Category: Communities

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale will presents Happy!, a new exhibition of contemporary works produced by artists who aim to engage the viewer emotionally. As in life, sorrow and happiness are intertwined in their works. Happy! is organized by NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and is curated by Bonnie Clearwater, the Museum’s director and chief curator, who states, “Many of these artists acknowledge that making art is an essential means for them to work out their own trauma and frustrations, and they suggest that art can provide viewers with a sense of well-being that will help them cope with life’s challenges.”

Happy! includes works by Gesner Abelard, Cory Arcangel, Eugene Brands, Francesco Clemente, Tracey Emin, Christina Forrer, FriendsWithYou, Félix González-Torres, Keith Haring, Asger Jorn, KAWS, Ragnar Kjartansson, Susan Te Kahurangi King, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Ernesto Neto, Yoko Ono, Jorge Pantoja, Enoc Perez, Esther Phillips, Fernand Pierre, Richard Prince, Rob Pruitt, Esther Phillips, Mark Rothko, Robert Saint-Brice, Kenny Scharf, Alake Shilling, Frances Trombly, Andy Warhol, and others. The exhibition will be on view at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale from October 27, 2019 – July 5, 2020.

Happy! follows a multigenerational trajectory from the mid-twentieth century to today. Among the earliest works included are two paintings by Mark Rothko: The Party, 1938, depicting a children’s celebration, and an untitled 1956 abstract canvas. Rothko’s thoughts about the nature of emotions in art provide the underlying theme of the exhibition. In a lecture delivered in 1958 in New York, Rothko declared that he meant his paintings to encompass the full range of emotions, and that he introduced “wit and play” and “hope” into his work to make the “tragic concept” of the human condition “more endurable.”

Although the color combination of vivid red, blue and yellow in Rothko’s Untitled, 1956, is unusual for his classic paintings, the coloration is strikingly similar to Matisse’s Joy of Life (Le bonheur de vivre), 1905, which suggests Rothko was aiming to convey the joy of life in his painting. The Party, 1938, also includes the distinctive high-key red, blue, and yellow coloration of Untitled, 1956, further suggesting that Rothko associated this color combination with moments of joy.

“For many of these artists, art-making is a way to channel sadness, stress, depression, and trauma. Their acts of creation reward them with a sense of euphoria or hope,” notes Clearwater.  “Even when faced with a hopeless situation, they can usually find a creative solution.”

Cory Arcangel brings Rothko’s philosophical approach up to date by using wit and humor to denigrate technology for failing to deliver on its promise of progress. In his digital work Totally Fucked, 2003, Arcangel modified the video game Super Mario Bros. so the protagonist has no means for escape. In this video, which runs as an infinite loop, Mario is stuck for all eternity on a cube. Mario’s dilemma is at once pathetic yet cathartic to watch, as viewers find themselves empathizing with his predicament. “For Arcangel, the creation of this and other works provided a constructive means to address his own frustrations,” says Clearwater.

Among other artists who address the subject of hope are Miami artist Jorge Pantoja and British artist Tracey Emin. Pantoja celebrated his emergence from a long period of apathy, which had inhibited him from working, when he painted Over the Hills, 2018, in which his depiction of Spider-Man leaping into the void represents his own newfound excitement in jumping into what Pantoja calls “the friendly unknown.” Regarding Emin, Clearwater points out that “Emin has stated that she cannot work from happiness. Her early film Why I Never Became a Dancer, 1995, is a story of her triumph through art over personal trauma and humiliations.” The film ends with the artist alone in her studio, dancing like a whirling dervish to the disco beat of Sylvester’s “You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real).” In the final scene, the artist looks out at the audience with a broad smile, giving a wink and two thumbs up as a bird ascends to the sky.

The exhibition also looks at archetypal symbols of happiness such as the smile, the rainbow, and clouds. Rob Pruitt’s 132 Rothko-like color field paintings are inscribed with smile emojis, and Yoko Ono’s A Box of Smile opens to reflect the viewer’s smile in its mirror.

Andy Warhol’s 1966 installation Silver Clouds is literally the “silver lining” that promises better times.  Works by the art collective FriendsWithYou include a monumental floating rainbow and a major installation of their iconic character, Cloudy. FriendsWithYou describes the floating Cloudy as a symbol with the power to move the anxious viewer to a relaxed and joyous state by offering a positive message of happiness and connectivity.

Cartoon and manga characters and cuddly animals, often signifiers of childhood joy, also emphasize an upbeat outlook in the works of artists such as Keith Haring, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami, Kenny Scharf, Susan Te Kahurangi King, and Alake Shilling. KAWS’ bronze statue COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH), conversely transforms a universal pop icon of happiness, into his alter-ego COMPANION character to express his own feelings of mortification and remorse. Other artists use symbols of celebration, such as confetti, employed by Frances Trombly, and caviar, used by Enoc Perez, as emblems of transitory emotional states experienced before and after joyous occasions.

