Highlights
September in Boston is all about “back-to-school,” and this year, the art scene offers its own rich set of lessons. Along with some beloved galleries closing, a number of outstanding exhibitions are on view around the city. At the Museum of Fine Arts, a small but captivating Dalí exhibition pairs his works with those of Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco. The Harvard Art Museums are unveiling an exhibition dedicated to German identity, exploring the country’s complex cultural narrative through a variety of artistic expressions. Beyond the museums, Boston’s galleries showcase an exciting range of shows, from many different artists exhibiting a wide range of work. Here’s a look at some of the standout shows happening now.
Dali: Disruption and Devotion at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston @mfaboston
On view through: December 1, 2024
Curated by: Julia Welch
Surrealism turns 100 years old this year, and I can’t think of a better poster child for the movement than Salvador Dali. In 1924 Andre Breton wrote about the movement’s roots in the work of Sigmund Freud, particularly his reading of dreams. Dali – who eventually fell out with the Surrealist group – used this as a compass for his oeuvre. He’s quoted saying, “Surrealism is not a movement; it is a latent state of mind perceivable through the power of dream and nightmare.” It seems Surrealism was a serious affair for Dali, and his work exemplifies this. There’s always been something a little creepy about a Dali painting to me. They’re meant to disturb. You never feel blissful looking at a Dali painting. Instead, you toggle between confusion, curiosity, disgust, and an appreciation for masterful craftsmanship. Love him or hate him, he helped shape the discourse of art throughout the 20th century and continues to influence the aesthetics of the 21st century.
The conversation around Surrealism has softened in the last few decades and become more lauded since I was a student. Artists like Robin Francis Williams, Caitlin Cherry, Kyle Staver, Nicole Eisenman, and a host of other contemporary painters have been called Surrealists. When I was in art school in the early 1990s, nobody talked about Surrealism, and nobody cared about Dali. That was kid’s stuff. He is still a controversial figure among painters and illustrators, but contemporary artists (and audiences!) are curious about him again.
Curator Julia Welch pairs Dali’s work with excellent examples of his inspirations. We get to see Dali next to his hero, Velazquez, and a group of Goya etchings that are directly referenced in Dali’s own prints. Dali was a student of art history, and his work makes many references to other paintings. He may have been positioning himself alongside art historical figures in order to justify his whacky experimentations that occurred alongside his skilled renderings. The thing I have to remind myself about Dali when I get too critical is that his vision was fresh and unique for the time. It would look cliched today. I prefer the Surrealism of de Chirico and Magritte, but some of the details that Dali included in his work that were scattered, unfinished, and doodled – as if composing a collage – still hold up and feel familiar. I see similar approaches in my students’ work and am reminded of what it means to be a good student of art. Put this show on your must-see list if you’re in Boston!
Back and Forth at Anderson Yezerski Gallery @andersonyezerskigallery
On view through: October 12, 2024
Featuring: Catherine Kehoe
I have been a friend and follower of Catherine Kehoe’s work since moving to Boston nearly 20 years ago. Her unmatched command of color, light, and shadow has solidified her as one of the most influential artists in the region. Kehoe also works on an unconventional scale that many painters either avoid or find daunting: small. It brings to mind a quote by Prince: “I may be small, but so is dynamite!”—and her paintings embody just that. In her latest exhibition at Anderson Yezerski Gallery, Kehoe draws from art history to reimagine classic motifs and compositions. The show’s title, “Back and Forth,” speaks to the passage of time.
Her contemporary pieces engage in a dialogue with the past, blending historical references with a modern sensibility. Kehoe’s signature geometry and precision of line generate a palpable tension on the canvas, while her brushwork is exquisite and seemingly effortless. This new collection features a more subdued color palette, akin to her Direct Descent series, though certain pieces dazzle the viewer with sudden bursts of vibrant, high-key pigment. The overall effect is one of profound reverence—for the subjects she draws from history, for the intimacy of her chosen scale, and for the very act of painting itself.
Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation at Harvard Art Museums @harvardartmuseums
On view through: January 5, 2024
Curated by: Lynette Roth, Daimler Curator of the Busch-Reisinger Museum, and Peter Murphy, Stefan Engelhorn Curatorial Fellow in the Busch-Reisinger Museum, along with Bridget Hinz, Senior Curatorial Assistant for Special Exhibitions and Publications, Division of Modern and Contemporary Art, Harvard Art Museums
Featuring: Nevin Aladağ, Marc Brandenburg, Katharina Sieverding, Cornelia Schleime, Ngozi Schommers, Hito Steyerl, Sung Tieu, Corinne Wasmuht, Ulrich Wüst, and Hans Haacke
Made in Germany? Art and Identity in a Global Nation opens at the Harvard Art Museums on September 13th and promises to be a highlight of the season. It’s a brilliantly curated large group show featuring 23 artists. The exhibition looks at German art since 1980 and considers several key points in time that affected the identity of Germany. Many social and political issues that reshaped the country over those decades include migration, unity, diversity, and the resurfacing of right-wing populism; something that feels timely in today’s political climate, reminding us that some issues never go away, they just swing back and forth like a pendulum. Made in Germany? displays a diverse body of work, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, video, and photography. There’s even a free poster by Hans Haacke to go home with.
