Common Ground: Discovering Community in 150 Years of Art

The companion to a Corcoran Gallery show of the art collection belonging to Arkansas political heir Julia Norrell, this book presents a rich array of affecting and beautiful imagery. Yet while the power and cumulative meaning of Norrell's vision is clear on practically every page, ultimately the book contains too much miscellany for its overarching themes. Norell's taste in photography runs strongly toward American pastoral, while in painting she prefers na ve outsider art. Unfortunately, the curators' conceit that these works "memorably address the universality of human experience," as reflected in the title, is more like convenient sandwich wrap and comes across as a bit pompous. The need to attract visitors and funding may have motivated this reach for the sweep of Edward Steichen's The Family of Man; a less immodest presentation would have resulted in a more apposite exhibit catalog. One trenchant conceptual framework might have been the salt-of-the-earth visual textures demonstrated by Ben Shahn's Farm Security Administration work, Gordon Parks's rural landscapes, and Sally Mann's views of her children. For comprehensive collections only.-Douglas F. Smith, Oakland P.L., CA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.