The late Jean-Michel Basquiat draws a triangle over a square, and we know that this is a house.
As suggested by its imputed title, “Untitled (Anyhome USA),” that simple geometry contains multitudes. Is it a place of joy or pain? A gracious dwelling or a hiker’s hut? A symbol of community? Disenfranchisement?
It’s no wonder artists have found the image of a house to be an endlessly elastic vehicle for their concerns, and there is probably no place that better proves this point than The Warehouse, which opened to the public for the first time on April 13. The 39,000-square-foot museum holds 400 works from homebuilder John Wieland’s still-growing collection of drawings, paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints and videos, all devoted to the theme of the house.
Credit: Courtesy of the Warehouse
Credit: Courtesy of the Warehouse
The sheer number and variety of works may seem daunting, but curator Jack Wieland has organized them into thematic groupings, and docents will be on hand to offer additional guidance.
One leitmotif that I noted was the frequent use of subverted expectations. A few examples:
What could be more innocent than a dollhouse? At first glance, “This American Dollhouse II (a soft reboot),” by Simon Evans™, confirms that impression. But wait! The roast is burning in the oven, the sink is about to overflow and someone in the basement office appears to be planning something nefarious. So much for the comforts of home.
Credit: Photo courtesy Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Credit: Photo courtesy Mitchell-Innes & Nash
Those comforts can be insidious anyway. Martha Rosler comments on the horror of the Vietnam War and Americans’ safe distance from it (Remember the term “television war?”) in “House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home” (1967–72). The series of photomontages makes the conflict impossible to ignore by literally bringing it into our well-appointed living rooms.
Credit: Photo by Taegsu Jeon
Credit: Photo by Taegsu Jeon
Artists use unexpected materials to dramatic effect. “The Forgotten” (2009), Brian Tolle’s house of sagging rubber, fastened to the ground with tent stakes, suggests the deflating of the American Dream. In “Main Entrance, 388 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903 (2016),” Do Ho Suh evokes memory and evanescence by constructing a detailed rendition of a specific place in translucent blue fabric that floats off the floor like an apparition.
In a different instance of the blurring of reality and fantasy, Mark Bennett comments on the contradictions of the psyche evident in our “personal” relationships with fictional television characters through blueprints of their stage-set homes.
Credit: Photo courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Credit: Photo courtesy of Jackson Fine Art
Artists seem more drawn to drama than peace. Thus the subversion of my expectations in discovering Vik Muniz’ “House (From the Album Series” (2014). It is a collage of snapshots, a seeming history of a family — babies to grandparents — blowing out birthday candles, hoisting drinks, smiling. In other words, the piece suggests the possibility of an actually happy home.
EXHIBIT PREVIEW
The Warehouse
Open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month (next available viewing is June 8), by reservation only. 1643 Chattahoochee Avenue NW, Atlanta. Free. thewarehouse.org
Credit: ArtsATL
Credit: ArtsATL
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ArtsATL (artsatl.org) is a nonprofit organization that plays a critical role in educating and informing audiences about metro Atlanta’s arts and culture. ArtsATL, founded in 2009, helps build a sustainable arts community contributing to the economic and cultural health of the city.
If you have any questions about this partnership or others, please contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
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