New Summer Shows @ The Katzen Arts Center

Political cartooning is, by its nature, simple and direct. As a result, the collection is mainly effective because of its breadth and depth. The styles of the work vary from caricature to realism and reflect what Rogers calls an "ongoing debate" among cartoonists as to whether the emphasis should be on a cartoon's artistic merits or its message. It is clear after seeing the show that a cartoon's content controls and the art need only be passable in order to be effective. In fact, the most effective and humorous pieces were also the most simple.

As with the recent Saul Steinberg retrospective at the Smithsonian, this collection would have been more challenging if it were mounted three and a half years ago before it became safe to openly question and criticize American culture and politics. Art should generate discussion, but it remains to be seen if any substantive dialogue will come out of this exhibition because everyone who sees it will likely agree with its point of view.

While the material in Bush Leaguers is simple and direct, the work in True Dutterer is layered and nuanced. William Dutterer (1943-2007) began his career in D.C. but moved to New York in 1979. He saw his body of work as a patchwork quilt wherein individual pieces become all the more powerful when displayed with other pieces from the same period. The collection is a career retrospective that makes these connections and traces the artist's growth and changes in outlook.

Dutterer came out of the Washington Color School and its influence is clear in early pieces such as Equal No. 2, a simple pale blue canvas accentuated with two silver-gray bands. As time went on, Dutterer introduced more figurative elements to his work and the show presents many of these pieces. The most impressive set involves a character the painter dubbed, "Joe Diver." Jamie Johnson, Dutterer's wife, described Joe Diver as someone who explored the depths of the ocean, making incredible discoveries and encountering strange creatures in the process. The paintings often use bold colors, but these visual bursts are contrasted with muted and dark tones that hint at the ocean's obscurity.

The highlight of the exhibition is a series of images rendered in the last stage of Dutterer's career. The paintings, Soto Voce in Saffron (pictured), for example, focus on a head at various stages of wrapping. Dutterer created this figure in reaction to the post-9/11 conflict in Afghanistan, a country for which he had a great deal of affection. Even the color scheme of the paintings is inspired by the colors of Afghanistan and, in particular, Afghan rugs. Dutterer's objections to the war are clear as two of the paintings are captioned, "The first casualty of war is the truth." Seeing these figures, deprived of any input, leads us to wonder who did the wrapping and whether ignorance, especially in our country, is voluntary or the result of an outside force. Regardless, the series occupies a large wall of the gallery and absorbing all the paintings at once is a poignant experience.

Images of Terrorist Cells (2006) by Joel Pett and Soto Voce in Saffron provided by the American University Museum. Bush Leaguers and True Dutterer both run through July 29. The Katzen Arts Center is located at 4400 Massachusetts Ave., NW and is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.