Topic: College of Fine Arts
September 5, 2007
Kline painting
Original paintings by famous and underrepresented artists will go on display at the
Ball State University Museum of Art in an exhibition of abstract expressionist paintings.
"Suitcase Paintings: Small Scale Abstract Expressionism" will begin Sept. 7. A preview reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept 6. It is free and open to the public.
The exhibition will include 61 paintings by famous abstract expressionists such as Franz Kline and Robert Motherwell as well as underrepresented artists such as Mary Abbott and Melville Price.
"There are some very important artists here who were not well-represented in their time because if you weren't in New York and you weren't a man, you weren't a part of the commercial and critical establishment," museum director Peter Blume said.
Abstract expressionism flourished in the two decades after World War II and marked the shift of the creative center of modern painting from Paris to New York, favoring male artists on the East Coast. Abstract expressionism depicted forms not found in nature, emphasizing freedom of emotional expression, technique and execution. They are often large, sometimes eight feet across. The exhibition's title refers to paintings that are small enough to fit in a suitcase.
"Not all abstract expressionist paintings are huge," said Carl Schafer, associate director of the museum. "They work very well on a small scale. I hope visitors will gain a greater appreciation for the simplicity of abstract art and the difficulty of making a successful abstract composition. Paintings by underrepresented artists are now hanging on our walls next to works by artists we know well, and they compare very favorably with one another."
The exhibition, which runs through Dec. 2, is sponsored by the Georgia Museum of Art and Art Enterprises Ltd. It is organized by TMG Projects, Chicago.
Major support for the Muncie venue was provided by Arts Alive through the College of Fine Arts. Additional support was provided by the Friends of the Ball State University Museum of Art.
The Ball State Museum of Art Alliance, a group that sponsors museum projects, will offer a luncheon and lecture about the exhibition at noon Sept. 12. The luncheon is free for prospective members and $10 for members. At noon Oct. 2, visitors can view the "Suitcase Paintings" exhibition with a museum docent as part of Art High at Noon. At 2:30 p.m. Nov. 25, Ball State art history professor Ron Rarick will talk about mind over matter in the exhibition.
In addition, the museum has a complementary exhibition drawn from its collection, "The Abstract Expressionist Print," which runs through Nov. 11. The exhibition includes prints by artists such as Willem de Kooning and Jackson Pollock. Visitors can view selections from "The Abstract Expressionist Print" at noon Sept. 18 with a museum docent as part of the Art High at Noon lecture series. This exhibition also is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact Schafer at 765-285-5270 or carlschafer@bsu.edu. More information also is available at www.bsu.edu/artmuseum.
By Alaric DeArment