Why So Many?

Latin American Art Retrospectives

by Andrew Parks

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Published: Sep 21, 2006

It's hard to tell how much attention Europeans paid to Latin American art when they decimated entire civilizations, but several new exhibitions point to some cross-cultural pollination before and after the conquering.

The Art Museum's "The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820" offers more than 260 pieces from the Spanish vice royalties. The collection comprises paintings, sculpture, shell-inlaid furniture and documents that illustrate the earliest contact between Europeans and Latin America's indigenous people.

While its more than 40 artifacts seem measly in comparison, Penn considers "Under European Eyes" an extension of the PMA's exhibit, a fair assessment given unique pieces like a gold- and emerald-encrusted Panamanian pendant, an Aztec god sculpture and an elaborate quipu time-keeping device.

On a relatively bloodless note, there's also Arthur Ross Gallery's overview of Annemarie Heinrich's prolific career, a photographer who captured portraits of artists and stars during the rise of Argentina's film industry. Everything from glamour shots to nudes are represented, all gussied up with her double exposure technique and striking lighting effects.

Runs through Oct. 15, free, Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 S. 34th St., 215-898-1479, www.upenn.edu/ARG

Runs through Dec. 21, $20, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and the Parkway, 215-763-8100, www.philamuseum.org

Opens Sat., Sept. 23, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., $8 donation, University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3260 South St., 215-898-4000, www.museum.upenn.edu

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