Michelangelo is an artist who likely needs no introduction, a man who has left quite a large thumbprint on history in general. Given his long artistic and literary career, Michelangelo’s oeuvre spans far and wide, leaving great opportunity for an exhibition of his works. The traveling exhibit, “Sacred and Profane,” on view at the Phoenix Art Museum until March 27, 2016, sadly misses this opportunity, creating a rather mediocre viewer experience for what could be a stellar show.
Photo by Becky Brisley of Downtown Devil.
Upon entering the gallery space, there is a rather jarring placement of a title wall, riddled with logos of sponsors. It is unsightly, but it also feels like a corporate advertisement rather than a nod to the exhibit itself. I also found the show too text heavy--and yet despite all the text, there was not enough of the right information (though I did appreciate the bilingual wall plates). For instance, the title of the show is, “Sacred and Profane,” but there is no explanation of this concept (a sociological theory that explores the dichotomy of group and individual concerns within a religious belief) nor are the illustrations contextualized within this theme. It would be more appropriate to simply use the subtitle, “Masterpiece Drawings from Casa Buonarotti,” because it is really a closer look at his process rather than a discussion of the artistic concept behind his works.
The drawings are also organized rather incoherently--shifting from anatomical studies, to architectural drawings, to military blueprints and letters with sketches without much context. If there is a chronology to them or a thematic reason for their placement, it is not apparent. The exhibition includes 26 small scale drawings, and they sort of become lost in each other in the large, dark gallery space.
The exit was the least visually interesting part. There is a modern couch and love seat with a coffee table scattered with periodicals and books. It’s a strange juxtaposition, seeming anachronistic to the works on the walls, and it’s not clear what the space should be used for aside from looking like the generic waiting room furniture of a modern office building. Am I supposed to sit here? What am I supposed to look at? The only real vantage point is the corporate sponsor wall. I walked away from the exhibit not really understanding what I was supposed to take away from it.
Perhaps I was not the target audience. I have had the luxury of seeing Michelangelos all over Italy--in Rome, Florence, and Milan--and I have even been so lucky to see the madonna in Bruges, famously stolen by the Nazis during WWII, and one of the only Michelangelos to ever leave Italy on a permanent basis. I suppose, if one will never have the chance to see Michelangelo in Italy nor has an art historical background, that the exhibition will sufficiently suit the needs of an otherwise curious patron. However, it feels like a missed opportunity to bring something new to Michelangelo’s oeuvre and the way we understand his work today.