Yee Hah: Remington Opens at the Clark
Y'All Come Back
By: Charles Giuliano - Feb 17, 2008
On cold winter days in the Berkshires even cowgirls sing the blues. So it was a kick in the groin of Old Jack Frost, yeeh haah, and a yippiee kayyay, as the upper crust of Williamstown society turned out last night in Country and Western gear for the gala opening of the Frederick Remington show at the Clark Art Institute.
It was great fun to see stodgy Brahmins duded up in colorful cowboy shirts, straw hats, and boots. Sure was down home as folks hunkered down on endless piles of ribs and pulled pork in tiny biscuits. There was a free flowing wine bar as well as sasparilla and Jack Daniels shots for the more hearty folks.
Out on the dance floor there was Texas two step and country swing with a lively local band. The sweet sound of pedal steel guitar wafted through the lobby of the Clark. The leader and singer slapped at a stand up bass as we took a turn on the floor. Astrid just loves to dance but it was a rather different style compared to a fabulous Bollywood party at Mass MoCA last weekend. The Clark event had an older and more subdued crowd but they gamely kicked up their heels in the spirit of the occasion.
Which bothered me a bit. After all, Frederick Remington is not exactly politically correct. He was kindah the Normal Rockwell of Manifest Destiny. He had a John Wayne approach to the Last Frontier that predated Hollywood. He was more the era of the Wild West potboilers of the German fantasy writer Carl May. It was the Victorian age when Wild West shows were all the rage and Annie Oakley teamed up with Sitting Bull to tour the vaudeville circuit of Europe.
It should be noted that Remington's bronzes of Bucking Broncos have graced the Oval Office. Remington has been the favorite artist of presidents, particularly Republicans, probably dating back to the Rough Rider himself, Teddy Roosevelt.
When I mentioned my misgivings to Sally Morse Majewski, the director of marketing for the Clark, she informed me that the museum will be planning programming addressing those very concerns during the run of the exhibition. The show is sure to be a hit as Remington was a heck of a good painter. I just don't know if it is safe to admit it publicly. That just might put me on the wrong end of social and political debates. The Clark's founders, Francine and Sterling, seemed to enjoy works such as "The Slave Market" and "Snake Charmer" by Jean Leon Gerome that are today regarded as great pictures but paradigms of racism and sexism. While Remington, whom they also collected, might be considered the poster boy for the rape of the American West.
But, gosh darn heck, this was just a night for guilty pleasure. To get in the mood I dragged my vintage Nudie's of Hollywood suit of lights off to the cleaners. It doesn't fit me anymore and was soiled with the detritus of too many raucous rock and roll parties. The dry cleaner made me sign a disclaimer should any of the rhinestones suffer damage. This time we decided that Astrid would wear the jacket with its sizzling steaks, smoke and flames from the grill. There is a big cow's head on the back. I bought the suit (which has matching sequined pants) back in 1970 while hanging with Elton John in Hollywood. Elton's publicist, Norm Winter, talked me into it when we visited Nudie.
The band spotted it when we were on the dance floor. "Is that a Nudie" the bass player asked? "Sure is" I replied and the guitarist showed interest as well. "I'll buy it off you" he said. Sorry not for sale.
I wore a cowboy shirt purchased in Hudson, New York last summer. Adding a hat that I acquired in Santa Fe. We plan to drive through Texas this spring and Astrid wants to pick up cowboy boots. She will be Dale Evans while I channel Roy Rogers. I'm looking forward to real Texas barbecue.
Michael Conforti, director of the Clark, arrived rather late at the party. He flew in from Texas of all places. "I'm on the board of the Amon Carter Museum," he explained to me. "Earlier in the week I was in LA for the opening of the new Broad Museum at the LA County Museum of Art. I guess I should have brought a few Texas cowboys home with me for this party." After a sleepover it will be back to the road for Conforti. He got in a plug for the opening of the new Tadeo Ando building later this spring.
Bottom line, never miss a Clark party or special event if you can help it. Surely, it is one of the great American museums and, for us, just down the road a piece. Mark this on the calendar, The British Invasion Party, geared for a younger crowd, is scheduled for Friday, February 29. Y'all come back.