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Eastman Johnson Exhibit in San Diego
Saturday, May 13, 2000

Why Go To a Museum Exhibit?

A New York Times article on art gives a good summary of the difference between museums and gallerys. Museums record the history of our visions of our world. Galleries bring the us to the present world. Today museums are moving ever closer to the promotion of new art and the provision of forums. But the galleries remain closer to the pulse of the times. To that end, our site will try to explore both.

Our field trip to the Eastman Johnson exhibit is our excursion into the history of our developing interrelationships, blacks with whites. Eastman Johnson had made a wonderful career as a portrait painter. Within the parameters of that career he introduced the sensitivity of listening in good faith. Look at his portraits of children playing. He heard their joy and scampering. He recorded it with the graciousness of his artistic skill.

He turned also to the recording of the African American family. He listened and saw in good faith, and painted the African American family in all its diversity. He used skin tones as he saw them, and did not rely on the stereotypical image.

We set up this field trip to move back historically, to glimpse the way in which a 19th century white professional made an effort to see reality through others eyes. I won't call Eastman Johnson a post-modernist. There was then no such thing. But the spirit of listening and seeing others' perspectives in good faith was alive and well in 19th Century America. I hope this reminds us all that people of sensitivity and good will appear in all eras, in all places, but that history records only a limited perspective. Eastman Johnson's views of the African American family are a brief glimpse into the minds of all men who have tried to share their humanity through all ages.

The New York Times article expressed this role of the museum in the following way:

"Gallery rats, it should be noted, have no particular grievance against the art of the past. Many of them, in fact, have felt their hearts race in the presence of a Cézanne still life or a Corot landscape; they fully understand that museums house the physical and spiritual records of humankind.

"On the other hand, when you see a work of art in a museum, you are seeing a work that is part of art history and has been touched over time by the gaze of perhaps millions of viewers. Museums offer the dream of the past; galleries, the slap of the new. "

" Nothing Against Old Art, but Gallery Rats Hunger for New"
by Deborah Solomon, New York Times, April 19, 2000.

There is an article in the New Yorker, May 15, 2000 issue, beginning on p.102, "Francis Picabia and Andy Warhol," that expresses this same theme. I'll put more up on it next week. Nag me. jeanne

What Does It Mean, Postmodern?

On Sunday, May 14, 2000, just after Claudia, Christina, and I had arrived an hour late and breathless, J.T. confided that his little brother, Allan, while reading "Why Go To A Museum Exhibit?" had asked him what I meant when I said that although I would never presume to suggest that Eastman Johnson was a postmodernist, since none existed then in the 19th Century, he exemplified the postmodernist's sense of multiple perspectives with no overriding truth belonging to any perspective. J.T. graciously deferred to me to answer. But the afternoon was hectic, and Allan and I never found a chance to talk about postmodernism.

So, Allan this is my explanation for you. Do you remember the painting of the family of slaves escaping on a horse, the little boy seated in front of his father, the mother and the baby behind the father? The horse was carrying them as quickly as he could away from the battlefield of Manassas - or Bull Run. Do you remember that the Docent told us that many of the people in Washington, D.C. had come out to watch the battle, only to discover themselves horrified by the awful killing and maiming on the battlefield. At least they learned that war was not an entertainment, but real, and bloody, and awful.

The Docent said that Eastman Johnson had been one of those peole who came out to see the battle, and that this painting of slaves escaping was inspired by that event. Someone, your brother, I think, remarked that even the horse looked frightened, to which the Docent readily agreed. She then pointed out to us, with her little red laser dot, the spot on the horizon that was reddish, and told us that was the battle firing in the background.

Now let me see if I can explain postmodern for you, in terms of this story. The North and the South were fighting a war in this story. It was the war over slavery. The south took the position that slavery was OK. The north took the position that slavery must be ended. Each was sure that they were right, sure enough to go to war and kill each other over the "truth" they believed in.

When the people of Washington came out to watch the battle, they must have thought it would be like a hard fought football game. And that the men would get up and be alright when the fighting was over. But it didn't happen like in the movies. Instead, the men were dead and dying. The horizon was alight with the fire of battle. There was screaming and terror everywhere one could see. Remember the terrified horse?

What Eastman Johnson learned at Manassas was that the "truth" of the Battle of Manassas was not what the people of Washington had thought it was. This wasn't like a football game at all. This was real, and ugly, and scary. So Eastman Johnson painted that "truth" so that all of us could experience it, and so that we would understand the real horrors of war and battles.

