Puff up your chest and strut your stuff, Fort Worth, you have a lovely lady to be proud of. It has taken 40 years for the Kimbell to mature to the point it is now. It has been aged to perfection. But this lady is not settling for perfect, as she is in the middle of a large expansion, the Kimbell is celebrating her birthday with a 3 month exhibit of her great acquisitions.
Rarely would one get the chance to see such a vast, world-renowned collection all together. This is not a show to be missed. The Kimbell at 40: An Evolving Masterpiece displays in chronological order the eclectic collection of the fabulous art it acquired since its opening in 1972.
Following Mr. Kimbell's directive that the museum be “first class” the Foundation's operative guide is not historical completeness, but of “the highest possible aesthetic quality” as determined by condition, rarity, importance, suitability and communicative powers.
Seeing the works in chronological order is interesting. It wasn't planned that way but their diversity actually compliments each other. Jennifer Casler Price, curator for Asian and Non-Western art, pointed out the subtle similarities in some of the works as you saw them together. For example the elongated fingers on the Standing Buddha Shakyamuni seem to be mirrored in the Portrait of Dr. Francisco de Pisa hanging next to it, and to the right of that Reliquary Arm with again the elongated fingers.
One of the coolest new things though that brings this whole show to life is the Kimbell's brand new iPad app. The app is free and 20 iPads are available for loan to walk through the galleries with. The app delivers intriguing behind-the-scenes information that one won’t find on the gallery wall labels. You can blow the image up, and it offers 4 suggestions of similar works.
So beauty, history and technology all rolled into one show make it a fun excursion and not one to miss, and it's FREE! Go to kimbellart.org for information.
