:Many visitors to the current exhibition at the Renwick Gallery of
the Smithsonian American Art Museum understandably make a beeline
for what is arguably the most famous of all American paintings,
"American Gothic." It is a wonderful, somewhat enigmatic work,
with enduring appeal.
Along the way, visitors have opportunities to learn more about
the painter behind that iconic work, Grant Wood, and the
fascinating body of decorative objects, design work and paintings
he produced during his relatively brief career.
"Grant Wood's Studio: Birthplace of 'American Gothic,'" on view
at the Renwick through July 16, comprises some 160 works that
demonstrate the importance of craft in the development of Wood's
paintings. The show was seen last year at the Cedar Rapids Museum
of Art, where it was organized by Jane Milosch, now curator at
the Renwick.
The exhibition coincides with renovation and opening to the
public of Wood's historic studio in Cedar Rapids, known as "5
Turner Alley," which he made into a showcase for his decorative
and design talents and backdrop for his most celebrated
paintings. The ambience of this unique place is captured in a
gallery in the current exhibition, replete with photographs and
examples of Wood's creations in metal and wood, which document
how the space served as a crucible for his artistic creativity.
Much of the exhibition and its excellent catalog revolve around
the inspiration for and painting of the ascetic man and woman
standing in front of a white wooden house, the much-parodied
"American Gothic," 1930. Rarely loaned by The Art Institute of
Chicago, it can be seen in Washington only through June 11.
A key to understanding Wood's celebrated masterpiece is the
course of his life up to 1930. Born on an Iowa farm, Wood
(1891-1942) moved at the age of 10 with his widowed mother to
Cedar Rapids, where he spent most of the rest of his life.
Inspired as a teenager by reading articles about the Arts and
Crafts movement, Wood began to make copperware, furniture,
jewelry and ornamental light fixtures.
Fresh out of high school, he studied craftwork for a time in
Minneapolis and later attended painting classes at The Art
Institute of Chicago while working in a silversmith's shop. After
a brief stint in the Army in 1918, Wood settled in Cedar Rapids,
where for years he built and remodeled homes, carried out
freelance design projects and created a diverse array of
decorative objects.
His high school classmate, close friend and fellow painter,
Marvin Cone, said Wood "could do almost anything with any kind of
material." Wood worked slowly, Cone added, but the finished
product was always "A Number One." An example of Wood's humorous
ingenuity is the slyly titled "Lilies of the Alley," 1925, a
flowerlike object fashioned of gaily painted found objects, such
as a clothespin and eggbeater, set in a flower pot.
Locals believed that Wood was so exceptional at craftwork he
should direct his career along those lines, but he was determined
to become a painter.
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