Exhibition Status: Past

Roloff Beny

roloff

Roloff Beny

Portraits

“Roloff’s personal portrait archive is a veritable index of mid-twentieth century high society.”

– Patrick Leonard, author of Roloff Beny and the Canadian Male

“These portraits were often commissioned, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, by magazines whose names have become synonymous with the style and elegance of the period: Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Queen. They record leading figures in the worlds of dance, opera, music, literature, cinema, theatre, and fashion.”

– Queen’s Quarterly

Presented in cooperation with the National Archives of Canada and the Roloff Beny Foundation, this luminous exhibition of black-and-white photographs spanned the whole of Beny’s portraits of influential artists, writers, and performers, and served as documentation of the 20th century avant-garde tradition and community.

Born Wilfred Roy Beny in the Alberta city of Medicine Hat, Beny began his artistic life as a highly regarded abstract painter and printmaker, but soon discovered a passion for photography that took him into new artistic spheres and around the world, where he chronicled the life, art, and natural vistas of regions both remote and majestic. His efforts to capture and define the dramatic landscapes, cultures, and physiognomies of Northern Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Levant—particularly the Greco-Roman edifices of the Mediterranean littoral—earned him the nickname “the Marco Polo from Medicine Hat.”

Among Beny’s most fascinating photo essays are his hundreds of unique portrait sittings—many of them commissioned by upscale magazines—of the leading lights of his day (1950s – 1980s) in the worlds of music, dance, literature, cinema, and fashion. This exhibition of some of his finest (and most intimate) portraits was arranged in conjunction with the Spoleto Festival USA and the city of Charleston, South Carolina.

ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection

retooled

ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection

Tools as Art, both the premise and title of John Hechinger’s collection, is the culmination of a relationship between man and his tools….[his] discerning and keen eye has amassed an important group of works worthy of museums.

– ReTooled artist Arman,exerpt from Tools as Art, Sarah Tanguy

"I felt that if I could show my associates how so many artists had celebrated the handsaw or the hammer or the paint brush, they would be aware of the intrinsic beauty of the simple objects that they handled by the tens of thousands. They were not only the focus of their workdays, but our company’s very lifeblood."

– John Hechinger

ReTooled brings life to the unexpected subject of tools by profiling 28 visionary artists from the Hechinger Collection including Arman, Anthony Caro, Richard Estes, Howard Finster, Red Grooms, Jacob Lawrence, Fernand Léger, Roger Shimomura, and H.C. Westermann; photographers Berenice Abbott, William Eggleston, and Walker Evans; and pop artists Jim Dine, Claes Oldenburg, and James Rosenquist. Featuring more than 40 imaginative paintings, sculptures, works on paper and photographs, the exhibition consists of four sections that dynamically frame the themes of this collection into accessible categories: Objects of Beauty; Material Illusions; Instruments of Satire; and Tools: An Extension of Self.

Some of the artists represent tools with reverence to accentuate their purity of design. Others transform and distort tools to highlight their tragic obsolescence in a technological age. But all of the works remind us that tools embody the can-do spirit that defines America and the quest to improve our quality of life.

The Hechinger Collection
What began in the 1980s as an initiative to make his rapidly expanding hardware company’s new headquarters appear less bare resulted in John Hechinger’s acquisition of a tool-inspired collection of diverse 20th century art. Illuminating a variety of modern and contemporary art that celebrates an overlooked subject through pun, wit, and wonder, The Hechinger Collection has exhibited at venues such as the National Building Museum, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, the Joslyn Art Museum, and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design. To learn more about IA&A's Hechinger Collection, click here.

Please contact Eileen Streeter for more information.

Nature, Tradition, and Innovation

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Nature, Tradition and Innovation: Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Gordon Brodfuehrer Collection

“Mingei International was delighted to host the first public viewing of this important San Diego collection of contemporary Japanese ceramics. Each object, from platters and vases to sake and tea cups, bears a profound connection to and dialogue with nature. Our museum visitors enjoyed learning about the ancient kiln sites and techniques as they are used and practiced today, and that these traditions are still thriving.”
– Christine Knoke, Director of Exhibitions and Chief Curator, Mingei International Museum

Bold and sculptural, innovative and organic…

This exhibition celebrates more than 40 contemporary Japanese ceramists who are inspired by the natural world. Mountains, waterfalls, ocean shores, and bamboo groves are depicted in a rich variety of forms comprising 62 ceramic works—from exquisite flower vases and serene tea bowls to whimsical sake cups and robust platters—revealing the earthly beauty of Japanese ceramics. Select pieces are paired with digital photographs, taken by photographer Taijiro Ito, that highlight their poetic connection to nature.

The featured ceramists are closely associated with many of Japan’s traditional pottery centers and are supporters of the mingeimovement, in which objects of unsurpassed beauty are made for everyday use.

The exhibition is organized by the Mingei International Museum in San Diego, California, and curated by Christine Knoke, director of exhibitions and chief curator.

The Art of Rube Goldberg

The Art of Rube Goldberg

“Goldberg’s cartoons touch the edge of modern art.”

