How could the city of Paris, France, ever fit itself into the state of Oklahoma?
At first it might not seem possible, but for the months of February and March the two are one in the same at the downtown Oklahoma City Museum of Art.
The museum is presenting Paris 1900, a terrific exhibit featuring turn of the century French art.
For those unfamiliar with turn of the century French art, which I imagine is everyone but my Intro to Art professor, you should know that the art was trying to reflect how new everything was in France.
It was an exciting time to be living in Paris.
The first automobiles, planes and electric lighting were all being introduced, and to celebrate this, a large exposition named “Expostion Universal” took place in Paris in order to showcase art of the new century.
Chief curator of the museum, Hardy George, said, “The focus {of this exposition} was bringing together all sorts of art forms.”
The Paris 1900 exhibit that George helped create reflects his statement by featuring more than 100 paintings, posters, prints, and ceramics.
I could not help but sense an eclectic feeling as I viewed the exhibit.
Most stunning were the dream-like landscapes by Charles Guilloux that beg your imagination to run wild. His paintings feel so exaggerated and alive that you want to believe the settings he invents actually exist.
Even more interesting were the Japanese prints that French artists drew heavy influence from. With so many cultural differences, it is odd to see how French artists reinvented Japanese art.
Many posters were presented as well.
My personal favorites would have to be the Moulin Rouge advertisements featuring colorful and fluidly drawn high kicking women surrounded by dark, lanky gentlemen.
However, the exhibit features some pieces that presented the dark side of living in Europe during the Industrial Revolution.
Especially haunting is a simple sketch titled “Gin” by Louis Legrand which depicts a woman in fashionable clothing passed out on a street corner.
It is a stunningly simple piece that slyly comments on how common public drunkenness was in society; a theme that has not disappeared over the past one hundred years.
Paris 1900 is an eye opening exhibit that should not be missed. Sometime between this very moment and March 2, I highly suggest that anyone with an artistic bone in their body to make their way down to the Oklahoma City Museum of Arts in order to view this exhibit.
For more information about the exhibit, visit http://www.okcmoa.com.
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