Never Enough NSK Exhibition Visits Department

If you have never seen Laibach and Irwin art up close, I mourn for you.

I just returned from the Frye Art Museum, where they are still hosting an exhibit of NSK paintings, artifacts, and video. I'm still digesting what I saw, but I can guarantee you, if you have only seen photographs, the photos simply do not, and cannot, do full justice. Until you can see the rough carved frames with socialist-realistic motifs turned dark, until you can see the roughness of the blobs of oil paint and tar upon the canvas, until you can see just how HUGE many of the paintings really are, it is difficult to understand and appreciate the impact their art can have on an unsuspecting audience. And much of the crowd at the Frye was unsuspecting, it seems--I asked one of the museum volunteers and she confided that those who saw the exhibit either were confused by the artworks, or were enthusiastic. While this museum is usually deathly quiet, there were small groups discussing and debating the art, not so loudly as to distract, but distinctly loud enough that, if you strained, you could eavesdrop.

As I said, I am still digesting what I saw, but I'm sure I'll have more to say, especially once the rest of my family gets to visit.