Of Accidental Origin: Works from the Lamont Gallery Collection

In our journey to find artwork for Saltonstall House, we came across many perfect fits and many not so perfect fits. This untitled piece by Keiji Shinohara was considered for many weeks and even brought to be framed, until the more detail oriented Japanese prints became evidently more eye-catching while this piece was often described as "flat." One reason for this may be that the print was actually an attempted copy of Hiroshige’s Miyanokoshi which made the artwork feel somewhat less genuine than the other Japanese original works the gallery owned. The piece, due to its cartoonish simplicity, was unofficially titled MS Paint (Microsoft Paint) during the process by the curatorial team and ultimately felt too simplistic and uninteresting to be placed in the dining room alongside more sophisticated and original artworks.

Of Accidental Origin   Saltonstall House Curatorial Project, 2017-2018  Fueled by Art Advisory Board meetings, Art Department consultations, and unanimous votes, Lamont Gallery director, John Wharton, drafted an argument for the sale of the permanent collection in 1977.  From its  beginnings, the Lamont Gallery was meant to serve the community through hosting educational, traveling exhibitions.  Collecting and maintaining artwork was not in the mission statement, but yet, in 1977, Mr. Wharton found himself with an unwieldy, unorganized collection.   Then comprised mostly of 18th century British prints and paintings, Mr. Wharton believed that collection was too specific, and perhaps, “too overwhelming” for high school students to “explore as thoroughly as it demands.” The majority of the collection did not leave its basement storage due to the belief that the collection was “too random and disjointed to contribute shows to the Lamont Gallery which...

Much like a Quentin Tarantino film, I’m going to introduce this project by showcasing the climax first, much like when Tarantino presents the audience with his rugged protagonist: tired, bruised and bloody, beaten down, and on the verge of achieving redemption. Obviously, this curatorial project was not as melodramatic as that and no one is out seeking redemption or revenge (and thankfully, no one ever bruised or bloodied themselves).  But we, the Saltonstall House Curatorial team, are certainly worn down from all the moments that preceded this one.  From back to front: Keiji Shinohara (after the style of  Andō  Hiroshige),  Miyanokoshi;  Joan Miró,  L’Ete , 1938;  Japanese Print and Double Sided Woodblock (unpictured), Artist and Date Unknown In my opinion, the peak of this five-month, student-run curatorial project is the exhibition postcard.   Mo...