As you walk into Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled, the new exhibition opening March 17 at the Brandywine Museum of Art, you are greeted by an entirely unexpected experience. An automaton, a hidden music box spreading sinister tinkling tones, a taxidermic animal of indeterminate origin sitting on a vintage flotation device, all accompanied by a projection that highlights the automaton in full motion, in all its grotesque glory. With walls in shades of gray and green and mullion-overlaid text panels, the exhibition highlights the shadows of both the natural world and the mind.
In more than 50 works, the celebrated artist shows a side many would never expect. Every single work invites close inspection. What may look like a traditional oil painting in the Brandywine Tradition has unnerving elements, sharp shards of a fallen tree or the wingtip of a threatening bird. Carrion is displayed in all its visceral clarity.
This exhibition asks viewers, “Are your perceptions trustworthy?” said Amanda C. Burdan, senior curator at the Brandywine Museum of Art and curator of this exhibition. It is shown in the vein of a haunted house, she notes. As the viewer moves through the spaces, they become “nervous about what comes next in the narrative.” Interspersed with automatons, taxidermy, and other pieces from Wyeth’s own collection, this exhibition not only shows Wyeth’s perspective but “introduces you to the mysterious world in which Jamie lives on a daily basis.”
Wyeth himself led a tour of the exhibition, in his one-of-a-kind style. He starts with the automaton, noting these robotic creatures were not an instant hit. “It was a confusing, threatening thing where they put machines into these figurines,” he said. The music box tones follow as he walks past his other works, where dark figures peek out from behind trees or nature bursts from canvas to envelop the frame.
“Most of my paintings are done in bed at night, dreaming,” said Wyeth. He frequently wakes to scattered pages covered in indecipherable marks, which he translates in his studio to fantastically detailed, intense paintings. In this exhibition, “Visitors can explore their darker side,” he added. “It is not what you see, it is how it affects you.”
Wyeth, in his dandified disheveled outfit, bright red sneakers highlighting the single red button on his vest, echoes decades, if not centuries, of changing fashion. His paintings and their surroundings reflect that as well. While some have simple wooden structures, others are set in giant gold rococo frames, screen doors, broken glass, or dioramas. It is an unexpected use of mixed media.
Perhaps the most intriguing piece — though every visitor will likely have a different response — is Butcher Shop, a tableau vivant featuring a man at work at his thick wood table, surrounded by the implements and detritus of his craft. It is not a vision for the faint of heart, with bloody streaks down the walls lined with animal carcasses, but the tiny details are exquisite. One viewer, stunned, said, “Oh, that is the same tile that was in my kitchen as a child,” recreated in perfect miniature.
“They are a little weird,” Wyeth said, explaining that he would create every element, down to the exquisite clothes. Later he would wonder, “why did I spend so much time on this?” But the reward is in those details for the viewers, who (for those inclined to these macabre scenes) can revel in the minutiae. Wyeth noted that it is explicit: “A little overt, that one.”
The classic subjects of Jamie Wyeth are included as well, familiar faces of pop-stars, politicians, and the Wyeth family of artists itself. A newer piece is Apples: Fifth in the Screen Door Sequence, from 2021, which depicts N. C. Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth’s grandfather, the first time he has painted the man. N. C. was a hugely influential painter and illustrator, and an overshadowing force well past his sudden death a year prior to Jamie’s birth. It is interesting that the longer Jamie Wyeth’s career extends, the farther back in his family tree he reaches for inspiration.
Wyeth’s work invites musings, repeat viewings, and introspection. But there is also a huge amount of beauty on display. “It is like a magical trip through the Brandywine,” said Burdan. “I love how the natural world is made supernatural.” The exhibition highlights the inner workings of an artist, a gallery full of intrusive thoughts brought into existence. As Burden said, “It is a mark of creativity, to imagine worlds, and then make them happen.”
Jamie Wyeth: Unsettled is on view at the Brandywine Museum of Art from March 17 through June 9, before traveling to four other art museums. A fully illustrated catalog is co-published by Rizzoli Electa and Brandywine. The Brandywine Museum of Art is located at 1 Hoffman’s Mill Road, Chadds Ford. More information can be found online at Brandywine.org/Museum.
About Victoria Rose
Victoria Rose (she/her) is an editor, writer, avid reader, self-described geek, and fan of all things creative. Her passion for words has led to her current career as a freelance editor, and she is the owner of Flickering Words, an editing service. When not wielding a red pen (or cursor), she loves reading books of all genres, playing video, board, and word games, baking ridiculous creations to show off on the internet, or enjoying the gorgeous outdoors. She is a board member of the West Chester Film Festival and part of the Thirsty Monsters, a team of streamers from around the world who fundraise for various charities supporting LGBTQIA+ and accessibility rights. She can be found online @WordsFlickering or the Brandywine Art Guide @BrandywineArtGuide.
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