Birds of America: John James Audubon
February 2, 2008-May 31, 2008
The Charles Deere collection of 98 John James Audubon “Birds of America” Bien edition prints has recently been conserved and re-framed. This is a rare opportunity to see a large number of these popular elephant folio (approximately 3’ x 2’ in size) prints. Audubon’s contribution to ornithology, first published as engravings in 1838 after Audubon’s watercolors, was revolutionary. Instead of a static portrait Audubon chose dramatic almost cinematic portrayals of the birds, life sized, in their natural surroundings.
John James Audubon (1784-1851) was born in the West Indies on the island of Saint Domingue (present day Haiti and Dominican Republic) and was raised in France, studying art briefly under Jacques-Louis David. In 1803 he left for America where he worked as a naturalist and taxidermist. His lifelong interest in ornithology resulted in a comprehensive record of all of the bird species of North America. Unable to find a publisher in the U.S., he went to England in 1826 where the London firm of Havel & Son issued his great work in large folio volumes of hand colored aquatints. Julius Bien’s chromolithograph edition was published in 1858, seven years after the artist died and was overseen by John Woodhouse Audubon, the artist’s son.
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Clear Your Mind: Contemporary Glass Invitational
February 02, 2008-May 11, 2008
Free with paid admission or membership
This exhibition displays the unique approaches of contemporary glass artists that combine both a respect for tradition and a cultural defiance. These artists use the material as personal expression and transcend the obvious by an in-depth study of technique, history, and knowledge of traditional art forms. The objects range from highly refined glass blowing to an almost brutal use of the medium. Artists include Hank Murta Adams, Sonja Blomdahl, Nancy Callan, William Carlson, Dante and Paul Marioni, Michael Meilahn, Jay Musler, Walt Lieberman, Michael Rogers, Dick Weiss, and Brent Kee Young.
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Far Out! The 60s and 70s: Works from the Collection
February 16, 2008-June 8, 2008
The 1960s and 1970s were tumultuous years in America’s history. Assassinations, the Viet Nam War, Woodstock, the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of feminism and gay rights, Richard Nixon’s resignation, gas lines and economic recession, and the rise of environmentalism all marked the social and economic landscape. Art underwent similar upheaval. Artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns sought ways to undermine Abstract Expressionism and mainstream art in general. Andy Warhol embraced popular culture and mass media. Op artists used glaring colors and abstract patterns to produce illusions of pulsing movement. Sculptors such as Harry Bertoia made works that were interactive—meant to be touched. This exhibition from the permanent collection reflects the era’s turbulence and some of the many art movements of these two decades. Artists include Johns, Rauschenberg, Warhol, Bertoia, Lee Krasner, Jim Dine, Robert Motherwell, Red Grooms, and Clayton Gorder.For more details
Mother and Child: Henry Moore's West Dean Tapestries
April 12, 2008-January 11, 2009
Primarily known for his abstract monumental bronzes, modern master Henry Moore commissioned 8 tapestries to be woven at the West Dean Tapestry Studio in 1975. This exhibition will showcase both the tapestries, the drawings for which originated in the 1940's, inspired by the birth of Moore's only child, Mary. The tapestries, made from Moore's directions, represent charcoal, wax crayon, pastel, chalk and felt-tipped pen washed over with watercolor. The result is an accurate and pleasing translation of Moore's drawings interpreted in wool, cotton and silk. This is the first time the tapestries have been exhibited in the United States. Organized by the Figge Art Museum and Mary Moore.
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Teapots: Object to Subject
June 16, 2008-August 11, 2008
The traditional teapot has a familiar shape and silhouette—the angled spout and gently looping handle. Selected from the finest entries in the 2004 Survey of Contemporary American Teapots at the Craft Alliance, St. Louis, Missouri, this exhibition of 45 ceramic, metal, and mixed media works challenges the concept of the teapot as a predictable utilitarian vessel. As it becomes more abstracted, function becomes less relevant—the subject of the work becomes the primary focus—the object becomes a secondary concern. Artists include internationally known and collected Richard Notkin, Bennett Bean, Michael Simon, and Noi Volkov as well as emerging artists.For more details
When Gold Blossoms: Indian Jewelry from the Susan L. Beningson Collection
May 31, 2008-August 24, 2008
This exhibition of 150 objects of 17th through 19th c. South Indian jewelry underscores the significance of ornamentation in Indian culture. For thousands of years jewelry has held power as a signifier in religion and society. Accessories both imbue a god with greater power and represent the devotion of the worshipper. To adorn a person is to offer him or her protection, prosperity, respect, and social definition. Gold is thought to have the power to purify those it touches and gems are thought to focus planetary influences that benefit those who wear them. Photographs from the 19th and 20th centuries will be displayes alongside the jewelry to provide fuller understanding of the ways in which jewelry is both worn and used
Organized by the Asia Society and Museum, NY; toured by American Federation of Arts
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