About Face – Portraiture Now

At the Long Beach Museum of Art (LBMA), 2300 Ocean Avenue, Long Beach, through March 23, 2008, check it at www.lbma.org

What could be more uncool in today’s art world than a portraiture show? LBMA answers with a large show of large and small works, with gems in many media. These are the new old masters, with drawing and painting skills that emulate and rival the greats of the past.
The stated goals are: to capture a likeness, to show the non-stereotypical, and to probe the psyche. If you still treasure these values in art in the digital age, then this is the show for you. What else is drawing and painting about in this post-Postmodern era?
“About Face” works on the first floor are works after 2000, and so much more engaging than the permanent collection in “Picturing Identity” on the second floor. In many ways the second floor collection is more didactic and more radical in style, but also so dated in its ages. The newer work has power, seduction, a blend of the analytical and the holistic. Some to hate, lots to admire, a few with magic to inspire. Recommendation: Try a local afternoon tour with art friends, taking in the LBMA, MOLAA and the UAM at CSULB, all free on Fridays.