate cross section of the artist”s work. Thankfully, the curators of Saul Steinberg: Illuminations, on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, threaded this needle. In doing so, they have mounted a captivating and wholly satisfying exhibition of one of the most insightful American artists of the 20th century.
Steinberg (1914-1999) is best known for his illustrations that appeared in The New Yorker, many of which are included in this collection. The exhibit includes over 100 drawings as well as collages and sculptural assemblages. A native of Romania who became a U.S. citizen in 1942, he described his work as occupying the space “between perception and understanding.” His proclamation that the 20th century was “an immense prank” sums up his somewhat cynical outlook. Continue reading “Saul Steinberg: Illuminations”
