For Immediate Release
December 8, 2006
Contact: Corey Cronin 781/259-3628, ccronin@decordova.org
Big Bang! Abstract Painting for the 21st Century
Joyce and Edward Linde Gallery, James and Audrey Foster Galleries, Fourth Floor Hallway Gallery, Grand Staircase, Third Floor Lobby
January 20 – April 22, 2007
Opening Reception : Friday, January 26, 6-9 pm
LINCOLN , MA —Abstract painting is not dead! Big Bang ! Abstract Painting for the 21 st Century heralds the revitalization of non-representational painting for a new century. This thematic group exhibition features works by fifteen contemporary artists active in the Northeast whose imagery is informed by computer technology, cosmology, quantum physics, information theory, genetics, neurology, complexity theory, remote sensing, and other ways of analyzing, representing, and processing vast amounts of ever-shifting and morphing data. The paintings in Big Bang ! surge with energy, explode with color, and immerse viewers in parallel universes of stunning visual experience and sheer imagination. And despite the insistent references to science and the digital world, each artwork is completely painted by hand, juxtaposing cutting-edge and age-old technologies.
This new generation of artists aims to resuscitate abstract painting, and make it entirely relevant to the broadest philosophical concerns of 21 st-century life. During the first half of the 20th century, non-representational painting was at the very foref ron t of Modernism, but as the century progressed, the importance and vitality of the style waned. Abstract painting was eclipsed by the aesthetic innovations of sculpture, installation art, and art-and-technology, and itself became a victim of stultifying formalism and the i ron ic and self-reflexive excesses of Postmodernism. Now, abstract painting is no longer about Cartesian geometries, the Freudian id, the Existentialist gesture, fields of pure color, or deconstructions of these great themes of Modernism. Big Bang ! presents a new aesthetic, based on the structures and patterns of the universe, the mind, and the technologies that link them – Art for the Information Age. Abstraction is made meaningful – and beautiful – once more.
Big Bang! is displayed throughout DeCordova Museum’s new wing and fourth floor galleries, and includes paintings by: Peter Barrett (Woodstock, NY), Thaddeus Beal (Somerville, MA), Steven Bogart (Maynard, MA), Sean Foley (Worthington, OH), Reese Inman (Boston, MA), Clint Jukkala (New Haven, CT), Julie Miller (Boston, MA), Meg Brown Payson (Freeport, ME), Jon Petro (Worcester, MA), Cristi Rinklin (South Boston, MA), Terry Rose ( Providence, RI),Sarah Slavick (Jamaica Plain, MA), Laurel Sparks (Jamaica Plain, MA), Barbara Takenaga (Williamstown, MA), and Sarah Walker (South Boston, MA).
This exhibition is part of the 2007 Boston Cyberarts Festival , a biennial celebration of artists and high-tech professionals who use computers to advance traditional visual and performing arts disciplines. The Festival includes exhibitions of visual arts; music, dance, and theatrical performances; film and video presentations; education al programs; and lecture/demonstrations and symposia. The Festival runs April 20 - May 6, 2007. Please visit www.bostoncyberarts.org for more information.
Big Bang! is organized by Curator Nick Capasso and Lisa Sutcliffe, Mary Levin and William Koch Curatorial Fellow, and is accompanied by a catalogue with an essay and full-color reproductions.
Big Bang! Program Information:
Gallery Talks: Meet the Artists
Third Floor Lobby
Selected Saturdays at 3 pm
Free with Campus admission
The act of creating artwork can be just as exciting as looking at the final product. Meet New England and regional artists to discuss their work on view at DeCordova.
Big Bang! Gallery Talks:
February 10, Reese Inman
February 24, Cristi Rinklin
March 3, Terry Rose
April 21, Thaddeus Beal
Eye Wonder Family Program
Museum Galleries
Selected Sundays, drop-in from 1 – 3 pm
Free with Campus admission
Come to DeCordova with friends and family to discover an ever-changing world of art! Eye Wonder focuses on “seeing” and “doing” in art museums and combines careful looking with creative art projects centered on DeCordova’s changing exhibitions. Eye Wonder celebrates the uniqueness of contemporary artists and their processes with family-friendly guided tours and hands-on art activities. This drop-in program is perfect for families with children ages 6 and up.
January 21, Big Bang! guest artist Sarah Slavik will host
February 25, Big Bang! guest artist Laurel Sparks will host
March 25, Big Bang! guest artist Steven Bogart will host
April 22, Big Bang! guest artist Julie Miller will host
Lectures and Classes
Museum Galleries and DeCordova Museum School Studios
Why Abstraction is Hot
Thursday, February 15, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Curator Nick Capasso will provide an intimate, behind-the-scenes view of the exhibition Big Bang! and will discuss new movements in abstract painting. $15 for DeCordova Members; $20 for Non-Members. Fee includes lunch from The Café @ DeCordova. Space is limited, call 781/259-3632 or email sdiachisin@decordova.org for reservations.
DeCordova Museum School is offering new courses related to the Big Bang! exhibit, including:
Abstract Drawing and Painting for children grades 5 – 8
(Wed, 3:30 – 5:30 pm , Jan 17 – Mar 7)Finding the Abstract in the Natural World
(Fri, 9:30 am – 12:30 pm , Mar 2 – 23)Abstraction in the 21 st Century
(Sat, 1 – 4 pm , Jan 27 – Mar 31)To register for these classes click here or call 781/259-0505.
For a complete listing of DeCordova’s programs and activities, click here.
For images, please contact Corey Cronin at ccronin@decordova.org or 781/259-3628.
General Information: DeCordova Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm and on selected Monday holidays. General admission during Museum hours is $9 for adults, $6 for senior citizens, students, and youth ages 6–12. Children age 5 and under, Lincoln residents, and Active Duty Military Personnel and their dependents are admitted free. The Sculpture Park is open year round during daylight hours. The Store @ DeCordova and the School Gallery are open Monday through Thursday, 9:30 am to 7:30 pm , Friday through Saturday, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm , and Sunday 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. The Café @ DeCordova is open Tuesday from noon to 3 pm , and Wednesday through Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Free guided public tours of the Museum's main galleries take place every Thursday at 1 and Sunday at 2 pm. Free tours of the Sculpture Park are given on Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm from May to October. Call 781/259-8355 for further information.
