Arts Summary

June 17, 2019

Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet at The Morgan Library & Museum, June 14 – October 6, 2019

“A summer exhibition at the Morgan Library & Museum celebrates an extraordinary bequest from acclaimed author and illustrator of children’s books Maurice Sendak (1928–2012). Best known for his 1963 picture book Where the Wild Things Are, Sendak was an avid music and opera lover. Beginning in the late 1970s, he embarked on a second career as a designer for opera and ballet. Drawing the Curtain brings together nearly one hundred and fifty drawings from more than 900 by Sendak in the Morgan’s collection, including preliminary sketches, storyboards, finished watercolors, and painted dioramas. Also included are earlier works by Sendak on loan from The Maurice Sendak Foundation, and a number of props and costumes. This is the first museum exhibition dedicated to Sendak’s set and costume designs, offering new insights into the artist’s inspirations and creative process.” — The Morgan Library & Museum

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Diorama of Moishe scrim and flower proscenium (Where the Wild Things Are), 1979-1983, watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite pencil on laminated paperboard. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.103:69, 70, 71. Photography by Graham Haber, 2018.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Study for stage set #10 (Where the Wild Things Are), 1979-1983, watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.103:52. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Study for Wild Things costume, with notes (Where the Wild Things Are), 1979, watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.103:19. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Storyboard (Where the Wild Things Are), 1979, watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.103:72a-b. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Design for show scrim (The Magic Flute), 1979-1980, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper on board. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.104:120. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), The Edge of the Forest, interlude between Act II, scenes 2 and 3, for PBS broadcast (The Cunning Little Vixen), 1983, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.105:102. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Costume study for Fox Golden-Stripe (The Cunning Little Vixen), 1981, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.105:77. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Design for show curtain (The Love for Three Oranges), 1981, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.106:167. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Design for March curtain, Act II (The Love for Three Oranges), 1981, watercolor and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.106:166. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Storyboard (The Love for Three Oranges), 1981-1982, watercolor, ink, and graphite pencil on board. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.106:169. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), 5 Playing cards (The Love for Three Oranges), 1982, watercolor and pen and ink on laminated paperboard. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. Collection of Justin G. Schiller. Photography by Graham S. Haber, 2018.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Ship (Nutcracker), 1982-4, gouache and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.107:289. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Design for show curtain (Nutcracker), 1983, gouache and graphite pencil on paper.© The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.107:262. Photography by Janny Chiu.

Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Design for battle scene, Act I (Nutcracker), 1982-1983, gouache and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.107:262. Photography by Janny Chiu.

“Few people know that Maurice Sendak had a long and productive relationship with the Morgan. It is exciting to focus on his work as a theater designer, which is an often overlooked but important aspect of his career as an artist,” said Director of the museum, Colin B. Bailey. “We are deeply grateful to The Maurice Sendak Foundation for their support in the planning of this exhibition and for lending several key works, including examples of Sendak’s charming Fantasy Sketches.”

“This exhibition will be a wonderful surprise to those who are familiar with Sendak primarily through his beloved books,” said Rachel Federman, Assistant Curator in the Modern and Contemporary Drawings Department and the curator of the exhibition. “His designs for opera and ballet have all the beauty, humor, and complexity of his picture books and illustrations, but they also put on full display his passion for art, art history, and music.”

Images courtesy The Morgan Library & Museum.

June 13, 2019

Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, Saturday June 29, 7pm

Film at Lincoln Center, the New York Asian Film Foundation, and the Korean Cultural Center New York present a special New York Asian Film Festival event: The US Premiere of Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels, a fantasy world where traditional Korean music (gugak) meets cinema. The event features live traditional accompaniment performed by a 20-member ensemble from the National Gugak Center.

Director Tae-yong Kim, Music Director Jun-Seok Bang and the National Gugak Center have joined forces to acquaint Korean music and dance to an international audience by bridging several art forms and building a unique, heartwarming story of loss and redemption, steeped in local Korean folklore but with a universal appeal.

Melding fantasy and reality, Kokdu weaves between cinematic storytelling and a staged theatrical piece, creating a moving and magical experience. It explores Korean myths and traditions while dealing deftly with dark themes of death, guilt and mourning, with an empathetic, poignant, and ultimately uplifting touch.

Images of Kokdu: A Story of Guardian Angels. Courtesy National Gugak Center.