The power of music, dance, song, spirituality, sex, and psychedelic drugs are harnessed by several of the featured artists, including Tracey Emin, Keith Haring, Ragnar Kjartansson, Richard Prince, and Kenny Scharf, while the generous gesture of gift-giving and healing (acts that give both the artist and viewer pleasure) motivated Félix González-Torres and Ernesto Neto. Several of these artists recognize the importance of play as a biological necessity that leads to increased happiness. As Clearwater notes, “Warhol intended visitors to his Silver Clouds installations to interact with the buoyant helium-filled reflective pillows. As they walk through the space the pillows rise and fall, creating an atmosphere of blissful enjoyment.”

One section of the exhibition focuses on artists who reclaimed the joy of art-making that they experienced as children, eliminating the rules of art altogether so they could achieve a more immediate level of expression. These include several Cobra artists, such as Eugene Brand and Asger Jorn, whose works are drawn from NSU Art Museum’s extensive collection of this post-World War II art movement. Mark Rothko, who taught art to children from 1929 to 1952, and his contemporary, Esther Phillips, were formally trained in art, yet both chose to emulate the characteristics inherent in children’s art. Los Angeles artist Alake Shilling (born 1993, and the youngest artist in the exhibition) was inspired as a child by the work of Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and FriendsWithYou, and continues to tap her inner child in her paintings and sculptures.

Other artists in the exhibition imagine an existence in which sorrow and pain do not exist, including the representations of “Paradise before the Fall” by Haitian artists Gesner Abelard. “Infancy is another state of oblivion,” states Clearwater. “This brief period of bliss is humorously disrupted in Christina Forrer’s tapestry Baby, in which a disembodied arm plucks a pink cherub out of the ether. The baby’s contorted grimace expresses its awakening to the horrors and tribulations of the human condition.”

Presenting sponsors of the exhibition are Dr. David and Linda Frankel and David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation. Additional support is provided by Funding Arts Broward.

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is located at One East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL. For information, visit nsuartmuseum.org or call 954-525-5500.

Follow the Museum @nsuartmuseum.org

 

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale presents Remember to React Part II, an exhibition comprised of over 50 works from its permanent collection by artists including Nicole Eisenman, Helen Frankenthaler, Quisqueya Henriquez, Lee Krasner, Frank León, Ana Mendieta, Wangechi Mutu, Jorge Pantoja, Raymond Pettibon, Nancy Spero, Andy Warhol, and the Guerilla Girls. On view from June 15 – September 29, 2019, it continues the theme of the institution’s 60th anniversary exhibition, Remember to React (on view through June 2020), with its emphasis on women artists, as well as works representative of the current
global art world. The exhibition is curated by Bonnie Clearwater, NSU Art Museum Director and Chief Curator.

Remember to React II also runs concurrently with the exhibition William J. Glackens: From Pencil to Paint, which is drawn exclusively from the museum’s permanent collection of this early American modernist’s work. “The focus on drawing and prints in both of these exhibitions further demonstrates the richness and depth of NSU Art Museum’s collection,” states Bonnie Clearwater.

Among the works featured in Remember to React Part II is Los Angeles-based artist Raymond Pettibon’s first video, Repeater Pencil, 2004, in which he animated his own drawings to create a non-linear narrative that suggests the dark side of the American dream. Pettibon’s drawings hark back to the heyday of twentieth-century American illustrators, including William Glackens, whose drawings are on view in the adjoining Glackens gallery. Nicole Eisenman’s monumental ink drawing, The Anxiety of Adolescent Boys Hanging onto the Last Moments of Their Innocence, 2001, is a satirical battle of the sexes that similarly displays a drawing style that recalls early twentieth-century popular illustrations for the masses.

Now through- September 29, 2019

To read more, click here.

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale has designated the last Sunday of each month as “Fort Lauderdale Neighbor Day,” which provides free admission to Fort Lauderdale residents on the designated dates. Residents may visit the Museum free of charge on the monthly “Fort Lauderdale Neighbor Day” through the end of the year.

In addition to free Museum admission, Fort Lauderdale residents will receive a 10% discount on catalogs published by NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale and sold in the Museum Store.

Venue: NSU Art Museum

One East Las Olas Boulevard

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 United States + Google Map

For free admission, residents will need to show a photo ID, driver’s license, or residential utility bill that lists a Fort Lauderdale address.

Join our Outdoor 3v3 Basketball Tournament this summer!

July 8, 2019 at 5:00 p.m.

How to sign up:

1. Sign in or create an account on IMLeagues.com/novasoutheastern
2. Choose a sport with open registration
3. Sign up your team
   Registration deadline is July 5, 2019.
   No payment is required.

