Showing posts tagged Nathaniel Snerpus
On Saturday, December 17, I visited the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts historic landmark building.  The last time I was in the Frank Furness building could have quite possibly been in 2008, when I graduated. I had heard of artist Jayson Musson and was curious to see how he had interacted with the Academy’s collection for his show Hennessy Youngman and Nathaniel Snerpus present: The Grand Manner. As PAFA is not particularly known for its role in the contemporary art scene, I wondered how Youngman would merge/respond/critique. Having attended the Academy, I have admired much of the work in the museum for its technical merit but have also felt distant from its subject matter, as many of the pieces are relics of a time long ago.  Of course, this is partially what makes the art interesting as it is a picture into the past.  Musson gets his material from the paintings and sculptures themselves.  Using his character, Hennessey Youngman, he offers honest reactions from someone outside of the art historical arena.  This is what makes this particular cellphone tour exciting.  It takes the practice of explaining the work anonymously and replaces it with a humorous, sincere questioning and critique authored by a specific opinionated individual.  Luckily, Musson happens to be smart, funny and articulate, delivering poignant lines after making you smile.  But that’s not all, for this show Musson has also developed Nathaniel Snerpus, a newspaper art critic.  “Snerpus’ authoritative air is continually undermined by his meanderings about his personal life.  While this personal element points to the subjectivity that runs through all interpretational writing, Musson’s citing of Snerpus’ name on each of his panels also points to the fact that museum labels are authored by individuals, undermining the notion of there being a singular institutional voice.” And Jameson Ernst a fictional artist.  “To all intents and purposes, the fictional artist Jameson Ernst could be exactly who the text panel accompanying his works says- a forgotten African-American Abstract Expressionist painter.  In this installation, the distinction between the museum proper and Jayson Musson’s installation is almost completely blurred, creating an institutional critique that is complex and multi-layered, where fiction is practically indistinguishable from fact.” Thanks Jayson for making my visit to PAFA interesting.

On Saturday, December 17, I visited the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts historic landmark building.  The last time I was in the Frank Furness building could have quite possibly been in 2008, when I graduated.

I had heard of artist Jayson Musson and was curious to see how he had interacted with the Academy’s collection for his show Hennessy Youngman and Nathaniel Snerpus present: The Grand Manner. As PAFA is not particularly known for its role in the contemporary art scene, I wondered how Youngman would merge/respond/critique.

Having attended the Academy, I have admired much of the work in the museum for its technical merit but have also felt distant from its subject matter, as many of the pieces are relics of a time long ago.  Of course, this is partially what makes the art interesting as it is a picture into the past.  Musson gets his material from the paintings and sculptures themselves.  Using his character, Hennessey Youngman, he offers honest reactions from someone outside of the art historical arena.  This is what makes this particular cellphone tour exciting.  It takes the practice of explaining the work anonymously and replaces it with a humorous, sincere questioning and critique authored by a specific opinionated individual.  Luckily, Musson happens to be smart, funny and articulate, delivering poignant lines after making you smile. 

But that’s not all, for this show Musson has also developed Nathaniel Snerpus, a newspaper art critic. 

“Snerpus’ authoritative air is continually undermined by his meanderings about his personal life.  While this personal element points to the subjectivity that runs through all interpretational writing, Musson’s citing of Snerpus’ name on each of his panels also points to the fact that museum labels are authored by individuals, undermining the notion of there being a singular institutional voice.”

And Jameson Ernst a fictional artist. 

“To all intents and purposes, the fictional artist Jameson Ernst could be exactly who the text panel accompanying his works says- a forgotten African-American Abstract Expressionist painter.  In this installation, the distinction between the museum proper and Jayson Musson’s installation is almost completely blurred, creating an institutional critique that is complex and multi-layered, where fiction is practically indistinguishable from fact.”

Thanks Jayson for making my visit to PAFA interesting.