This performance is presented by Film at Lincoln Center, New York Asian Film Foundation, and the Korean Cultural Center New York; performed by the National Gugak Center.

June 11, 2019

Walt Whitman: Bard of Democracy at The Morgan Library & Museum, June 7 – September 15, 2019

“In celebration of the two hundredth anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth, the Morgan Library & Museum exhibits the work of the beloved American poet. In a notebook in 1859, Whitman wrote, “Comrades! I am the bard of Democracy,” and over his 73 years (1819–1892) he made good on that claim. As he bore witness to the rise of New York City, the Civil War and other major transformations in American life, Whitman tried to reconcile the famous contradictions of this country through his inclusivity and his prolific body of work. The author of one of the most celebrated texts of American literature—Leaves of Grass (1855)—came from humble origins in Long Island and Brooklyn but eventually earned a global audience that has never stopped growing. Walt Whitman: Bard of Democracy traces the development of his writing and influence, from his early days producing local journalism and sensational fiction to his later years writing the visionary poems that would revitalize American letters.” — The Morgan Library & Museum

Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892), O Captain! my captain! April 27, 1890, autograph manuscript. The Morgan Library & Museum, MA 1212.1. Photography by Graham S. Haber, 2012.

Walt Whitman (1819 – 1892), Walt Whitman’s Books, broadside advertisement printed on linen, circa 1871. The Morgan Library & Museum, gift of Charles E. Feinberg, 1959; PML 50638. Photography by Graham S Haber 2017.

Napoleon Sarony (1821-1896), Carte de visite photograph of Oscar Wilde, 1882. The Morgan Library & Museum, purchased on the Drue Heinz Fund, 2017; MA 8916. Photography by Janny Chiu, 2019.

Moses P. Rice and Sons?, Walt Whitman and his rebel soldier friend Pete Doyle, 1865, photograph; albumen print on card mount. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), An American Poet at Last!, self-review, Brooklyn, 1855. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

George Frank E. Pearsall (1841-1931), Walt Whitman, 1871, photographic print. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Draft of preface for Democratic Vistas, circa 1871, autograph manuscript. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Phillips & Taylor, Photograph of Walt Whitman, 1873. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman’s cardboard butterfly, 1850. Manuscript Division, Thomas Biggs Harned Collection of Walt Whitman Papers, Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Notebook with trial lines for Leaves of Grass, circa 1847-1854. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Notebook with trial lines for Leaves of Grass, circa 1847-1854. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), Notebook with trial lines for Leaves of Grass, circa 1847-1854. The Library of Congress. Image provided courtesy of the Library of Congress.

“Walt Whitman’s poetry occupies a special place in American literature,” said Colin B. Bailey, director of the Morgan Library and Museum. “He was a New Yorker in that he not only captured the spirit of his bustling, complex, and contradictory city, but he also carved out a career path for himself through his ambition and surprisingly proactive self-promotion. We are excited to offer more insight into his inspirations, his world, and the evolution of his dynamic voice.”

“It was a joy to work with the Morgan on this comprehensive exhibit, and to see New York City all over again, through his eyes,” said Ted Widmer, guest curator and Distinguished Lecturer at the Macaulay Honors College of the City University of New York. “It never stops moving and neither did he.” Widmer is also author of Young America: The Flowering of Democracy in New York City and many other works of history.

Images courtesy The Morgan Library & Museum.

June 11, 2019

Natalia Goncharova at Tate Modern, June 6 – September 8, 2019

“Tate Modern presents the UK’s first ever retrospective of the Russian avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova. This exhibition is a sweeping survey of a pioneering and radical figure, celebrated during her lifetime as a leading modernist artist. Throughout her varied career she challenged the limits of artistic, social and gender conventions, from parading through the streets of Moscow displaying futurist body art and scandalising newspapers of the day, to creating internationally acclaimed designs for fashion and the theatre.

Goncharova’s artistic output traces, influences and transcends the art movements of the 20th century. Born in 1881, she was inspired by the traditional customs and cultures of her native Central Russia – inspirations that pervade her life’s work. By the age of 32, she had already established herself as a leader of the Moscow avant-garde and was the subject of the first monographic exhibition ever staged by a Russian modernist artist. Arriving in Paris in 1914 at the invitation of Sergei Diaghilev, Goncharova was feted for her vibrant costume and set designs for the Ballets Russes.

