On View Now: Abstract Drawings
You don't see many works on paper on permanent view in art museums. This is because works of art like these, which include photographs, sketches, and watercolor paintings, are very sensitive to light and can only be displayed for a few months at a time. The Smithsonian American Art Museum has three galleries on the second floor devoted to works on paper, and we rotate the content roughly every six months. Currently, you can enjoy the installation
Abstract Drawings, which includes works from our collection by artists such as Gene Davis, Man Ray, and Sean Scully. Some of the sketches were done in preparation for works done in other mediums, while others were created as independent works of art. In all cases, the installation offers an intimate glimpse at works that do not often get displayed.
This photo shows a group of ink drawings by the artist Charles Seliger, which illustrate the Songs from William Blake's
An Island in the Moon. Click on the images in the
online slideshow to see the related excerpts from Blake's prose.
Abstract Drawings is on the second floor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum though January 6, 2013. If you cannot make it to the museum in person, visit the
online slideshow or check out the
gallery shots on Flickr.
-- Georgina
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