Modernism, like all good artistic and cultural movements, spans many years and decades and has many branches and sub-branches. Folks who say “I don’t like Modern art” are making a very, very big sweeping statement, a massive generalization, brushing away almost two centuries of art.

Most scholars point to the Impressionists of the mid- to late 1800s as the vanguard of Modern Art. If you go to the Prado Museum with me, I will prove this theory wrong. Let me know when you are in Madrid!

But back to this blog post. The Boca Raton Museum of Art is hosting a small but powerful exhibit: Modernisms, Art from the Manes Collection. It is very well curated, starting with Renoir and making its way to Robert Mapplethorpe, with wonderful works by Picasso, Chagall, Dali, and, possibly, my favorite in this exhibit, Jasper Johns’ 1980 American Flag.

Jasper Johns is considered one of the founders of Pop Art, and his flags, which paradoxically resemble the flag of the United States, are truly works of art; one must look closely, then step back, and repeat as necessary until one gets it. At the same time, Johns is a gateway into minimalism (which I talked about here). Can you tell I love the double entendre? The visual game?

So, if you are going to be in South Florida anytime before October 11, go see this exhibition. You are welcome.