Hemphill’s “Viewing Rm.” Includes Must-See Pieces
Hemphill Fine Art’s “The Viewing Rm.” opened January 15. Click on the collage for the slide show. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Luis Gomez
“The Viewing Rm.” exhibition opened Saturday night at Hemphill Fine Arts on 14th Street and includes paintings, mixed media, sculpture, works on paper, photography and video installation. The exhibition includes some stunning pieces, particularly those from the 1960s. While the casual gallery-goer or new-condo-buyer won’t find a cute, affordable piece to buy on a whim, the pieces are a must-see among current exhibitions in the neighborhood. It runs through March 26.
As Hemphill explains:
In 2004, a relocation to our current 14th Street address allowed us to design office and private viewing spaces for the display of artworks of special interest to individual collectors, pieces representing rare acquisition opportunities and works that we, the staff, find to be uniquely powerful. Viewing Rm. aims to share the back room experience with a larger audience by bringing a selection of those artworks out into the exhibition spaces of the gallery.
Four of my favorite pieces among the 29 in the exhibition:
- “Red Twelve,” Thomas Downing, 1965, acrylic on canvas ($48,000)
- “Trickle,” Robin Rose, 2008, encaustic on linen on aluminum hexcel panel ($18,000)
- “Insomnia,” Robert Richenburg, 1959, oil on canvas ($46,000)
- “Secretary at West German Radio Station,” August Sander, 1931, gelatin silver print ($4,000)
Hemphill is at 1515 14th Street NW, north of P Street between The Studio Theatre and Posto restaurant. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm, or by appointment.