– Adam Gopnik, New Yorker Magazine

The Art of Rube Goldberg explores the legendary career of Rube Goldberg (1883-1970), one of the most celebrated and influential cartoonists of all time. Marking the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Goldberg’s work since 1970, The Art of Rube Goldberg chronicles all aspects of the artist’s seventy-two year career, from his earliest published drawings and iconic inventions to his Pulitzer Prize-winning political cartoons and beyond.

Bringing together never-before-exhibited original drawings and preparatory sketches alongside rare photographs, films, letters and memorabilia from the Goldberg family archives, the exhibition offers an intimate and unprecedented look into the singular contributions and enduring legacy of one of America’s most famous illustrators.

The Art of Rube Goldberg was organized by Creighton Michael and Heirs of Rube Goldberg, LLC, New York, New York and was curated by Maxim Weintraub, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor at Hunter College.

Richard Hunt

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Richard Hunt: Affirmations

“Richard Hunt’s position within the pantheon of American sculptors is secured.”

– PR Newswire

“The cumulative effect of the works is one of passion . . . Therein lies the power and beauty of Hunt’s invigorating sculptures.”

– Horace Brockington, Art historian/Curator

A comprehensive mini-retrospective covering 30 years of Richard Hunt’s career as one of America’s most successful creators of public art, Richard Hunt: Affirmations gathered some of his boldest creations. Hunt is unequaled as a prolific creator of expressive metalwork, most of which combines abstract modernism with a rich allusiveness animated by nature, mythology, and aspects of African-American culture. His fragmentary, yet fluid, sculptural vision draws from Cubism, Surrealism, and Machine Age Style, though permeated by a highly personal social intelligence. Hunt has created over 100 public sculptures—more than any other artist in the United States—and was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be one of the first artists to serve on the governing board of the National Endowment for the Arts.

International Arts & Artists was commissioned to develop and install this exhibition, as well as to create a catalogue for the then-new Museum of African American History in Detroit, Michigan. The exhibition included lithographs, maquettes, installation photos, and bronzes of various sizes, including 13 life-size works installed outside the museum. A selection of the artist’s own collection of African art was also included as an educational supplement.

Habsburg Treasures

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Habsburg Treasures: Renaissance Tapestries from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

“The 16th century Flemish tapestry collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum is widely known as one of the greatest in existence.”

— Jan Sjostrom, Palm Beach Daily News

“The tapestries are astounding in technique.”

— Tommye McClure Scanlin, Works in Progress, tapestry blog

The tapestry collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria, is renowned as one of the most important in the world. This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition treats one of the most beloved themes in the Flemish weaver’s repertoire: scenes from the legendary founding of Rome by twin brothers Romulus and Remus.

For centuries, tapestry was the most fashionable art form among the European elite—far more costly and prestigious than painting or sculpture, and prized as a symbol of family wealth, rank, and power. Beyond its exquisite beauty, a well-made tapestry served a number of practical uses: to the cold interiors of castles it brought needed insulation as well as vibrant color; and in times of war it could be taken on campaigns to serve as a rallying banner. Most tapestries incorporated, in their gold- and silver-laced weaves, heroic tableaux from history and myth that were intended to promote their owners’ illustrious pedigrees. For the House of Habsburg, the story of Romulus and Remus (and the founding of Rome) served as mythic analog for the Habsburgs’ centuries-long occupancy of the throne of the Holy Roman Empire.

Richly woven from silk, wool, and gold and silver thread, the eight tapestries in the exhibition come from two different series: six from the Brussels atelier of Frans Geubels, and two from the bequest of King Francis I (1708-1765). The latter series presents the story of the twin founders in a similar composition. Together, these eight newly-restored tapestries narrate the familiar story and provide spectacular examples of Brussels tapestry production in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Reflections

reflection-the lives, traditions, and environments of African Americans

Reflections: African American Life from the Myrna Colley-Lee Collection

Reflections presents the lives, traditions, and environments of African Americans from the 20th century to the present… It allows viewers to connect the strong tradition of storytelling by African Americans, with the sense of place that is largely unique to Southerners.

Reflections tells a highly personal story of community and place through a selection of the extensive collection of costume designer and arts patron Myrna Colley-Lee. Featuring 50 works, including paintings, works on paper, photographs, and fabric works, Reflections presents the lives, traditions, and environments of African Americans from the 20th century to the present. The exhibition focuses largely on the figurative and representational, presenting pieces by such noted artists as Romare Bearden, James Van Der Zee, Elizabeth Catlett Mora, Eudora Welty, and Betye Saar. Together, these complementary works present a snapshot of life from within the African American community as well as by artists working in close proximity to it.

Myrna Colley-Lee is credited as one of the foremost costume designers in the Black Theatre movement. Her collection juxtaposes work by leading artists with that of lesser known, yet equally compelling creators, offering a wide view of African American life and culture.

Quilt Art

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Quilt Art: International Expressions

“Who knew the art of quilting could be such delicious fun?”

– Steve Siegel, The Morning Call

“As the north winds blow, wrap those you love in the warmth of colorful quilts, and don’t forget to see ‘Quilt Art: International Expressions.'”

