I started going to the Barnes in the late 70’s and visited
it at least 15 times in the following years but had yet to visit the new
location. A certain amount of dread accompanied me as I recently took a group
of students to the Barnes, now in downtown Philly. I had always looked forward
to seeing this collection. In rooms almost empty and with all the time needed
to linger and circle through the collection, seeking out old favorites and
spending time with lesser-known works. It was never a problem booking times and
the fact that one could be virtually alone within this great and eccentric array
was in strong contrast to the evermore-crowded museum scene.
Before I went this year a friend mentioned a large Ellsworth
Kelly painting he had seen inside the Barnes. I thought he must have been
having a senior moment for I well knew that no such artwork was in the
collection. However as we approached the new building there stood a two story
high metal sculpture by Kelly near the entrance, heralding the changes to come!
We then entered a fairly modest reception area that in turn leads to a gigantic
lobby. The size of the lobby, or what they refer to as the central court, was
all out of proportion to the modest size of the Barnes; it seemed bigger than
the actual Barnes. Was this a space to hold parties, election celebrations …
what?
Off this space was the Kelly exhibit, in a large white room
that had the piece my friend described, as well as several other works. It was
a great show, but why was this exhibit here and where was the Barnes? It felt
like we were in an outpost of the Philly Museum. It was a while before we
entered the actual Barnes Collection as my students and I were puzzled, disoriented
actually, by the lobby and sat there for some time pondering the need for this
vast space.
The original Barnes was a Beaux-Arts design by Paul Philippe
Cret, who also worked on the Rodin Museum that the new Barnes now sits next to
on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The exhibition rooms of the old Barnes were
replicated and fitted inside a boxy building designed by Tod Williams and
Billie Tsien Architects. This “relocation” makes those spaces feel like the
period rooms at the Met, as if the rooms are now on view as well. Of course the
collection is laid out in all its eccentric glory, much the same, as before. Soutine,
Renoir, van Gogh, Seurat, Picasso, door hinges? It is what it always was, a
great collection presented in an unusual and unconventional manner that encourages
looking. It makes you pause; it’s a slow read. But now the rooms are crowded. I
don’t recall ever being told to step back from a work during previous visits.
This time it happened four times in the span of an hour as I simply tried to
maneuver around people.
The popularity of the new location is a problem. It dampens
the unique qualities and experiences of the original Barnes. There is great art
to be seen, for sure, but now it’s set in a more accessible location replete
with the typical shortcomings of the current museum scene. Tourism, crowds,
starchitecture and with the emphasis on including contemporary art the trappings
of the art market loom, not far behind.
The Barnes is required viewing. It’s still a destination.
But this destination has changed, forever.
Coming soon: the entire town of Marfa is moved to a mall in New
Jersey!
