THIS AND THAT
Unconventional Selections from the Permanent Collection
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Director’s Foreword
Pepe Mar, Spinning Around, 2008, Wood, paint, paper collage, on wood base, 8 feet tall, Gift of David Castillo, FIU 2012.14
Graham Hudson, Skate Seat, 2009, Mixed media: Timber, wicker, paint, foam and plastic, 43 x 34 ¼ x 37 ½ inches, Gift of Nina Johnson, FIU 2010.16.1
Over the years, the Frost Art Museum has collected with the vision to enhance the traditional process of acquiring and accepting art, with works that are representative of a more contemporary approach to their definition. As a university museum with an intriguing collection of works received through our highly valued Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award for Students, and through maintaining a keen eye for the most innovative artists in our community and beyond, it is only fitting that an exhibition of works that often defy description and are open to interpretation be presented to introduce our visitors to this unique aspect of our collection. The works come in a wide variety of media and styles, and all of them may present a challenge aesthetically or categorically. This was the intention of the artists who crossed into new territories to assume roles that are diverse, from iconoclast of traditional art forms, materials and methods, to political and social critique. There are still no answers to the old question: “What is art?” Nor are there any set boundaries and rules anymore for creating or judging a work of art, often making the task of understanding more difficult. Today there are endless possibilities and we hope that this exhibition will challenge and provoke, further complicating the rhetoric. Carol Damian Director and Chief Curator
Ana Albertina Delgado, Ana Lourdes y Carmela, 2000, Acrylic on canvas, 53 x 43 inches, Dorothea Green Emerging Artists Fund Purchase FIU 2003.18
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THIS AND THAT:
Unconventional Selections from the Permanent Collection July 18, 2012 – October 21, 2012
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This and That Contemporary Artists continually expand and redefine the boundaries of art as they seek to engage with an increasingly pluralistic world. They freely experiment with unlimited techniques, materials and styles to produce art which is diverse, eclectic and, at times, challenging. These artists visually and thematically layer abstraction, symbols, cultural references and personal experiences to create meaning. Today, the understanding of art is no longer grounded in just simple, traditional aesthetics, but centered on ideas, topics and themes. Meanings are not fixed, but flexible. The works, which can be puzzling, intriguing or repellent to the viewer, are open to interpretation. They allow viewers the freedom to appreciate the forms, materials, processes and play of ideas, without painstakingly attempting to decipher the artist’s intentions. Artists intend to elicit thoughts and sensations that connect with the viewer’s own experiences and, in turn, to add meaning and depth to their work. This and That presents works from the museum’s permanent collection that at first glance may seem somewhat unconventional, irreverent, complex or amusing. Executed in a vast array of media and styles, the works which explore themes such as identity, feminism, politics, material culture, consumerism, ecology and the role of art, are presented to challenge the visitor to reconsider their perceptions of what art is, to elicit individual interpretations, to question meanings and to stimulate a response.
Kate Kretz, Sanctum IV, 2004, Encaustic on Masonite, 4 x 3 inches, Gift of the artist. FIU 2005.004
Sibel Kocabasi, Your Neighbor, 2010 Oil on wood, 6 x 6 inches Courtesy of the Artist, 23.2011.1
Klaudio Rodriguez Curator
Enrico Baj, Petit Nu,1970, Etching and collage on fabric, 19 x 16 inches, Gift of Steven Opler, Miami, Florida, Met 84.12.04 OP
Checklist Enrico Baj Petit Nu, 1970 Etching and collage on fabric 19 x 16 inches Gift of Steven Opler, Miami, Florida Met 84.12.04 OP
Sibel Kocabasi Your Neighbor, 2010 Oil on wood 6 x 6 inches Courtesy of the Artist 23.2011.1
Jillian Mayer Shivers, the Knight, 2007 Textile and mixed collage 20 x 25 inches Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award FIU 2008.2.2
Sandra Bermudez Luxe Branch, 2006 Die-cut archival digital print on gator board 60 x 40 inches Gift of Annina Nosei Weber FIU 2009.18
Sibel Kocabasi Your Father, 2010 Oil on wood 6 x 6 inches Courtesy of the Artist 23.2011.2
Jillian Mayer All Good Dogs go to Heaven, 2007 Textile and mixed collage 24 x 18 ½ inches Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award FIU 2008.2.3
Sibel Kocabasi Your Second Cousin, 2010 Oil on wood 6 x 6 inches Courtesy of the Artist 23.2011.3
Freddy Reitz Freedom Bridge, 2008 Mixed Media Each Panel: 24 ¼ x 24 ¼ inches Gift of Wolfgang Roth and Partners Fine Art FIU 2010.15 a, b
Ana Albertina Delgado Maruca y Melissa, 2000 Acrylic on canvas 53 x 43 inches Dorothea Green Emerging Artists Fund Purchase FIU 2003.18 Ana Albertina Delgado Ana Lourdes y Carmela, 2000 Acrylic on canvas 53 x 43 inches Dorothea Green Emerging Artists Fund Purchase FIU 2003.18 Guerra de la Paz Trio, 2003 Textile, recycled clothing Dimensions Variable Gift of the Artists FIU 2005.002 a,b,c Graham Hudson Skate Seat, 2009 Mixed media: Timber, wicker, paint, foam and plastic 43 x 34 ¼ x 37 ½ inches Gift of Nina Johnson FIU 2010.16.1 Graham Hudson Recliner, 2009 Mixed media: Timber, wicker, paint, foam and plastic 51 x 55 x 27 ½ inches Gift of Nina Johnson FIU 2010.16.2
Kate Kretz Sanctum IV, 2004 Encaustic on Masonite 4 x 3 inches Gift of the artist. FIU 2005.004 Pepe Mar Spinning Around, 2008 Wood, paint, paper collage, on wood base 8 feet tall Gift of David Castillo FIU 2012.14
Alexandra Trimino Luminous Disparities, 2012 Mixed Media light sculpture Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award FIU 2012.15
Leonel Matheu La Mentira, 2002 Mixed Media on canvas 55 x 74 inches Gift of Dr. Arturo and Liza Mosquera FIU 2004.03 Jillian Mayer Aye, Captain, 2007 Textile and mixed collage 29 x 22 inches Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award FIU 2008.2.1
The Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum Florida International University 10975 SW 17th St. | Miami, FL 33199 t: 305.348.2890 | e: artinfo@fiu.edu w: thefrost.fiu.edu Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program
Bert Rodriguez Frost Art Museum (Detail), 2010 Plastic, glass, metal Dimensions Variable Courtesy of the Artist 20.2011
Front image: Jillian Mayer, Shivers, the Knight, 2007, Textile and mixed collage, 20 x 25 inches Betty Laird Perry Purchase Award FIU 2008.2.2
The Frost Art Museum receives ongoing support from the Steven and Dorothea Green Endowment; the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners; The Miami Herald; Target; and the Members & Friends of The Frost Art Museum.