Berthe Morisot, The Port of Nice, 1881-82, 1985.R.40
This past Sunday, Coastlines: Images of Land and Sea opened at the Museum. I came to see the opening with only an hour to spare, but will definitely be spending more time in the galleries; it’s an incredible exhibition. Actually, Coastlines is an incredible experience.
The show is curated by Heather MacDonald, The Lillian and James H. Clark Associate Curator of European Art, and is comprised of some fifty works from the DMA and local collections. The artworks are as diverse as the coastlines that inspired them. There are vibrant Impressionist paintings; spare, modern photographs; energetic gestural drawings; and more.
What is more exciting than the impact of any one artwork is the experience of being in the exhibition itself. Artwork labels have sea-inspired passages from literature. There are also sound installations throughout the galleries created through a partnership with the University of Texas at Dallas Arts and Technology program (ATEC). Graduate students and faculty in the ATEC program composed these soundscapes, some in response to specific artworks, some in response to the exhibition’s themes. Hyper-directional speakers hang above the twelve selected artworks, directing the sound right to you. Standing under the speakers is like putting a seashell to your ear and hearing the ocean.
Bottom line: Come see it! You’ll be very glad you did.
Amy Copeland
Coordinator of Go van Gogh Outreach
