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