The exhibition gathers together over 170 international loans which rarely travel, including from Russia’s State Tretyakov Gallery which houses the largest collection of Goncharova works in the world. At the heart of the show is a room evoking Goncharova’s remarkable 1913 retrospective that was held at the Mikhailova Art Salon in Moscow, which originally featured some 800 works.” — Tate Modern

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962) . Cyclist, 1913.  Oil paint on canvas,  780 x 1050mm.  State Russian Museum © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Peasant Woman from Tula Province, 1910. Oil paint on canvas, 1035 x 730 mm. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Bequeathed by A.K. Larionova-Tomilina 1989

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Peasant woman. Costume design for Le Coq d’Or, 1937. Watercolour, bronze paint and graphite on paper, 455 x 300 mm. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Presented by E. Kurnan 1983 © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962. ).  Self-Portrait with Yellow Lilies, 1907-1908.  Oil paint on canvas , 775 x 582 mm . State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Purchased 1927 © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Linen, 1913 . Oil paint on canvas , 956 x 838 mm.  Tate. Presented by Eugène Mollo and the artist 1953 © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Peasants Picking Apples, 1911. Oil paint on canvas, 1045 x 980 mm. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Received from the Museum of Artistic Culture 1929 © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Harvest: The Phoenix, 1911. Oil paint on canvas, 920 x 975 mm. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Bequeathed by A.K. Larionova-Tomilina, Paris 1989 © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Orange Seller, 1916. Oil paint on canvas, 1310 x 970 mm. Museum Ludwig  © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova (1881- 1962). Theatre costume for Sadko in Sadko, 1916. 1850 x 850 x 650 mm. Victoria and Albert Museum, London. Given by the British Theatre Museum Association © ADAGP, Paris and DACS, London 2019

Natalia Goncharova is curated by Natalia Sidlina, Curator of International Art, and Matthew Gale, Head of Displays, with Katy Wan, Assistant Curator, Tate Modern. Exhibition is organised by Tate Modern in collaboration with Palazzo Strozzi, Florence where it will open on 28 September 2019 and the Ateneum Art Museum, Helsinki where it will open on 21 February 2020.

Images courtesy Tate Modern.

June 10, 2019

Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx at New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), June 8 – September 29, 2019

“The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) presents Brazilian Modern: The Living Art of Roberto Burle Marx, celebrating influential Brazilian modernist artist, landscape architect, and plant explorer and conservationist Roberto Burle Marx. NYBG’s largest botanical exhibition ever, it is also the first to combine a horticultural tribute to Burle Marx’s design work, featuring lush gardens, with a curated gallery of his vibrant paintings, drawings, and textiles, revealing deep connections between his artistic practice and his commitment to environmental conservation. Engaging public programming showcases the sights and sounds of Brazil and its lively contributions to music and dance evoking Rio de Janeiro, the ‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (‘Wonderful City’) that Roberto Burle Marx called home and inspired his life and work.

Burle Marx (1909–94) was a principal figure in the modernist art and garden movement in Latin America during the second half of the 20th century. His powerful modernist vision produced thousands of gardens and landscapes, including the famous curving mosaic walkways at Copacabana Beach in Rio.” — NYBG

Photographs by Corrado Serra.

June 4, 2019

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center, June 12 – 16, 2019

“Concluding a joyous 60th Anniversary celebration that reached from coast to coast, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts for seven performances at the David H. Koch Theater June 12 – 16, 2019. Helmed by Artistic Director Robert Battle, the season features the world premiere of Ounce of Faith by Darrell Grand Moultrie as well as recent premieres by some of today’s most revered choreographers, Ronald K. Brown’s The Call, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s Shelter, and Rennie Harris’ Lazarus. The engagement also includes several rarely seen works by Alvin Ailey, an Ailey Spirit Gala benefit celebrating The Ailey School’s 50th Anniversary, and a special evening honoring the legendary Carmen de Lavallade. Alvin Ailey’s must-see masterpiece Revelations is the uplifting finale of each performance.

Each performance culminates with Alvin Ailey’s American masterpiece Revelations. Since its creation in 1960, Revelations has been seen by more audiences around the world than any other modern work, inspiring generations through its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring spirituals. Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the south and attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, Revelations pays homage to the rich African-American cultural heritage and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition.” — AAADT

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ronald K. Brown’s The Call. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

AAADT’s Jacqueline Green and Solomon Dumas in Ronald K. Brown’s The Call. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s Shelter. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Jawole Willa Jo Zollar’s Shelter. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Rennie Harris’ Lazarus. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Rennie Harris’ Lazarus. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Alvin Ailey’s Revelations. Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Carmen de Lavallade and Alvin Ailey at Jacobs Pillow in 1961. Photo by John Lindquist. Courtesy of Ailey Archives.

Alvin Ailey and Carmen de Lavallade. Photo by Jack Mitchell. (©) Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. and Smithsonian Institution.

Title Image: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jacquelin Harris and Chalvar Monteiro. Photo by Andrew Eccles.

Images courtesy Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

June 3, 2019

Cut: Abstraction in the United States from the 1970s to the Present & Spheres of Meaning: An Exhibition of Artists’ Books at Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU, through August 25, 2019

The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU, part of Florida International University, kicks off the summer of art in Miami with two original new exhibitions. CUT: Abstraction in the United States from 1970s to the Present examines a multigenerational group of artists who challenge painting surfaces by making cuts, carvings and indentions. Spheres of Meaning: An Exhibition of Artists’ Books presents more than 30 works ranging from manipulated texts to new narrative forms. CUT features more than 20 artworks by leading abstract artists, including Al Loving, Elizabeth Murray and Jack Whitten, alongside younger artists such as Clara Varas, Maria de los Angeles Rodriguez Jimenez, Loriel Beltran, and Alejandro Contreras. Spheres of Meaning: An Exhibition of Artists’ Books celebrates artists’ books by creatives who are either living in Miami or have called Miami home, including Purvis Young, Margarita Cano, Lydia Rubio, Diego Gutierrez, Carlos Macia, Jeannette Stargala, and Rosemarie Chiarlone. The show presents a range of artists’ books, from manipulated texts to new narrative forms, and books as sculpture.

Cut: Abstraction in the United States from the 1970s to the Present, June 1, 2019 – August 25, 2019

Sam Gilliam, b.1933, Tupelo, Mississippi, lives and works in Washington, D.C. Of Yellow and Gingers, 1979. Acrylic on Canvas, 80 x 300 inches overall. Collection of Jumaane and Lauren N’Nmandi.

Clara Varas, Crescent (Pink and Yellow), 2017. Oil, latex, spray on wood and linen, 26 × 26 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Spinello Projects.

Nanette Carter, b. 1954, Columbus, Ohio, lives and works in New York City, New York. Cantilevered #1, 2015. Oil on Mylar, 64 x 64 inches. Collection of Jumaane and Lauren N’Nmandi.

Jack Whitten. E-Stamp IV (Five Spirals: For Al Loving), 2007. Acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48 inches. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College © Jack Whitten Estate Image. Courtesy the Jack Whitten Estate and Hauser & Wirth.

Jack Whitten. Untitled II, 1974-75. Acrylic on canvas, 41 51/64 x 41 51/64 inches. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College © Jack Whitten Estate Image. Courtesy the Jack Whitten Estate and Hauser & Wirth.

Jeffrey Gibson, b. 1972, Colorado Springs, Colorado, lives and works in Hudson, New York. Study #1 (Stop and Start), 2011-12. Acrylic and graphite on paper, 11 x 9 inches. Courtesy of the artist; Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York; Kavi Gupta, Chicago; and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.

Jeffrey Gibson, b. 1972, Colorado Springs, Colorado, lives and works in Hudson, New York Study #2 (The sun always comes out), 2011-12. Acrylic and graphite on paper, 7 ½ x 11 inches. Courtesy of the artist; Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York; Kavi Gupta, Chicago; and Roberts Projects, Los Angeles.

Ed Clark, b. 1926, New Orleans, Louisiana, lives and works in New York City, New York. China Series, 1999. Acrylic on canvas, Chinese rice paper collage, 60 x 80 inches. Collection of Jumaane and Lauren N’Nmandi.

Howardena Pindell, b. 1943, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lives and works in New York, New York. Untitled #21, 2003. Mixed media, 7 x 9 ½ x ½ inches. Collection of Jacqueline Bradley and Clarence Otis.

