Reimagining Subject Matter

2016

Throughout history and across cultures artists have shared common themes and ideas. In this exhibition subject matter is the common thread and the execution of each artwork has been from a different perspective and context.

DIVINE LIGHT

Caravaggio’s novelty was a radical naturalism that combined close physical observation with a dramatic use of chiaroscuro.
The “Diagonal of Personal Extasy” by Dan Flavin mirrors Caravaggio’s Crucifixion of St. Peter in composition and honest use of light.

FLORAL

The 16th century witnessed an explosion of interest in the natural world and the creation of lavish botanical encyclopedias recording the discoveries of the new world. Natural objects began to be appreciated as individual objects of study and wealthy patrons began to collect plant, animal and mineral specimens, creating extensive “curio cabinets”. These specimens served as models for painters who sought realism.

WAR

The Third of May 1808 completed by Francisco Goya commemorates the Spanish resistance to Napoleon’s armies during the occupation of 1808. The painting’s content, presentation, and emotional force secure its status as a groundbreaking archetypal image of the horrors of war. It’s imagery influenced a number of other works, including a series by Edouard Manet, Pablo Picasso’s Massacre in Korea and Chris Burden’s performance “Shoot”.