Steve Imrich at Soprafina Gallery @soprafinagallery
On view through: September 28, 2024
Featuring: Steve Imrich
Steve Imrich’s bird-eye-view of the world is an enviable one. It places the viewer high above the landscape with an ease and carefree spirit that – even if temporarily – suspends the needs and responsibilities of daily life. Imrich is an experienced pilot and flies above the city, taking photographs for possible painting compositions. I’m reminded of Yvonne Jacquette’s aerial paintings of New York and Tokyo. Imrich uses his photographs to create images of floating above while remaining grounded within the vehicle that suspends us. You see plane wings and the edge of a door in some paintings. Imrich is letting us, the viewer, know that we are along for the ride.
Although a state of wonder is maintained, there’s something a little stark about the landscape in these pictures. It’s an honest glimpse at the town below. Real estate grids and coastal barriers remind us of the inequity of privileges inherent in a city like Boston. Regardless, Imrich’s use of paint is beautiful. The small abstractions that become recognizable images with distance are a delight.
Eating Beauty at LaMontagne Gallery @LaMontagne Gallery
On view through: October 11, 2024
Featuring: Sam Fields
The lush world of Sam Fields is both playful and subversive. Her show, Eating Beauty, is a feast for the senses. The gallery is densely packed with a range of tapestries, sculptures, and wall hangings of varying sizes and shapes. It’s an immersive installation dominated by warm hues. Despite the sheer abundance of work, the space doesn’t feel claustrophobic or overwhelming. Instead, it has the opposite effect, welcoming viewers in and creating a sense of comfort—like sinking into a plush chair. A key to Fields’ success in cultivating this comfort lies in her exploration (and questioning) of craft. As the gallery notes: “For Fields, craft is an intentional practice of slowness, process, and haptic knowledge—elements that create space for empathy, self-empowerment, and equitable relationships.”
This idea of craft encourages viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the word. Does it define domesticity? Fields directly confronts stereotypical gender roles through her juxtaposition of materials. Pink, fuzzy, traditionally “feminine” tapestries hang on industrial, wrought-iron pipes—the kind typically used for plumbing, often associated with masculinity. This contrast works beautifully, and Fields prompts the viewer to reconsider their beliefs and perspectives. One of my favorite recurring elements in the exhibition is a glossy orb that shifts in form depending on how you view it. At times, it resembles an egg; at others, it appears like a dog’s penis, a wet flower bud, or even an alien life form incubating in its cocoon. Regardless of its interpretation, its stark contrast with the surrounding materials makes it simultaneously beautiful and unsettling.
The Sea Around Us at Gallery 263 @gallery263
On view through: October 5, 2024
Featuring: Michele Lauriat
Michele Lauriat’s solo show at Gallery 263 in Cambridge invites the viewer to consider the crisis of an ever-changing natural environment. She exhibits two bodies of work here, one called Water Study and the other based on the Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge in Wells, Maine. The paintings are brightly rendered, large-scale explorations, densely composed with gorgeous color and detail. They feel light and airy while closing in on your peripheral vision. I’m reminded of the work of artists like Neil Welliver and David Hockney, who both combined a rigorous pleinair practice with studio refinement. The effect of so much information piled together conjures the realness of an overgrown forest while highlighting the presence of abstraction. One tries to anchor themselves in space but remains in flux, allowing the beauty of the work to suspend them.
Barstool Sports at LaiSun Keane @laisun_keane
On view through: October 27, 2024
Featuring: Michael C Thorpe
Michael C Thorpe
Michael Thorpe’s exhibition Bar Stool takes its name from an online content creator who makes memes about sports. It’s a jocular jab at jocks and Thorpe plays on its cultural popularity. Boston is home to several championship teams so the subject matter seems apt. Thorpe is a fan of sports, particularly basketball, and has created an installation in the gallery with the addition of basketballs and footballs. These objects are presumably sculpture, but also effective as an extension to the soft-edge, stitched, and tapestry-like hangings around them.
The fandom is real, but the playfulness of the medium and subject matter also feel like social critique. I was struck by the contrast between the softness of the fiber works and the rigidity of athletic discipline and competition, almost like a kids’ room with foam fingers and pennants. The high-achieving human excellence of athletes is celebrated and highlighted through imagery that references well-known (If you’re a sports fan) stories and heroes. The effect of the show is wonderfully immersive. Thorpe seems like an artist who truly loves to make objects of reverence for the teams and players he loves, and also knows how to “Play Hard” (as one of his pieces says) by taking playfulness seriously.
All photos courtesy of Andrew Fish unless otherwise credited.
About the writer: Andrew Fish is a Boston-based artist and educator. He studied at the School of Visual Arts in NYC and received his MFA from Goddard College in VT. His work has been exhibited in several solo and group exhibitions in the US and abroad. Fish teaches at Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston, MA. @Andrew_Fish_Studio