Roberto Jamora, b. 1987, Annapolis, Maryland, lives and works in Richmond, Virginia. Joan Carries All of This at the Women’s March (In Conversation with Joan Ariete-Hein), 2018. Oil and beeswax on canvas, 36 x 44 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Page Bond Gallery

Spheres of Meaning: An Exhibition of Artists’ Books, June 8, 2019 – August 25, 2019

Lisa Haque, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Milk Teeth, 2018. Text on air-dried handmade kozo paper, gouache drawings based on microscopic teeth anatomy, 8 x 10 ½ inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Lisa Haque, lives and works in Miami, Florida Dua, 2019. Cotton and kozo, 18 x 13 ½ x 2 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Jeannette Stargala, b. Germany, lives and works in Miami, Florida. The Fleetingness of the Color Red, 2017. 35 monoprints on Bristol, Manila Hemp, Glassine, Assagami and Tengucho paper, 26 ½ x 19 x 1 3/8 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Donna Ruff, b. 1947, Chicago, Illinois, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Relief and Rescue, 2006. Altered book, 14 x 10 x 1 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Donna Ruff, b. 1947, Chicago, Illinois, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Fourth Estate, 2019. Papier Mâché from The Financial Times, linen twine, flax, sage, 12 x 48 x 13 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Rosemarie Chiarlone, two titles/two spools: Wander, (2019), and Exit, (2019). Both are vintage spools, industrial felt, cotton thread, deer tan cow hide. Courtesy of the artist. Based on Susan Weiner’s Poems, Wander and Exit.

Rosemarie Chiarlone, b. 1951, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Rupture Unseen, 2019. Folded paper and perforated paper, 108 x 169 x 16 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Diego Gutierrez, b. 1982, Los Angeles, California, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Number 4, Miami Beach (detail), 2019. Mixed media, 20 ½ x 25 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Onajide Shabaka, b. 1948, Cincinnati, Ohio, lives and works in Miami, Florida. Dictionary, pg. 9 © 1991. Spiral bound photobook, silver gelatin prints, collage, 18 pages 5 x 8 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

Cut and Spheres of Meaning are curated by Dr. Amy Galpin, Chief Curator, Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU.

Images courtesy Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum FIU.

June 2, 2019

A Lasting Memento: John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min at Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), June 1, 2019 – May 17, 2020

“The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents a voyage into 19th-century China through one of PEM’s photographic treasures, John Thomson’s rare album Foochow and the River Min. More than forty striking landscapes, city views, and portrait studies are on view, captured by Thomson as he traveled in the Fujian province in Southeast China from 1870 to 1871. These prints are complemented by a selection of photographs by contemporary artist Luo Dan, who was inspired by Thomson to undertake his own journey in southwestern China in 2010.

From 1870 to 1871, Scottish-born photographer John Thomson traveled 160 miles up the River Min to document the area in and around the city of Fuzhou (Foochow), one of the most picturesque regions in China. Thomson gathered eighty photographs from this voyage into an album titled Foochow and the River Min which was sold by advance subscription to the foreign residents of Fuzhou — tea planters, merchants, missionaries and government officials — who wanted a way to share their experiences with friends and family back home. Of the 46 copies originally published, fewer than 10 survive today and PEM is privileged to own two of them, both of which are featured in the exhibition.” — Peabody Essex Museum

John Thomson, Yen Ping Rapid, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Wreck in the Rapids, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Rapid Boat, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Rustic Bridge, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Small Temple at Ku-Shan, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Road to the Plantation, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Coolies, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Mode of Dressing the Hair, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, The Upper Bridge, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, A Rapid Boat, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. Photography by Ken Sawyer.

John Thomson, Pagoda Island, 1870-1871. Carbon print. Gift of the Estate of Mrs. Anthony Rives. © Peabody Essex Museum. .

“Many people have a conception of China as very industrialized and modern, even sterile, but these photographs complicate that notion and reveal the country’s incredible beauty and geographic diversity,” says Sarah Kennel, PEM’s Byrne Family Curator of Photography. “The roots of China’s rapid modernization go back to the 19th-century and are part of a larger history of maritime culture, trade, and globalization that are also entwined with PEM’s origin story. This exhibition affirms how photography can bring us back to another place in time and can change the way we see the world.”

A Lasting Memento: John Thomson’s Photographs Along the River Min is organized by the Peabody Essex Museum.

Images courtesy Peabody Essex Museum.

May 31, 2019

Mid-Century Master: The Photography of Alfred Eisenstaedt at Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens, June 8, 2019 – January 12, 2020

“The special exhibition Mid-Century Master: The Photography of Alfred Eisenstaedt, on view at Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens will feature nearly 50 works from photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt, focusing on his timeless images of life in the mid-20^thcentury and the era’s most celebrated figures, including Hillwood founder Marjorie Merriweather Post.

