Richard Artschwager: Shut Up and Look

Richard Artschwager's art, says one museum director, is not meant to be liked but rather experienced. Artschwager, who died in February 2013 at the age of 89, is the subject of Maryte Kavaliauskas' penetrating yet playful documentary, which portrays him as a maverick for whom fame was elusive—even though he was beloved by gallery owners and critics. While his mixed-media legacy is variously described as enigmatic, oblique, minimalist, and conceptualist, the fact is that Artschwager kept moving and consistently evaded categorization, although the common denominator in his creative life was a somewhat whimsical overturning of conventional ideas about the function of objects, along with exploring the meaning of beauty in everyday representative art, such as newspaper photographs or ads. From a series of drawings of household inventory, to the creation of furniture stripped of practical function, to the use of horsehair lichen as an intentionally ugly medium for sculpting, Artschwager's work is often challenging but ultimately rewarding. Viewers will also learn biographical details: born to a German father (a botanist) and a Russian mother (an illustrator), Artschwager was raised in New Mexico, served in counterintelligence during World War II, studied biology, and earned a living as a baby photographer and carpenter before finally turning to the visual arts. A number of friends and arts-world allies here speak about his colorful life and multiple marriages. Offering an illuminating exploration of the ideas behind this late visionary's creations, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)