For more information, contact Paul Joseph at pj355@nova.edu or (954) 262-7303

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube @nsurecwell

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale presents Remember to React Part II, an exhibition comprised of over 50 works from its permanent collection by artists including Nicole Eisenman, Helen Frankenthaler, Quisqueya Henriquez, Lee Krasner, Frank León, Ana Mendieta, Wangechi Mutu, Jorge Pantoja, Raymond Pettibon, Nancy Spero, Andy Warhol, and the Guerilla Girls. On view from June 15 – September 29, 2019, it continues the theme of the institution’s 60th anniversary exhibition, Remember to React (on view through June 2020), with its emphasis on women artists, as well as works representative of the current global art world. The exhibition is curated by Bonnie Clearwater, NSU Art Museum Director and Chief Curator.

Remember to React II also runs concurrently with the exhibition William J. Glackens: From Pencil to Paint, which is drawn exclusively from the museum’s permanent collection of this early American modernist’s work. “The focus on drawing and prints in both of these exhibitions further demonstrates the richness and depth of NSU Art Museum’s collection,” states Bonnie Clearwater.

Among the works featured in Remember to React Part II is Los Angeles-based artist Raymond Pettibon’s first video, Repeater Pencil, 2004, in which he animated his own drawings to create a non-linear narrative that suggests the dark side of the American dream.  Pettibon’s drawings hark back to the heyday of twentieth-century American illustrators, including William Glackens, whose drawings are on view in the adjoining Glackens gallery. Nicole Eisenman’s monumental ink drawing, The Anxiety of Adolescent Boys Hanging onto the Last Moments of Their Innocence, 2001, is a satirical battle of the sexes that similarly displays a drawing style that recalls early twentieth-century popular illustrations for the masses.

Works on view by Cuban artists Quisqueya Henriquez, Jorge Pantoja and Frank León are wry observations on life in Miami that contrast with Cuba’s economic and social structure, while Andy Warhol’s print of Senator Edward Kennedy, created for Kennedy’s unsuccessful presidential bid in 1980, is overtly political, as is social realist William Gropper’s satirical drawings of the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s.

The museum’s significant holdings of work by women artists is reflected in the selection of drawings and prints in this exhibition, including nine watercolors by Edith Dimock who was the wife of William Glackens. Dimock and her husband marched in the famous 1913 Women’s Suffrage Parade for women’s voting rights (obtained in 1920), alongside thousands of other men and women. A highly skilled watercolorist, her work parallels the subject matter of the American Ashcan School painters of the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, including Glackens, who distinguished themselves with their depictions of urban life. While Dimock chose to remain in her husband’s shadow, destroying most of her work, the abstract expressionists Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner (both represented in the exhibition by prints), and Elaine de Kooning, whose paintings are on view in Remember to React Part I, challenged the male-dominated art world with their breakthrough works in the mid-twentieth century.

Nevertheless, continued under-representation of women in the art world, galleries and museums, led an anonymous group of female artists to form the Guerrilla Girls in 1985 to draw attention to this inequality by producing message-driven works such as the posters on view in this exhibition. Also on view is a recent acquisition of a rare drawing by Cuban artist Ana Mendieta, a contemporary of the Guerrilla Girls, that she based on archeological images of powerful earth goddesses.

The exhibition includes several recent gifts to NSU Art Museum from Miami collectors Paul Berg, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz, Vanessa Grout, and Dr. Arturo and Liza Mosquera, and promised gifts from Fort Lauderdale collectors Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz.

Remember to React Part I, which opened in 2018 in celebration of the Museum’s 60th anniversary, marks the first comprehensive installation of NSU Art Museum’s collection. Representing various periods and developments in the history of art, and installed as an interlocking narrative, it also traces the collection’s growth from its origins to today,

Following the Museum’s establishment in 1958, its founders launched the institution’s collection with African, Native American and Oceanic traditional art as its core. Today, in addition to these areas, NSU Art Museum holds the largest U.S. collection of the post-World War II experimental Cobra group, an extensive collection of Latin American and Cuban art, and a concentration of modern and contemporary art with a special focus on work by women and multi-cultural artists. Additionally, it houses the largest collection of works by the early American modernist William J. Glackens, a leader of the progressive Ashcan School.

NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is located at One East Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL. For information, visit nsuartmuseum.org or call 954-525-5500. Follow the Museum @nsuartmuseum.org

Exhibitions and programs at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale are made possible in part by a challenge grant from the David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation. Funding is also provided by the City of Fort Lauderdale, AutoNation, Community Foundation of Broward, Funding Arts Broward, Broward County Board of County Commissioners as recommended by the Broward Cultural Council and Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau, the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale is accredited by the American Association of Museums.