A pioneer of the candid style, Eisenstaedt was renowned for his ability to capture his subjects in unguarded moments. According to Eisenstaedt, “it’s more important to click with people than to click the shutter,” reflecting his unobtrusive, relaxed approach to working with celebrities and dignitaries. His famous informal portraits featured world leaders, politicians, philanthropists, scientists, artists, actors, writers, and more. When he photographed Marjorie Post for the November 5, 1965 issue of LIFE he cemented her place among the most notable people of the 20^th century.

‘Marjorie was already well-known as a social figure, businesswoman, and philanthropist when the LIFEissue hit the stands,’ explained Hillwood executive director Kate Markert. ‘But this eighteen-page spread, capturing her in genuine moments, really showcased her generous spirit and gracious way of life.’ Featuring her life in and about her three properties at the time—Hillwood, Camp Topridge, and Mar-a-Lago—the piece brought an abundance of fan letters to Post’s various addresses as the public discovered Post to be both exquisite and approachable. Mid-Century Master will present images from this issue along with other Eisenstaedt photos that documented the personalities, events, and experiences of the time.” — Hillwood Estate Museum

Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995). Headwaiter Renée Breguet of Grand Hotel St. Moritz serving cocktails on ice rink. Saint Moritz, 1932 Photo-gelatin silver © The Picture Collection Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Alfred Eisenstaedt (1898-1995). Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress and founder of General Foods, chatting with her schnauzer, who is posing in his canopied bed once bused by Belgian royalty, at her 25-acre Hillwood Estate. Washington, DC 1964 © The Picture Collection Inc. All Rights Reserved.

“Though lesser-known among modern photographers, Alfred Eisenstaedt was behind the lens of some of the most memorable photos of the 20th century,” said Megan Martinelli, assistant curator of apparel, jewelry, and accessories at Hillwood and curator of the exhibition. “His masterful ability to capture the essence of a fleeting moment left an indelible mark on the field of photojournalism. Mid-Century Masterwill display the legendary work of Eisenstaedt, offering an exploration into life during the mid-20th century and his role in documenting not only Marjorie Post’s lifestyle but also the collective zeitgeist of the last century.”

Images courtesy Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens.

May 31, 2019

Elective Affinities: Edmund de Waal at The Frick Collection May 30 – November 17, 2019

“The Frick Collection presents a temporary installation of site- specific works by sculptor Edmund de Waal—a rich juxtaposition of nine objects displayed in the main galleries of the museum, alongside works from the permanent collection. Acclaimed as both an artist and writer, de Waal is known for his awarding-winning family memoir The Hare with Amber Eyes (2010), as well as installations of porcelain vessels housed in minimal structures, often created in response to collections and archives or the history of a specific place, such as Waddesdon Manor and Chatsworth House, both in England. His approach is particularly suited to the Frick, and this project marks the first such installation by the artist in the United States. The presentation, curated by Charlotte Vignon, the Frick’s Curator of Decorative Arts, is the latest in a series of collaborations with de Waal and The Frick Collection.” — The Frick Collection

Vignon comments, “I am deeply grateful to Edmund for conceiving such a beautiful and insightful presentation, one that embodies his profound understanding of art, architectural spaces, and the history of collecting. It is a wonderful culmination of his long and close relationship with the Frick.”

De Waal adds, “My hope is that people will understand that this installation is a result of a lifetime-long love affair with this collection, that it’s an attempt to be in real conversation with art, with spaces, with how light changes within a building, with how you move through spaces. If that works, I’m happy.”

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), that pause of space, 2019, porcelain, gold, alabaster, aluminum, and plexiglass, on view in the North Hall, 22 13/16 × 29 15/16 × 11 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), from darkness to darkness, 2019, porcelain, steel, and plexiglass, on view in the West Gallery, 33 7/16 × 65 3/4 × 18 7/8 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), on an archaic torso of Apollo, 2019, porcelain, steel, gold, alabaster, aluminum, and plexiglass, on view in the Fragonard Room, 22 7/16 × 17 5/16 × 11 13/16 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), on living in an old country I (one of a set), 2019, porcelain, steel, gold, alabaster, aluminum, and plexiglass, on view in the Dining Room, 23 5/8 × 35 7/16 × 12 5/8 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), an annunciation, 2019, porcelain, steel, gold, alabaster, aluminum, and plexiglass, on view in the Anteroom, 17 5/16 × 22 13/16 × 8 11/16 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), an alchemy, 2019, porcelain, steel, gold, and plexiglass, on view in the Library, 18 1/8 × 21 5/8 × 16 9/16 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), The Temptation of Christ on the Mountain, I, 2019, porcelain, steel, gold, alabaster, aluminum, and plexiglass, on view in the Enamels Room, 23 1/4 × 16 9/16 × 8 1/4 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), sub silentio, porcelain, steel, and plexiglass, on view in the Living Hall, Two of: 24 × 4 3/4 × 4 3/4 inches, One of: 22 7/16 × 4 3/4 × 4 3/4 inches, Two of: 21 5/8 × 6 5/16 × 6 5/16 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

