State of the Nation

edited by Sheila Kim -- Interior Design, 1/1/2004 12:00:00 AM

Washington, D.C., has elections on its mind—and the Corcoran Gallery of Art is considering the political and cultural landscape of the nation, too. "American Paradigms: David Opdyke and Lane Twitchell" takes on those themes via the chosen mediums of the two New York artists: miniature models and paper cutouts, respectively.

Among the combined 25 works, Opdyke's molded-plastic Oil Empire pokes fun at the monstrous grid of pipelines stretching across the country while simultaneously stressing the convenience of the distribution system. Twitchell's doilylike Mythic America or How the West Was One depicts symbols of the country's expansionist, industrial history, such as the "golden spike" that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads to become the first transcontinental route. February 14–April 5; 202-639-1700; corcoran.org.