“Three Places” (1984) by Antony Gormley (All photos by the author for Hyperallergic)
DALLAS — Dallas. It’s a city, it’s a vintage television soap opera, and it’s the home of Bush 43. But it’s also a hub of contemporary art? Though this Texas-sized city has a reputation for big hair, football, barbecue, and twang, it also has a long history of support for the visual arts. From the Dallas Museum of Art to the Nasher Sculpture Centre, the Dallas Contemporary, and their rival Fort Worth (which boasts the Amon Carter Museum, the Fort Worth Modern and the internationally renowned Kimbell Museum), the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex has it all. The area’s artistic holdings feature ancient Greco-Roman antiquities, Michelangelo’s first painting, and major exhibitions by contemporary artists like Olafur Eliasson and Kara Walker. Yet as great as these institutions are, one of the most interesting places to view art in Dallas is in a shopping mall.
Barry Flanagan’s “Large Leaping Hare” (1982) in the foreground and “Ad Astra” (2005) by Mark di Suvero in the background.
“Ad Astra” (2005) by Mark di Suvero
You might not initially expect to find major artworks from the 20th and 21st centuries in Northpark Center, a glitzy mall in the upscale Dallas Highland Park / Preston Hollow neighborhood. The center sports luxury retailers from Neiman Marcus to Barney’s Valentino, and Gucci, plus everything in between. Instead of the cellphone case, hand lotion, and self-tanning kiosks that we’re used to seeing nestled in between the high-end stores, however, Northpark instead presents art installations by Anthony Gormley, Andy Warhol, and James Rosenquist.
Opened in 1965 by real estate developer and art collector Raymond Nasher, Northpark was at that time the world’s largest indoor climate-controlled shopping center, and was revamped and expanded in 2006. That renovation doubled the retail floor space to just about 2,000,000 square feet. Rather than the lavish array of stores, gourmet restaurants, and a 15-screen movie theater, what makes the mall remarkable is its art. Nasher, who passed away in 2007, and his wife Patsy were avid art lovers and collectors, and amassed an impressive collection of some of the most sought-after sculptures in the world from Picasso, Matisse, Giacometti, and Serra to name a few artists. Those prizes are now housed primarily at the eponymous Nasher Sculpture Center in the Dallas Arts District.
“20 Elements” (2004-05) by Joel Shapiro
Nasher took his love of art and integrated it into his business and development practices. The collector’s vision to incorporate museum-quality art into the retail environment was groundbreaking — Nasher felt that if the average American shopper was not going to go to an art museum, then he would bring the art museum to the average American shopper. Thus, the Northpark Art Collection was born.
Claes Oldenburg’s “Corridor Pin, Blue” (1999) by the Nike store.
Whereas many museums worldwide are hurting for funding and attendance, some 26 million people view the Northpark Art Collection annually, an enviable audience. Though the art is right under the noses of all who walk into the center, one has to wonder if shoppers know what they’re looking at. The answer is that while some do, most don’t. A soccer mom taking her 16-year-old prom dress shopping may not realize that she is standing next to the two-story “Ad Astra” (2005) by Mark di Suvero, the only public di Suvero sculpture in the world that resides indoors. Does the husband rushing from store to store searching for a last-minute anniversary gift stop to contemplate the Frank Stella hanging on the wall, channeling art theory and history to fully comprehend the composition? Probably not. But then again, does that even matter? Does it matter if they stop and pensively gaze at the work with all the sanctimonious trappings of a museum or gallery goer and come away with the meaning of it all, or is enough to simply be exposed to it?
“Five Hammering Men” (1982) by Jonathan Borofsky
Though many of the people who pass through the doors of Northpark may be unaware that they are looking at the larger-than-life metal silhouettes of Jonathan Barofsky’s “Five Hammering Men” (1982), it doesn’t stop them from gawking at the sheer height of the installation, nor does it cause pause in the children who gleefully play at the hammering figures’ feet, mimicking the gestures of the immense sculptures. The vital aspect of it, I feel, is that visitors are actively engaging with the art, considering its presence, and taking a moment to look at the work. The 26 million visitors that Northpark receives every year may be unaware of the visual treat that lies in store for them when they arrive, but they will never forget it when they leave.
Beverly Pepper, “Dallas Land Canal (Dallas Hillside)” (1971–1972)
Northpark Center is located at 8687 North Central Expressway, Dallas, Texas.
as someone who grew up going to the mall, I was really surprised when I saw pieces in art history class and other museums that were by the same artists. I hadn’t the slightest that the pieces held much significance.
For another take on NorthPark by a local check this out: http://www.dmagazine.com/Home/D_Magazine/2012/December/NorthPark_Center_is_Dallas_Central_Park.aspx
Northpark was always my favorite mall even when it was smaller (actually I liked the smallness, but think the expansion was done perfectly). I guess because I was taken to museums a lot I knew that the art there was significant, but what I didn’t know is that it’s not common to have art in malls. My *mother* remembers going to Northpark when it was first built, it was always the “special treat” mall because of the cafe in NM. For me it is not just about the art, but that I’m happy to see Dallas recognizing the value of the history of a place once in a while. So often there is an idea that it is not profitable to keep things up, and this is ridiculous because people will come to shop, see shows, etc. in a historical or interesting building, or a building that incorporates art, because it’s *more fun* than being in the same strip mall that is across all of the US. Right now as I’m in Austin I’m really saddened to see that most of it has been mowed down to put up tacky looking condos and shopping centers that, yep, all look the same. To me the museum kills art specifically because people feel like they have to go there and stare at it. I get asked all of the time by friends and coworkers what they’re “supposed” to take away from this or that thing they saw in a museum. I wish museums were more like shopping malls. When the art is in an environment where it’s just an active part of the place, people I think get more out of it because they don’t try to get anything in particular. They’re allowed just to experience it however much or closely they want to.