National Portrait Gallery: "American Cool"

American Cool: so cool I walked it twice. Backward and forward.

The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Smithsonian Family, which means you know it's good. Located in Chinatown at 8th and F getting to the NPG is easy, there are at least 5 metro stops within a mile, so save yourself money and interact with the locals in the underground world. The NPG shares a home with the American Art Museum in a beautiful historic building named after someone who gave a lot of money (Reynolds). 

Once outside the museum take a moment to look around; the area is alive with activity. If you have any food or drink be sure to finish that before going inside. I sat among the middle schoolers and finished my coffee and enjoyed a few minutes of mindless people watching (don't worry, I was wearing headphones, didn't have to listen to middle schooler gossip). 

After you have finished whatever beverage you have, make your way inside. To the left is the American Art Museum, to the right the Portrait Gallery.  The exhibit I went to see, American Cool, was on level two so I wandered aimlessly until I figured out where I was going. I walked through Dancing the Dream (now through July 13, 2014). An exhibit chronicling dance in America. One room had Beyonce performing "Single Ladies" on a projector screen. Not your average snooze fest museum. (By the way I love museums, so don't get offended.)

Down the hall was a permanent exhibit of old Americans (not the official title): Benny Franklin, TJ, etc. Portraits you see in your high school history books. Not gonna lie, it was pretty cool to see those in person. History comes to life! (Or ya know portraiture.) Around the corner was the Yousuf Karsh American Portraits exhibit (now through April 27, 2014 and May 2 through November 2, 2014). Lots of recognizable faces in there: Einstein, Hemingway, Eleanor Roosevelt...Finally figured out where American Cool was and took the elevator to level two. 

My heart was pounding with excitement, I had been wanting to see this exhibit for several months now. The neon sign beckoned me in and there was Jay-Z. I don't read everything, but I always make it a point to read the introduction written on the wall at the beginning. What I loved is they did not claim to be cool experts and that the word itself was subjective. To be considered the person had to fit into three of the four criteria: 

• 1.) an original artistic vision carried off with a signature style

• 2.) cultural rebellion or transgression for a given generation

• 3.) iconic power, or instant visual recognition

• 4.) a recognized cultural legacy

• After I read the introduction I was feeling especially inspired. The exhibit was broken up into four time periods of cool. At first I walked in the wrong order (oops, but really come on there wasn't a sign or anything). I started in the Cool and the Counterculture: 1960-79. This was the sex, drugs and rock and roll area. It had Andy Warhol, Bob Dylan, Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicholson, John Travolta, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Cash and Marvin Gaye, to name a few of my favs. I took a secret picture of Jimi (shhhh...no photography allowed).

Next up (again I'm going backward) The Birth of Cool: 1940-59. The jazz era cats, the likes of Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Humphrey Bogart (Casablanca is still one of the best movies ever made) Elvis and Audrey (my favorite actress; I could and often do watch 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' on a loop) and James Dean aka the epitome of cool.

The Roots of Cool: before 1940 was my next step (supposed to be the first). Ernest Hemingway, Dorothy Parker, Georgia O'Keefe and Fred Astaire were featured in this section. They existed during prohibition and even earlier eras, and began the "cool movement" before we even had a word for it.

In the main hall was The legacies of Cool: 1980 to present. This had a little bit of everything. From Jay-Z to Jon Stewart, Johnny Depp, Madonna, Michael Jordan and Missy Elliott, oh and Tony Hawk skateboarding in his kitchen while his family enjoys breakfast. This one, naturally, had the most recognizable faces. I spent the most time reading in here. Willie Nelson had a beautiful color portrait at the end of the hall wearing his iconic red bandana. Somewhat hidden right beyond that was their list of Alt-100. The people that could have made the cut, but didn't for whatever reason. Again they remind you they aren't cool experts.

Noticeably missing from all this is Marilyn Monroe. Just a quick side note.

Two last thoughts as to what made this exhibit so...cool.

1. It made me take my headphones out (at least until the people near me got loud and annoying) because each gallery played iconic songs of the eras they portrayed. And they had an interactive station in a few rooms where you could watch clips of the cool people featured.

And 2. Photographers Richard Avedon and Annie Lebowitz are two of my biggest inspirations and they were responsible for many of the portraits featured. If you aren't familiar with either of their work, look it up!

Like I said I walked through twice. The second time around I had figured out my mistake and walked in the proper direction. Honestly though, it didn't matter, the exhibit was impactful whichever room you started in. To see all that "coolness" in one area was an afternoon well spent. Go see this before it goes away in September!

The Introduction

(It's also on the website)

My "secret" photos

http://www.npg.si.edu