This week I will be sharing some of my favorite new pieces on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery.
Up first is "World's Tallest Disaster" by Roger Brown.
I mostly chose this work due to the stylized colors and shapes of the flames and building. Half of this skyscraper is on fire with the upper floors ravaged in flames and people panicking. In the lower half, we see residents carrying on on with their lives, unaware (?) of the horrific chaos happening above in the very same building. Is the painting allegorical? Probably. But I really appreciate how accessible it is. Roger Brown’s art feels so accessible in part because much of his work was inspired by works of self-trained artists and comic book art. I love this one.
Stay tuned for more observations this week!