ART AND INTRIGUE
THESE SHOWS KEEP UP THE INTENSITY THIS SEASON.
“Donald Sultan: The Disaster Paintings.” Drawing on media images of catastrophes, Donald Sultan’s so-called “Disaster Paintings” from the 1980s showcase industrial landscapes undone by natural events. Large in scale, heavy in presence, his muscular paintings—which are made in part with industrial materials such as tar, tile, and latex—also capture an unexpected beauty and vulnerability. Through September 4 at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Eighth and F Streets NW, 202-633-7970; americanart.si.edu
“Matthias Mansen: &RQƓJXUDWLRQV Ő Matthias Mansen’s woodblock prints range in mood from somber to joyful. Sometimes they look dour in black and white; sometimes they appear in outrageous pastel rainbow hues. Often combining impressions from more than one woodblock, his graphic prints tend to look busy, almost musical, whether they are sober or intoxicated. Opens July 23 at the National Gallery of Art, between Third and Ninth Streets along Constitution Avenue NW, 202-737-4215; nga.gov