By Alicia Cheak
Daily Bruin Contributor
In the first chamber of the gallery, there is a black and white
photograph of the artist, 21 years of age. Beside is a card which
reads "God, Thou who conceal Thyself in the clouds, or behind the
shoemaker’s house. Disclose my soul, that doleful soul of a
stammering kid. Show me my path. I don’t want to be like the
others; I want to see the world" – words from his journal.
"Marc Chagall (1907-1917)" is the Los Angeles County Museum of
Art’s latest exhibition, on view through Jan. 5, 1997. It traces
the artist’s earliest paintings and two major environments, Russia
and Paris, which determined and dictated the motifs of his future
works.
The exhibition is divided into three parts. The first,
1907-1910, is a collection of works done in Vitebsk, St.
Petersburg. Here, his personal relationships are depicted through
the portraits of his father, mother and fiancee Bella in murky
shades of yellow and orange – colors which are also characteristic
of his portrayals of Russian village landscape.
His Jewish heritage is also filtered into the paintings, the
more notable one being "The Dead Man" (1908) in which the first
image of the fiddler on the roof appears. At this point, his
artistic vocabulary is still in its infancy as he plays with the
familiar imagery of his companions: family, village life and
religion.
It is only after Chagall leaves Russia for Paris and comes under
the tutelage of other artists that his imagination begins to take
over.
His growth as an artist is apparent in the next section,
1910-1914, which includes a series of paintings where headless
bodies, flying cows and two-faced beings appear in vibrant colors –
contrasting the somber earth tones of his previous works.
Chagall’s art seems to have taken the magical turn of a child’s
imagination. Cubism and abstraction find their way into his works
so that they are no longer literal. "I and the Village" looks like
a child’s sketching, and it makes you wonder why there is a moon on
what could be a road and a man sitting on the cheek of a horse. In
fact, you might just look at it for a while because of its
oddity.
But the works with early Russian themes still favor
representation over abstraction or randomness. "The Praying Jew"
(1913) is an amazing piece showing a rabbi with his hands bounded.
Of course, that is subject to interpretation as well.
In 1914, Chagall returned to Vitebsk for a visit but remained
because of World War I. The artist’s reunion with the elements of
his heritage is documented in the final segment, 1914-1917. Chagall
begins to incorporate his experiences in Paris into the familiar
environment of Russia he left four years ago.
It is also during this period that he weds Bella, who remains
the steadfast source of creativity for Chagall’s future works.
"Bella with White Collar" (1917) and "Over the Town" are notable
examples of the airless, spirit-like quality he gives to characters
in his paintings.
Chagall’s true spiritual side is revealed in a companion exhibit
that comes from LACMA’s own collection. "Chagall’s Bible: A
Selection of Etchings" contains approximately 60 prints which
convey Chagall’s interpretations of the Old Testament.
"Since my childhood, the [Bible] has filled me with visions
about the fate of the world and inspired me in my work. In moments
of doubt, its highly poetical grandeur and wisdom has comforted
me," Chagall writes.
As a whole, the exhibit allows you to see the artist
experimenting with themes which would become footholds in his later
works. Some of the paintings look like childish sketches, but you
do get to see a notable development within a decade – a sort of
metamorphosis.
You may want to start at the end of the exhibit and see the
regression of the artist. Ironically, his later works are more
fairy-tale like, although his technique is stronger and more
individualized.
Chagall’s stylistic and visual transformation will capture your
interest, as will his knack for the unexpected – be sure to look
for the cattle which turn up in the most unusual places.
"Marc Chagall (1907-1917)" is on exhibit through Jan. 5, 1997 at
the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los
Angeles. Open Tuesday – Thursday, 10-5; Friday, 10-9; Saturday –
Sunday, 11-6. Closed Mondays. Second Wednesday of every month is
free. Admission: Adults, $6; students, $4; children five and under
are free. For more information, call (213) 857-6000.