In Your Wildest Dreams

Dada and Surrealist Masterpieces Make US Stop by Lisa Cornwell is a review about the upcoming exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Cornwell begins her review by listing some of the more absurd pieces of the movement, such as the Mona Lisa with a mustache and goatee. She tries to shock the reader as the art once shocked the world.

Cornwell goes in depth about the history of the Dada and Surrealist movements, which is good for people who are not familiar with the works, but the review of the exhibit soon becomes a history lesson. The pace of the review slows down when it should be picking up speed and excitement to promote this "once in a lifetime" event.

Works from Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, and other icons of the movement symbolize everything that is "outside the box" thinking. They evoke the viewer to question reality and existence, whether you like the piece or not. Cornwell's review sparks a little bit of curiosity by providing brief descriptions of the stranger pieces, but she doesn't generate the kind of buzz that an exhibit like this one deserves. She doesn't even include the duration of the exhibit, which is only showing February 15-May17. Three months is not that much time to go see these significant works of art, especially since it is the only U.S. appearance of this collection.

Other than the art pieces themselves, she briefly describes the design of the exhibition. She says the layout of the display tries to imitate the style of the movement, "Theatrical scrims - gauzy fabric panels - encase some of the objects and create a sense of looking through a mist." Her description makes me go, "hmm", rather than, "awesome!"

I am thoroughly fascinated by Dada and Surrealism and I would definitely go see this exhibit if I can find the time this semester to make my way out to Ohio. However, Cornwell's review did not seem to express much enthusiasm for the collection and she did not influence me in any way to go see it. Maybe she was relying on the fact that the artists are well known to draw crowds to the Cincinnati Art Museum. Her title isn't all that intriguing either. After reading her review, I got the sense that it was just another assignment with a deadline.

Maybe next weekend I'll hop a train to Cincinnati to check out the exhibition. I expect to come back with a review that will make everyone want to flood the Surrealism and Beyond* showcase!

*Cornwell didn't even provide the actual title of the exhibit.