– Phillyburbs.com

“[A] true dazzler. The show’s 40 pieces by 24 contemporary quilt artists from nine countries provide a thoughtful, penetrating review of some of the best quiltmaking today.”

– Victoria Donohoe, The Inquirer

Quilt Art: International Expressions celebrated the revolutionary accomplishments and visions of 21 contemporary artists from eight countries (Belgium, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, and the United States). For the first time, North American audiences were shown dozens of stunning fabric works that demonstrated once and for all the power of quilting as a demanding art form that deserves global recognition.

While adhering to the traditional elements of the craft (three layers, including a top; a middle layer, or batting; and a backing), each artist of Quilt Art brought a distinctive approach to their work—whether based on observation or on a desire to express personal or social issues—and the results were diverse, dynamic, and challenging. The artists explored a range of abstract, depictive, and thought-provoking ideas with an ever-changing variety of surface techniques, masterfully integrated with color, texture, and stitch. Some used photographic transfers or digitally programmed embroidery to decorate their materials; others used stencils, prints, applique, plastic, acrylic paints, or rust stains made with old nails. Some quilts were abstract arrangements of form and color; others, kaleidoscopic patchworks of windblown skies, leaves, or landscapes, sometimes incorporating thematic (or symbolic) objects such as clothing, vases, weaponry, even food.

The artisans of the Quilt Art Movement, though practicing an ancient craft and separated by nationality, background, and (sometimes) by generation, observe the same three precepts: to remain distinctive in their art; to keep their work fresh and relevant; and to bring it to a wider audience. In Quilt Art, IA&A showcased the spellbinding fruits of their painstaking artistry in a one-of-a-kind exhibition.

PostSecret

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PostSecret

“Sometimes when we think we are keeping a secret that secret is actually keeping us.”

— Frank Warren, founder and curator of PostSecret

“Everybody has a secret lurking somewhere in the closet of their soul. Frank Warren harbors a half-million of them.”

– Wendell Brock, Atlanta Journal Constitution

In November 2004, Frank Warren began his community art project by handing out postcards to strangers or leaving them in public places in the Washington, D.C. area. Each self-addressed card invited people to anonymously share a secret. The two requirements were: The secret had to be true and it had to be something that had never been told to another person. Today, Warren has been mailed more than 500,000 highly personal postcards, many of them artfully decorated, illustrating the soulful secrets we carry with us but never voice. His local art project, which soon grew into an international phenomenon, has spawned five New York Times bestsellers, an award-winning website that receives more than four million visitors a month, and an art exhibition that theWashington Post has ranked among the top five of 2005.

This extraordinary exhibition of more than 400 postcards brings together the most powerful, poignant, and beautifully intimate secrets Warren has received. In many cases, the illustrations on these cards are just as compelling as the confessions themselves. PostSecret unflinchingly exposes our rich interior lives, revealing the best and worst of what dwells there.

The exhibition came fully designed with a mounting system of 15 wall-hung and 5 free-standing units; enlarged postcards; a DVD of the media coverage (Good Morning America, CNN, and more), as well as a music video inspired by the project. Additionally, museums had the option of supplementing the exhibit with a wide range of programming, including a book talk and signing with the author; a collecting of anonymous secrets from visitors for a local reaction to the topic; and more.

Polaridad Complementaria

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Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba

“To be able to see an exhibition of current work of this magnitude is remarkable. Some of these artists have phenomenal reputations in other parts of the world but are little known in the U.S. One of the illusions we have here is that just because we have imposed an embargo on Cuba, everyone else has, too.”

– David Furchgott, President, International Arts & artists

“Together, working in diverse media and exploring multiple themes, they and their compatriots forge a narrative of contemporary Cuba.”

– Bill Thompson, The Post and Courier

Polaridad Complementaria: Recent Works from Cuba is a major exhibition developed by the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana, offering American audiences a rare opportunity to experience firsthand some of the island’s most innovative new artworks. The exhibition includes 54 works of painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, video, and installation art by 27 Cuban artists: Juan Carlos Alom, Lidzie Alvisa, Nelson Arellano, Augustin Bejarano, Abel Barroso, Luis Enrique Camejo, Duvier del Dago, Ricardo Elías, Adonis Flores, Aimée García, Glenda León, Frank Martínez, René Peña, Douglas Pérez, Fernando Rodríguez, Ángel Ramírez, Sandra Ramos, Santiago Rodríguez Olazábal, Lázaro Saavedra, Ludmila Velasco, and Reinerio Tamayo. Their work, which incorporates elements and motifs of Spanish, African, Caribbean, and North American culture, opens a revelatory dialogue between long-isolated Cuba and the larger world.

Polaridad Complementaria attests to the aesthetic and conceptual caliber of Cuban art today, as well as to the unparalleled freedoms enjoyed by its new generation of artists, some of whose work is known for its fierce social and political commentary. This exhibition was developed by curators Margarita Sánchez and Jorge Rodriguez at the Centro de Arte Contemporáneo Wifredo Lam, Havana. The Center is a cultural institution dedicated to the study, research, and promotion of contemporary visual arts from developing countries in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean.