Benches & Binoculars April 3, 2010

A reminder that all art was at one time contemporary, this exhibition is inspired both by the Walker's history and the serendipity with which works come together in its storage vaults. More than 75 masterpieces, new discoveries, and notable oddities from the Walker collection crowd the gallery walls, with seating and binoculars provided so that visitors can conduct their own close-up investigations of individual works. Contrasting with the minimalist tendencies in the galleries of many contemporary arts organizations, the salon-style installation refers to the 19th- and early 20th-century gallery practices that lumber magnate T.B. Walker emulated in displaying his personal collection. The result is a lively and unconventional narrative of recent art history, and a testament to changing tastes over time. Artists whose work is on view include Milton Avery, Max Beckmann, Chuck Close, John Currin, Marsden Hartley, David Hockney, Edward Hopper, Sherrie Levine, Franz Marc, Alice Neel, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Andy Warhol. . . .