Photographing The American Road Trip
From Mark Twain’s Roughing It (1872) to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road (1957) through last week when I took a sleepless 24-hour-train-ride from New York City back to Milwaukee: The allure of the road trip has long seduced the American imagination.
“The Open Road: Photography and the American Road Trip,” Jan. 26 through April 22 at the Milwaukee Art Museum, presents road trip photography as a genre unto itself. The exhibition collects more than 100 works by 18 photographers, dating from the late 1950s through the present day. The chronological presentation of the works allows viewers to see how the nation’s varied landscapes and accommodations for the American itinerant have developed over the past half century. Seedy scenes in elegant black-and-white from Robert Frank’s The Americans begin the exhibition and give way to color captures by William Eggleston, Stephen Shore, Joel Sternfeld and other contemporary practitioners. There will be a talk with exhibiting artist Alec Soth on Thursday, March 15 and a panel of local luminaries on Thursday, March 29. Assistant Curator of Photography Ariel Pate will give a gallery talk on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 1:30 p.m.
“Adolph Rosenblatt: A Life In Sculpture”
UW-Milwaukee, Union Art Gallery
2200 E. Kenwood Blvd.
When Adolph Rosenblatt died last February, Milwaukee lost one of its most distinctive artists and most beloved teachers. “Adolph Rosenblatt: A Life In Sculpture” takes a retrospective look at Rosenblatt’s oeuvre, from early paintings to recent explorations in wax, bronze and clay. Rosenblatt’s sculptures are admired for their engaging detail and celebration of the everyday joys of life in a community. An opening reception for the exhibition will be held on Friday, Jan. 26, from 5-8 p.m., during which several members of the Rosenblatt family will be present. Works will be on view through Feb. 16.
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“Conversations with Color: What Do You See? / Conversaciones de Color: ¿Qué Ves?”
Inspiration Studios
1500 S. 73rd St.
Art is serious business for Ernesto Atkinson, who recently opened an art therapy clinic in the Third Ward. “I have come to learn and understand that our first language is art,” says the Guatemalan artist, “I believe that art is embedded in us.” In “Conversations with Color: What Do You See? / Conversaciones de Color: ¿Qué Ves?,” Atkinson presents colorful paintings that recall modern masters like Pablo Picasso and Juan Miró. The exhibition will be on view Friday, Jan. 26, from 6-8 p.m. and during a closing reception on Sunday, Jan. 28, from 2-4 p.m.
