Bucolic Panorama

For a building that is less than overwhelming in its size, the Gibbes Museum in Charleston, SC is currently home to an impressive number of worth-the-$7-entrance-fee exhibitions.

Moving to the head of the class is William Dunlap's Panorama of the American Landscape and a small sample of Dunlap's other works (including Dear Head Into Infinity, below).



Dunlap's treatment of war is unique and powerful. It's too bad plenty of people probably walk into the room, take a quick glance around, and promptly walk out of the room (which I did see happen). As with that of Van Gogh, Dunlap's work is most rewarding when you stand smack dab up against the painting and look intently at the purposeful paint lumps, subtly hidden words and numbers, and seemingly arbitrary patches of canvas.

Other treats at the Gibbes include their permanent collection of miniature period rooms and some fascinating works by Linda Fantuzzo and Manning Williams. [Registration required for the Fantuzzo/Williams article.]

All that said, who thought the Museum's "Size Matters" promotion was a good idea?