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Williams College Museum of Art Presents
Labeltalk 2004: Max Beckmann’s ‘Jahrmarkt’
March 6 –June 20, 2004

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Williamstown, MA—Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA)
will present a new exhibition that forms an interdisciplinary dialogue around a suite of prints by German artist Max Beckmann. Labeltalk 2004: Max Beckmann’s ‘Jahrmarkt’ will exhibit one of Beckmann’s most compelling graphic works, Jahrmarkt (Annual Fair), which was created in 1921 and employs a carnival theme as a means for exploring the human condition. Five Williams College professors, representing five academic departments, will write texts exploring Jahrmarkt from the perspective of their disciplines. The exhibition, which is the sixth in the popular Labeltalk series, will be on view from March 6 to June 20, 2004.

“Labeltalk is based on the premise that a work of art can have multiple meanings, depending on the perspective of the viewer,” says Director Linda Shearer. “Jahrmarkt, an important recent acquisition, is an especially rich catalyst for interdisciplinary exploration and we hope it will encourage viewers to find their own, additional meanings.”

Jahrmarkt will be interpreted by five Williams College professors through the lens of their particular disciplines: Annemarie Bean, Assistant Professor of Theatre; Steven B. Gerrard, Professor of Philosophy; Mark Haxthausen, Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art History and Director, Graduate Program in the History of Art; Thomas A. Kohut, Sue and Edgar Wachenheim III Professor of History and Dean of the Faculty; and Gail M. Newman, Professor of German and Lissack Professor for Social Responsibility and Personal Ethics. Through their eyes, the viewer will consider the historical, art historical, and social context of Beckmann’s portfolio.

About the artist
Max Beckmann (1884-1950) is one of the central figures of twentieth-century German art. A painter and printmaker, Beckmann’s best-known work examines the tumultuous political and social landscape of pre-World War II Germany and its impact on the human condition. His emotionally charged compositions are filled with dark outlines and distorted, angular forms that reveal a dark and disturbing world. Although Beckmann frequently explored bleak themes such as the brutality and suffering of humans, the alienation of the individual, and the perception of the world as a tragicomic stage, he nonetheless had deeply-held philosophical beliefs about individual salvation that he hoped his work would convey.

When Beckmann returned home from World War I, where he served as a medical corpsman, he was deeply traumatized from having witnessed the large-scale carnage that characterized that war. In the years that followed, his war experiences filtered much of his artistic production, and he concentrated considerable energy on printmaking. It was during this period that Beckmann produced Jahrmarkt, a portfolio of ten rich drypoints that exemplify his use of the carnival as a means of probing the human condition. The suite begins with a self-portrait, where Beckmann poses as a circus barker beckoning viewers to the spectacle, and is followed by tightrope walkers, a tall man, musicians, and other circus entertainers.

History of Labeltalk
The Labeltalk series began in 1995 as an experiment in the interdisciplinary interpretation of art. Based on the premise that a work of art can have multiple meanings, depending on the perspective of the viewer, Labeltalk examines some of those meanings through the viewpoints of Williams College faculty members. The series was initiated with the support of a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which was awarded to enhance the teaching role of the museum on the Williams College campus. The enthusiastic response to the first Labeltalk exhibition, from both the campus and local communities, led the museum to make Labeltalk an ongoing interdisciplinary exploration of art. Labeltalk 2004: Max Beckmann’s ‘Jahrmarkt’ is the sixth exhibition in the series.

Labeltalk 2004: Max Beckmann’s ‘Jahrmarkt’ was organized by Stefanie Spray Jandl, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Associate Curator for Academic Programs. A free brochure, which illustrates all ten images in the portfolio, will accompany the exhibition.

Publicity Images Available
Publicity images for Labeltalk 2004: Max Beckmann’s ‘Jahrmarkt’ and other current exhibitions are available. Images include Der Ausrufer (The Barker), Die Seiltänzer (The Tightrope Walkers), and Der grosse Mann (The Tall Man). They can be found at ww.wcma.org/press.

The Williams College Museum of Art is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free and the museum is wheelchair accessible.

Contact: Suzanne Augugliaro, Public Relations Coordinator
413.597.3178; or via e-mail.
www.wcma.org