He also chose to paint a slave family escaping through the terror of the battle. Soldiers preparing for the battle had weapons and some training, and had a stake in the way their country was growing and dealing with the problem of slavery. But the slave family had no weapons, no special clothing, no training. And they didn't have much to say about it either. Other people decided for them. So Eastman Johnson's painting of the frightened horse and frightened slaves, trying to escape from the battle we can see only in the distance, reminds us that the "truth" of the soldiers fighting for the cause in which they believed was not the "truth" of those whose fate depended on the outcome of the battle, the slaves.

Eastman Johnson's willingness to tell everyone's story, to listen in good faith to all the many people affected by the war and by slavery, is what we call today postmodern. It means that there are always many stories, and that we need to consider them all. No one story can tell us the whole "truth." We must piece them all together, and be willing to understand that the story may come out differently, depending on whose story it is.

  • Do you think that slave family would have gone to Manassas just to watch the battle?
  • Do you think the Washington people who came out to watch the battle would have been as brave as the slave family escaping?
  • Do you think we can live together more peacefully if people like Eastman Johnson help us see the whole story with their art?

    Biography and Some Work of Eastman Johnson

jeanne's Story

I'm grinning like a Cheshire cat again. We had a wonderful time! Who was there? We don't take roll, you know, but I think I can remember; correct me, if I'm wrong.

  • James (J.T.) Speed brought his brother, Allan.
  • Marty Katz brought his son, Martin, about Allan's age.
  • Rudy Arce brought his daughter, Rachel, 10, and his daughter, Melanie, 7
  • Pat Alexander came down, in spite of time pressures, with Emmanuel Obi
  • Chrecian Scott brought her sister, and Austin, 4
  • Marlene Boykin brought three of her niece's children, Elisha, 5, Paul, 9, and Krista, 12
  • Rick Pena brought his mother, who was visiting near San Diego
  • Lisa Martin brought her husband and her sons, 5 and 2
  • Veronica Vargas brought her friend Oscar
  • Victor Rodriguez brought a young woman friend
  • Marlene Veliz brought a young woman friend
  • Claudia Barroso and Christina Mota drove down with jeanne
  • And last, but decidedly not least, a San Diego family with three children, one of whom was named Oscar, asked if they could join us. Their three sons painted happily with us, and Oscar is talented - great painting!

Our special thanks to Christie of the Education Department at the San Diego Museum of Art for graciously lending us her tents and tables and special corner outside the museum where we happily painted and played until after 4 p.m.!

There were thirty-two of us, not counting the San Diego family with its three children. And we can't wait for our next field trip which we'll plan for AFTER exams.

Traffic was terrible on the way down. I didn't get Claudia and Christina there until 1:15! I was horrified, until we discovered that everyone was caught in the same awful traffic. We were almost all of us late! The early birds were Veronica and J.T and Marty. They got to join the 1:00 p.m. Docent Tour, which Claudia and Christina and I caught the absolute tail end of. But to our delight, the Eastman Johnson tour was done at 2:00 p.m., so we all got to enjoy the exhibition together.

Of course, a few of us were even later. Let the record reflect that jeanne was not the last one there, nor was Marlene Boykin, she insisted that we note. Marlene Veliz and her friend got there at 4, but J.T. rushed them through the exhibit, with commentary he had picked up from our Docent. Marty and J.T. helped all afternoon to catch up those of us who were late. Someone was wearing a pager, and beeped intrusively as the Docent spoke before an Eastman Johnson painting. We all looked about disapprovingly for the miscreant, as he continued to bleep annoyingly. Then, as all eyes turned to me, I finally caught on that I was bleeping. For the first time since I've had that pager I had switched off the vibrate so we could all hear it. Clever! I raced outside, and met one of our latecomers.

At the end of our tour the children were restless and hungry. We searched for a cool spot to spread out our art supplies, and lo and behold, there were striped awning tents, and colorful posters in a corner of the entrance way. And a wonderful lady, Christie, from the museum's education department offered them to us for our art project. She even had tables, all covered in paper. We spread out brushes, tubes of acrylic, paper and our canvas and arranged ourselves. Then we all stood there wondering what to do.

Hmm. Public discourse! Oh, we can do that.

I plunked a finger right into a puddle of blue acrylic and smeared it on a paper. It was Lisa's five-year-old. At first, he thought about whether to cry. But I noticed a smidgeon of yellow acrylic on my knuckles and quickly affixed two blobs to the blue smear. He thought better of his tears, popped the brush into paint, and the proceedings began.

That's when the San Diego family appeared. The children had seen me tearing paper from a pad. When I didn't scowl and breathe fire, they asked if they might have some. I handed the two youngest who had come up sheets, and they disappeared right into the CSUDH crowd. Then the older boy, Oscar, approached and asked politely if he might join in.

