Dangerous Curves: Art of the Guitar at the MFA

Standing in front of the double doors at the entrance to the main exhibition gallery of the Museum of Fine Arts, I knew that I had not arrived at a typical art show. The rock guitarist spray-painted across the doors seemed to be a clue that the show would be a change of pace from the museum's usual fine arts fare, and indeed Dangerous Curves: Art of the Guitar is a big change for Boston's famous art museum. The show is attractive and will draw a large audience, but has a difficult time staying within its definition as an art exhibit, because so much of it is a historical tour of the guitar's evolution.

I had a great time wandering through the three large galleries that make up this exhibit. The audio tour is excellent; narrated by James Taylor and set up CD-style, it lets you go through the show at your own pace. When you want to know about one of the instruments, you simply punch the number on its glass case into your player to hear an explanation about it or music that was recorded with it. The music is essential to the show's success, because although the guitars' shapes are beautiful, most of their special appeal lies in their role as instruments, and hearing them makes them much more powerful as works of art and mediums of expression.

Going through the first gallery was pure pleasure. The guitars here are among the first created, made by artisans for wealthy patrons to play in their drawing rooms for small groups. They are small, delicate and exquisitely decorated according to their makers' imaginations. Many are inlaid with ivory, ebony, mother of pearl and tortoiseshell, and most have intricately carved rosettas in their centers. It was fascinating to see one made by Stradivarius; the famous violin-maker also had a wonderful sense for the guitar. The second gallery has novelties like a Dali-esque double guitar and harp guitars, but most of the instruments are less interesting to look at. The commentaries and the main angle of the room focus on the history of the instrument and the way in which it entered American mainstream music. The third gallery, a paean to the electric guitar, is dark except for the fluorescent lights over the instruments. It has a large screen repeating a 13-minute sequence of great rock moments, videos on the making of the instruments and collectors' items like John Lennon's first guitar, a guitar with six sets of strings and even an inflatable electric guitar. For die-hard rock-and-roll fans and history buffs, this room is a treasure trove, but the viewer without that background who comes to see an art show might walk away disappointed.

Dangerous Curves: Art of the Guitar is on view at the Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, through Feb. 25, 2001. For more information, call 267-9300.