Remember that icon of Sesame Street-inspired critical thinking, "Which one of these is not like the others?" One could spend all morning trying to apply it to Philip Haas's video installation, specially commissioned by the Kimbell Museum of Art for a free summer exhibition entitled Butchers, Dragons, Gods and Skeletons. Which one of these is not like the others? Butchers are alive, but so are dragons, depending on whether you're a knight. Skeletons aren't--unless, of course, they're inside bodies. They're all equally pseudo-creepy. Perhaps Sesame Street doesn't apply to fine art after all. But Haas' short films, accompanied by original music and ranging from seven to 20 minutes, are similar to that venerable TV staple in their seamless combination of the instructive with the creative. The films, projected on five screens and running continuously as an accompaniment to selected works of art, give artistic voice to the content of works ranging from ancient Chinese dragon-themed tapestries to the dark, surrealist works of 19th century artist James Ensor and the lighter Italian Baroque paintings of Annibale Carracci. The exhibition opens on Saturday with a book signing by Haas and a panel discussion on the intersection of film and art. For more information call 817-332-8451 or visit kimbellart.org.
Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: July 18. Continues through Oct. 25, 2009