Artist Val Lewton

Bergman's Laundry Demolition

Date1986

MediumAcrylic on canvas

Dimensions30 1/2 × 60 in. (77.5 × 152.4 cm) Framed Size: 32 1/2 × 62 in. (82.6 × 157.5 cm)

Credit LineDC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Art Bank Collection

Object numberDCCAH2016.023.2

ClassificationsPaintings

Locations

Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (3400 9th St. NE)

DescriptionVal Lewton’s paintings of DC’s downtown area, Ward 2, represent the changing neighborhoods near the Smithsonian American Art Museum, where he worked as Exhibit Designer for over 30 years. He documented his everyday familiar sites- the failing neighborhoods and the demolition making way for development and gentrification. Intrigued with the compositions and colors made possible by the ravages of decay and equipment, he captured the changes and created beauty out of the ordinary. Lewton’s loose brushwork and command of color were well served by these choices.