Asian American Art Spans a Century in the de Young Twin Exhibits

A comprehensive survey of the art produced by the American artists of Asian descent is currently presented in “Asian American Modern Art: Shifting Currents, 1900-1970” at the de Young Museum. The exhibit features several great paintings by Chiura Obata, Symbolism-inspired “Wings” by George Matsusaburo Hibi (1930), Cubism-influenced works by Yun Gee, and some great examples of the Japanese-American pictorial photography to name just a few of eye-catching pieces from a vast collection. WWII internment camps for the Japanese Americans called to life a deeply felt series of artwork by different artists reflecting the same painful theme in distinctly different ways. Americanization, urbanization, and the growing influence of modern and extra-modern art currents were duly reflected in the works of the following generation of artists like Gary Woo, Bernice Bing, and Tseng Yuho. Native Californians Ruth Asawa, Win Ng, and Kay Sekimachi took their modernism a step further in their exploration of non-traditional for Asian culture contemporary sculptural forms. As if continuing the legacy, a second exhibit, featuring an Asian American artist opened on the same day in an adjacent gallery at de Young—“Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes.” A self-proclaimed foremost environmentalist, the artist uses wood, wire, plywood, and plaster to deliver her vision of various landscapes and to call the viewer’s attention to the use of land and bodies of water. At the exhibit opening Lin stressed out her intent to make people think about land and water differently, the way she does, while recreating hidden from view underwater surfaces, like, for example, in the “Blue Lake Pass” inspired by the location of the artist’s summer home in Colorado. Lin also spoke about her other work, "Pin River" depicting Tuolumne River, which is made of straight pins stuck into a wall. The artist replicated the work on a smaller scale, using recycled silver from photo developing, in her limited edition of 30 "Silver River"portable plates. The museum gift shop now offers those for purchase. Both shows are on display through January 18, 2009. Asian American Modern Art is presented by Wachovia, and Maya Lin exhibit—by PG&E. For more information, visit http://www.famsf.org/ Photos: Dong Kingman “South Street Bridge,” 1955 (left); Maya Lin “2x4 Landscape,” 2006 (right).