Ralston Crawford and Jazz, the New Orleans Museum of Art’s exceptional exhibit, which explores esteemed artist Ralston Crawford’s relationship with the Crescent City, draws to a close this Sunday (October 14). In OffBeat’s August issue, columnist Roger Hahn provided an in depth look into the 150+ piece collection of paintings, photographs and prints.
Ralston Crawford's "St. Anne St."
Already a world-renowned artist before New Orleans life captivated his creative endeavors, Crawford’s perspective took a dramatic shift soon after visiting the city for the first time in 1949. Inspired by the shifts in jazz’s tone and timbre, he became fascinated with the stark contrasts that separated New Orleans’ races from each other and its industry from its architecture. His style, while still rooted in cubism, took on a broader, more geometrically abstract, though, less complex vantage point — its socio-cultural underpinnings predating art’s minimalist movement. Crawford’s photographs, which focus on post-WWII jazz musicians, still life and architecture unites the collection and adds an often overlooked layer of depth to his latter-career catalog as well as to the subtle yet striking genius of New Orleans jazz.
On Friday night (October 12) from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., NOMA will host a jazz-themed evening commemorating the exhibition. Music from jazz singer Eileina Williams and guitarist Todd Duke will color the night’s events, which also include a gallery tour from curator Russell Lord, a book signing from John McCusker, author of The Creole Trombone, and two film screenings.
For more information, visit NOMA’s website and for more on the exhibit, check out the video below.
