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The Art of the Steal: Barnes-storming

The Philadelphia Inquirer Blog - Flickgrrl

21 comments

The Art of the Steal: Barnes-storming

POSTED: Friday, February 26, 2010, 5:42 PM

Carrie Rickey, Film Critic

Master of his domain: Albert C. Barnes at his Foundation, posing before Cezanne's "The Card Players."

Don Argott's The Art of the Steal, about the utopian past and controversial future of The Barnes Foundation, opens in Philadelphia and New York today. Argott's brief: Not only does moving the unique institution expressly break Barnes'' will, but that it will transform a singular institution into a McBarnes.

The reviews range from positive to mixed. Here's Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. And here's Lee Rosenbaum of the culturegrrl blog. Here's Part II of Rosenbaum's post. And here's mine.

Consider this an open thread for your thoughts about the movie and the proposed move.

21 comments

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Comments (21)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:33 PM, 02/26/2010

Carrie- I'm against violating a person's will, particularly since the beloved artwork in question will still be available to the people, only in a less commerical, less convenient site. Philly cultural politics (a contradiction, right?) doesn't fare well here. BTW, excellent reviews all around - from you and Mahohla and Lee.

— Pash

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 7:54 PM, 02/26/2010

Dr.Barnes wanted the Art to be used for educational,not commercial purposes...the ambience of the Barnes in Merion is not replicable in Center City and the restrained,contemplative appreciation of the Art by people who take the time and minor inconvenience to see it in accordance with the wishes of THE MAN WHO MADE IT POSSIBLE will be replaced by the cattle-call experience exemplified by the recent Dali exhibit at the Art Museum...people who couldn't spell "Dali" were huddled cheek-by-jowl checking off another item on their Culture Tour...this is exactly what Dr.Barnes wished to avoid...

— Frederic

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:56 PM, 02/26/2010

The Barnes collection was essentially being held captive in the Philadelphia suburbs, those of us from outside the region had almost no chance to see it unless we could make arrangements well in advance and then ind a way to get there. This was a collection that was available only to a select few, kept in a neighborhood that discouraged visitors, housed in awkward galleries, in a non-optimal atmosphere. Is that what Barnes really wanted when he stated a collection to rival the snootie types of the Philadelphia Art Museum? A collection that only a limited elite can view and which a few people can make carers out of controlling? Will the people who Barnes wanted to educate not be more likely to visit the collectoion when it is in center city where it can be easily accessd? Where some young city kids could just decide to stop and view it when passing by? Or should it have just stayed tucked away inside it's unfriendly white suburb? This movie sounds more like opportunistic propaganda.

— atp2007

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 9:52 AM, 02/27/2010

Interestingly the 3 reviews you cited have negative connotations. How about these?: Or do they just not support your views of the film? http://www.villagevoice.com/2010-02-23/film/the-art-of-the-steal-starring-barnes-and-ignobles/ http://www.villagevoice.com/movies/the-art-of-the-steal-1384966/ http://livingincinema.com/2010/02/26/review-the-art-of-the-steal-2010/ http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/dont-touch-the-art/Content?oid=1550431 Also curious is Carrie Rickie's association to Paul Levy, her husband and head of the Center City district. Paul is a major proponent of the move of the Barnes Foundation and even Carrie's review of the film sounded like Barnes Foundation talking points rather than an actual film review.

— filmfann

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:27 PM, 02/27/2010

I jsut found out that Carrie is married to Paul Levy head of Philadelpha Center City Business District and strong force behind moving Barnes to Philadelphia. Shouldn't that have been disclosed in her review? Is the review an example of violating journalistic ethics?

— Phillyup

Comment removed.

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:45 AM, 02/28/2010

Carrie- FYI. I don't know if other posters encountered this problem, but whether one clicks on Manohla Dargis' review or Lee Rosenbaum's review, one gers Manohla's review of "The Art of the Steal." I had to read Lee's review independently.

— Pash

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 11:40 AM, 02/28/2010

One more observation, for what it's worth: A recent visit to the Art Museum to see its jerry-rigged Picasso exhibit was a dismal experience at best. We went to a preview and still faced a daunting crowd. Hooked up to the usual audio guides, I felt like a cow being pushed and prodded through different areas of a noisy slaughterhouse until I encountered the moment of truth - the gift shop. We're members of the Art Museum and, frankly, I dread going back. On the other hand, our experience at the Barnes was quiet and leisurely, with assists from real people. The civility of the Barnes clashes sharply with the mall-like ambience of the Art Museum.

— Pash

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 12:17 PM, 03/01/2010

Carrie, do you think that the fact that your husband, Paul Levy, is the head of the Philadelphia Center City District (which is actively working to bring the Barnes downtown) is something you would want to disclose? Or maybe responsible journalism is too much to ask for.

— Daltons Revenge

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:28 PM, 03/01/2010

I have mixed feelings. Visiting the Barnes, and enjoying its collection in the villa, followed by a stroll of the grounds, is a unique experience, and a very enjoyable one. At the same time, it's difficult for an out-of-towner to find, or to make the necessary arrangements ahead of time to get in. Putting the collection on the same boulevard as most of the city's other museums makes practical sense. While I would hate to see the same kind of mobs that I've seen at the LA County Museum's Impressionism and Van Gough exhibits over the years, it seems to me that wouldn't happen. There'd be an initial rush of visitors, curious to see what all the talk is about, but then it seems likely that attendance would level off. There'd be more visitors than in Merion - and it seems to me there has to be some good in that, after all - but I doubt it would be such a high number as to ruin the enjoyment of the art. It's a tricky question - and, as far as the movie goes, I guess I'm suspicious of a film that makes it seem cut and dried.

— wwolfe

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 4:06 PM, 03/01/2010

http://gawker.com/5482838/conflict-of-interest-at-the-philly-inquirer forget access to the barnes... i am having trouble accessing the truth at the inquirer. if they move the barnes downtown can we move the inquirer out of town? you would think people would try to save this sinking ship with some journalistic integrity.

— ramboat

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:09 PM, 03/01/2010

@wwolfe - If the amount of viewers were the only metric to judge what should be done then you could have a point. But then again with investment in a shuttle service (modest compared to the cost of moving), and a loosened entrance policy, many more people could see the Barnes in Merion. But the other issue is the destruction of something that is, as you say, unique. It is the only place of its kind in the world and certainly can't be recreated on the parkway. So on the one hand we could possibly increase visitors at full-service museum downtown, while destroying a treasure. Or we could properly manage the treasure and try to make that one-of-a-kind experience available to more people.

— Daltons Revenge

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:13 PM, 03/01/2010

I thought your review was excellent, how negatively influenced do you think she was she gave it 3.5 stars, I think she was too generous. Without even seeing the movie, I know the history. The neighbors sued to restrict visitors & buses, The Barnes suffered financially, they had to put the exhibit on the road to raise money, partially to pay the property taxes to the twp which now will be completely downgraded now that the statues of the museum will likely change. Basically no one had foresight as far as the Barnes was concerned, but maybe the collection can be saved instead of sold off which often happens when the Trust goes belly up.

— ScottDolan

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 5:29 PM, 03/01/2010

Yes, I am married to Paul Levy of the Center City District. It's news to me that he is a major proponent of the Barnes move.

— carrierickey

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 10:43 PM, 03/01/2010

Stephen Girard's will was broken in the sixties to integrate Girard College. No will is unbreakable if it's seen as being against the public interest. I don't know if that's right, I just know that's the way it is.

— Ben9