Edmund de Waal (b.1964), steel light I-V, 2019, porcelain, steel, and gold, on view in the West Vestibule, 14 3/16 × 6 5/16 × 7 1/16 inches, © Edmund de Waal. Courtesy the artist and The Frick Collection; photo: Christopher Burke

May 29, 2019

Whitney Biennial 2019 at Whitney Museum of American Art, May 17 – September 22, 2019

“The Whitney Biennial is an unmissable event for anyone interested in finding out what’s happening in art today. Curators Jane Panetta and Rujeko Hockley have been visiting artists over the past year in search of the most important and relevant work. Featuring seventy-five artists and collectives working in painting, sculpture, installation, film and video, photography, performance, and sound, the 2019 Biennial takes the pulse of the contemporary artistic moment. Introduced by the Museum’s founder Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1932, the Biennial is the longest-running exhibition in the country to chart the latest developments in American art.” — Whitney Museum of American Art

“It’s a snapshot of contemporary art making in the United States today.”—Jane Panetta, 2019 Biennial co-curator

Installation views of Whitney Biennial 2019. Photographs by Corrado Serra.

The 2019 Whitney Biennial was organized by Jane Panetta, associate curator, and Rujeko Hockley, assistant curator, with Ramsay Kolber, curatorial project assistant.

May 28, 2019

Fra Angelico and the Rise of the Florentine Renaissance at Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, May 28 – September 15, 2019

“Fra Angelico and the Rise of the Florentine Renaissance, an exhibition sponsored by the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado, analyses the artistic importance of the early Florentine Renaissance between approximately 1420 to 1430, with a particular focus on the figure of Fra Angelico, one of the great masters of this period.

The exhibition, which includes 82 works loaned by more than 40 institutions in Europe and America, centres on The Annunciation in the collection of the Museo del Prado, which is now presented in all its splendour following its recent restoration. Shown alongside it are The Virgin of the Pomegranate, which recently entered the Museum’s collection, and an extensive group of works by the artist and by other painters of this period such as Masaccio, Masolino and Filippo Lippi, as well as sculptors including Donatello and Ghiberti.” — Museo Nacional del Prado

FRA ANGELICO. Annunciation and Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, c. 1425–26. Tempera and gold on panel, 190.3 x 191.5 cm. © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid

FRA ANGELICO. Virgin of the Pomegranate, c. 1424–25. Tempera and gold on panel, 87 × 59 cm. © Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid. Adquired in 2016 with the collaboration of Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado

FRA ANGELICO. Eighteen Blessed of the Dominican Order Panels from the San Domenico High Altarpiece in Fiesole, c. 1419 and c. 1421–22. Tempera and gold on panel. © The National Gallery, London. Bought, 1860

FRA ANGELICO. Virgin and Child, with Four Angels, c. 1417–19. Tempera and gold on panel, 81 x 51 cm. © The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg

FRA ANGELICO. Coronation of the Virgin, with the Adoration of the Christ Child and Six Angels, c. 1429-31. Tempera and gold on panel, 77 x 43 cm. © Polo Museale della Toscana, Museo di San Marco, Florence

PAOLO UCCELLO. Annunciation, c. 1424-25. Tempera and gold on panel, 65 x 48 cm. University of Oxford, © The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Fox-Strangways Gift, 1850

DONATELLO. Virgin of the Pomegranate, c. 1420–25. Polychromed terracotta, 90 x 64 x 28 cm. © Musei Civici Fiorentini, Museo Stefano Bardini, Florence

Exhibition was curated by Carl Brandon Strehlke, Curator Emeritus at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and a renowned expert on Fra Angelico and other Florentine Renaissance painters.

Images courtesy Museo Nacional del Prado.