Saturday, April 01, 2017

State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now


State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now is an exhibition at the Dixon Gallery, described by them:
Organized by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas

Over the course of one year, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s curatorial team logged more than 100,000 miles, traversing the United States to visit nearly 1,000 artists. Traveling to communities large and small, the museum found artists whose work engages broad audiences, demonstrates a high level of skill, and sparks conversation about important issues of our times. This one-of-a-kind exhibition, drawing from nearly every region, offers an unusually diverse and nuanced look at contemporary American art. State of the Art brings together works in a variety of mediums, including painting, photography, fiber, sculpture, video, ceramics, installation, and more. The exhibition examines how today’s artists are informed by the past, innovate with materials old and engage deeply with issues relevant to our community.
I enjoyed the opportunity to see current works by living artists. I had several favorites.

Plastic Lila, 2013, by Sheila Gallagher; Melted plastic on armature:


Seeing it in person you can better see the color and texture. I wanted to take it home with me to have it on my wall. Honestly, this is a piece you'd never tire of living with. The artist discusses the work here:



This mosaic is made from lottery tickets with UV coating on panel:


It's called End of the Spectrum and is from 2011 by Ghost of a Dream (Adam Eckstrom and Lauren Was).

This is Anthropocene I (Supernature), 2012, oil, enamel, acrylic, varnish, plastic and patinas on copper over wood:


and it's by Pam Longobardi.

The Dixon has a wonderful permanent collection, but their changing exhibitions and gardens are also a reason to check them out frequently. There's always something you haven't seen before.



6 comments:

  1. Wow. Cool art. I love how creative some people are and how many modern artists use so many unusual things to make gorgeous art. I'm with you. Loving those flowers. Hugs-erika

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    1. It's always good for me to see that "art" isn't some historical artifact that happened long ago. The art world is thriving!

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  2. I truly wish I collected plastic, because it is one thing I try to avoid. However, if I had enough plastic, I would melt it and make a piece that I would send to you. Of course, I also was overwhelmed by the lottery tickets and how precisely the artist cut and matched each line. And since I collect copper, the last one made me sit up and take note. You picked some wonderful pieces to share. I hope you have more.

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    1. The lottery ticket piece was amazing, as you say, in how the pieces were matched and fit together so precisely! And melting plastic is such a cool way to use the material. Just stunning, I thought :)

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  3. I love recycled art and these are exceptional. :)

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    1. The choice of materials surprised me. I was impressed by what they achieved in beauty from bits of what I think of as "trash". Certainly not trash in the right hands!

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