COVER STORY .

Building Momentum

Re:Viewing A Passion for Perfection (and the Perelman itself).


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Published: Sep 19, 2007

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If you're reading this, chances are you already know about the Philadelphia Museum of Art's new satellite Perelman Building, designed in 1927 by Zantzinger, Borie and Medary, who had a hand in designing the main PMA building. Seasoned museum architect Richard Gluckman and his firm expanded the original structure to its current form.

Reviews of the renovation have been almost uniformly raves. A rare quibbler suggested the cathedral-like spaces tend to trivialize the sculpture on view. I'd say that most of the current sculpture is not quite cathedral caliber. In the much grander main museum hall, Diana and the big Calder mobile magnificently hold their own. Here, John Chamberlain's squashed automobile bodies are as impressive as anything on view. The unfortunately all-too-familiar curvy horned Picasso fits neatly at the end of the corridor, but not in a way that makes you stop and stare. However, the PMA has resources: I'm confident future exhibitions will do justice to the Perelman's space and light.

At the PMA, we waited 24 minutes for the shuttle bus to the Perelman. On the trip back, we waited 11. The bus is free but quirky. The small seats are not suitable for sharing with strangers. There's a folding mechanical ramp for wheelchairs, but I noticed two petite ladies with canes struggling to mount the high bottom step at the regular door.

Inside the Perelman, "A Passion for Perfection," a show focusing on three 20th-century clothing designers, is the main attraction. Ralph Rucci's clothes are beautifully constructed, housing the body with Japanese simplicity and restraint. Featuring his signature tiny waistband bows, Gustave Tassell's Eskimo-esque wedding dress in watered silk with a fur hood (1968) is most unusual. James "little black dress" Galanos' career spans the 1950s into the 21st century. His 1962 silk lace embroidered and hooded evening dress is a timeless standout. The new galleries are the ideal venue for such thoughtful and specific conjunctions.

The Perelman's café offers a fresh, simple luncheon or coffee. Outdoor seating was delightful on the day I visited. There'll be plenty of delightful days before Christmas, and a generous donor has made the Perelman free until then. Form your own opinion and let me know.

(r_rice@citypaper.net)

"A Passion for Perfection" continues at the Perelman through March 9, 2008. Robin Rice writes about the city's visual art scene in her biweekly Re:View column.