The Aesthetic Refinement of ‘Primitive Ukiyo-e’ at the Honolulu Museum of Art, November 23 to January 26, 2020
The works of woodblock printmaking pioneers Hishikawa Moronobu and Torii Kiyomasu II consist of lyrical and visually complex images created before the invention of the multiblock printing method. Graphic designers, and those with a designer’s eye, will appreciate the craft and composition of these prints. The influence of the artists shared publisher, Urokogataya Magobei, is also examined. honolulumuseum.org
Art on Two Wheels at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, to November 24
From the collection of David McGraw, an exhibit of American motorcycles and other fine machines. Be warned: you’ll long to ride them home. cultural-center.org and capecodharley.com
The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō at the Dallas Museum of Art, to November 24
Utagawa Hiroshige’s 1834 woodblock print series depicts the 53 resting places along the royal road known as the Tōkaidō, as well as the beginning and end points. Hiroshige’s blend of European painting perspective and the refined linear renderings of Japanese landscape tradition imbues daily life with a kind of nobility. dma.org
Not Visible to the Naked Eye: Inside a Senufo Helmet Mask at the Dallas Museum of Art, November 23 to January 3, 2021
An incredible item in its own right, the experience of this African mask is enhanced by CT scans that reveal unexpected materials beneath the mask’s surface. The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the museum’s conservation and African arts departments and UT Southwestern Medical Center. dma.org
Our Curious Objects podcast recently explored another emerging trend in new museology that may be of interest: neuroscience.