By then our students had managed to lay out the cloth we were planning to use for a collective canvas. As seriously as the children who had come with them, J.T. and Emmanuel asked what they should do, as they stared at the blank canvas. Now, how on earth should I know? This is discourse. It just happens!

I shared a moment of intimidation, staring at that clean beautiful blue cloth, and tried for inspiration. "We want to capture, to get in touch with what we felt at the Eastman Johnson exhibit. What did we feel?" "Peace," they responded in chorus. OK. "And what does Eastman Johnson represent? A white successful professional who looked at African Americans in good faith, and reproduced his sensitivity in their portraits. A gaze . . . so how about an eye?" I grabbed a brush, dipped in some blue paint, and began to sketch an eye. Out came an Egyptian eye, for I had just been to the Pharohs of the Sun at LACMA. I could feel the energy. Everybody was ready to express a validity claim. I backed away. And paint began to express itself.

Martin, or was it Allan?, asked if I had oil pastels. Gee, no, I didn't bring them. Perplexed, I thought for a minute, then realized it was the texture he wanted to know about. Easy, for oil pastel effect, use just the paint. For water color effect, add water. I can think of how all my art teachers would have howled at this, but this was discourse, reaching our authentic selves, not art class. And the kids moved happily into their authentic selves and never complained.

Well, one did ask me for brown. Thank goodness for Art 1A - I sent him for red and green, and joy prevailed.

Marlene Boykin had brought cold drinks and chips. Some of us went off to grab hot dogs, while others watched over the activities. Fed and happy, we cleaned up our mess just as Christie came back to take down her tents. All the children helped. Tent poles clanked and chimed. We considered calling it a museum concert and charging admission. Lisa's two-year-old decided he liked the tone and the rhythm, and cried when he had to give up the last two poles. But J.T. saved the day by bringing out red vines for all of us kids.

Sharing the Field Trip:
"I was wondering how the fieldtrip went"

On Sunday, May 14, 2000, Weslley Hall wrote:

I was wondering how the field trip went yesterday.  I would have liked to go, but my work schedule prevents me from doing extracurricular activities.

Sharing the Field Trip:
"I Wish I Could've Been There"

On May 15, 2000, Jennifer Ross wrote:

I enjoyed reading your story about the field trip to the San Diego Museum of Art.  I wish I could've been there.  My fiance and I are taking the children that I baby-sit to San Diego over the summer to go to Sea World, The Wild Animal Park, etc.... and the San Diego Museum of Art will definitely be on our list of things to do.  Thanks for making me aware of it and for all of the useful information.  How do you possibly find time to do all that you do?
Jennifer Ross

On Monday, May 15, jeanne responded:

Find time? Time? Truthfully, most of it is lots of fun. jeanne

Sharing the Field Trip:
"I Thought of Integration Right Away"

On Monday, May 15, 2000, Victor Rodriguez wrote:

Hi, Jeanne. I just want to thank you for letting us know about this exhibit.  I was impressed by all those pieces of art.  When Marty, or was it J.T.?, guided us through the museum, and I saw the first painting, slavery came into my mind.  For a moment I thought it was a black painter who wanted to free himself by creating ideals and show his freedom through painting.  All the pieces of art were excellent, but the one that captured my attention the most was the painting where kids were on top of a wagon, and other kids where taking the horses' place.  Looking at the kids who were pretending to be the horses, I was amazed by seeing just one black girl in the place of one of the lead  horses.  She was the only black person in the painting, and I thought of intergration right away.  Over all, I really enjoyed everything except the driving :)

On Monday, May 15, jeanne responded:

Yes, Eastman Johnson's painting is inspiring, isn't it, and it does make one realize that even in the 19th Century there were those white men who saw and acted in good faith.

On the traffic congestion: Me, too. :(

Instructions to the San Diego Museum of Art

Saturday, May 13, 2000
New notes up on Why Go to Museums and this field trip. Early Friday afternoon. jeanne
Museum Directions There will be a free Docent Tour at 11:00 a.m. and at 1:00 p.m.. How about we all meet on the 1:00 p.m. tour? Museum entrance for students with ID: $6.00, Children under 5: free, Children (6 to 17): $3.00.

How to reach jeanne in San Diego: Page her: 213-501-5006
Remember that I can't return a call to a phone booth.
The San Diego Museum number is: 619-232-7931 jeanne's going to leave from her home in Hollywood at about 10:00 a.m., and will stop at Pat's Office (SMC-M110) to pick up those who asked for a ride. We'll then head straight for the museum. jeanne may not be online this afternoon - she's gone to buy art supplies

Museum entrance fee and lunch only cost.