75th Anniversary Show

Last week I visited the Museum of Modern Art San Francisco (SFMOMA) for its 75th Anniversary exhibition. I was interested in this show for several reasons, one of which is that the Frick Collection, a small museum of Old Masters, is also celebrating a 75th Anniversary. I was curious to see how a museum with a completely different mission celebrated this milestone.

Founded in 1935, SFMOMA is dedicated to the exhibition and collection of modern and contemporary art from around the world but with a special focus on its geographical region. This exhibition shows the success that the museum has had in this goal. Beginning with early works by American masters such as Georgia O’Keefe and Joseph Stella, each gallery shows a different movement. While not an especially creative way of presenting the collection, the thematic nature of the rooms helps to contextualize the progression of art in the twentieth century. Seeing a room devoted to works by Pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein next to a the industrial sterility of Minimalist sculpture not only highlights the differences of the styles but forces the viewer to acknowledge that multiple forms of artistic expression were being practiced during the same decade.

A floor above the Anniversary Show, a more in-depth exhibition entitled Focus on Artists unfolds. SFMOMA is proud of the relationships with artists it has fostered over its history, relationships that often lead to multiple acquisitions. These galleries are each devoted to the works of a single artist from the permanent collection. The eighteen artists featured span the history of modern and contemporary art, and all have significantly influenced their movements. This exhibition gives a viewer the chance to look closer at the artists they were briefly exposed to on the floor below.

This was my second visit to SFMOMA and by far the more enjoyable. The exhibitions complement each other and the overall theme of celebration that infuses the space lent a joyful atmosphere to the afternoon.