A Time to Break Down

0
30

Most artists tend to think of themselves as time creators, meaning that they attempt to come up with an inventive idea or concept, and through various means or methods, they build, construct or simply create a work of art that reflects that idea or concept. But there are some artists who don’t build something up, but instead, create works that are about breaking things down. An exhibition at the Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C., titled Damage Control: Art and Destruction since 1950 showcases artists who are more apt to destroy than create.

According to the museum’s website, this show is the “first in-depth exploration of the theme of destruction in international contemporary visual culture. This groundbreaking exhibition includes works by a diverse range of international artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, film, installation and performance. It reaches beyond art to enable a broader understanding of culture and society in the aftermath of World War II, under the looming fear of total annihilation in the atomic age, and up to the present. It explores the continuing use that artists have made of destruction as part of the creative process, sometimes sinister, sometimes playful, often iconoclastic, and always challenging.” Artists of note include Jeff Wall, Robert Rauschenberg, John Baldessari, Vija Celmins and Jean Tinguely. The show runs through May 26. For more on this show, visit www.hirshhorn.si.edu.