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For Immediate Release
December 8, 2006 (updated)
Contact: Corey Cronin 781/259-3628, ccronin@decordova.org

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr 2007 @ DeCordova: Exhibitions and Events

Exhibitions

Big Bang! Abstract Painting for the 21 st Century
Joyce and Edward Linde Gallery, James and Audrey Foster Galleries, Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Media Space Gallery, Grand Staircase, Fourth Floor Hallway Gallery, First and Third Floor Lobbies
Jan 20 - Apr 22, 2007 (opening reception: Friday, Jan 26, 2007, 6 - 9 pm )

By the end of the last millennium, the art of abstract painting had been almost universally dismissed as irrelevant at best, and expired at worst. But now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, abstract painting is back with a bang – a Big Bang ! This term, cosmologically speaking, refers to the moment approximately 13.7 billion years ago that our universe explosively emerged from an unimaginably hot and dense point. Used here metaphorically, Big Bang! describes the current aesthetic explosion in which a new generation of artists is reinvigorating abstraction with paintings formally and conceptually relevant to many of the great intellectual concerns of this new century.

DeCordova Museum ’s winter exhibition Big Bang ! Abstract Painting for the 21 st Century, heralds the revitalization of non-objective painting for a new century. This thematic group exhibition features works by artists whose imagery is informed by contemporary issues such as computer technology, cosmology, quantum physics, information theory, genetics, complexity theory, remote sensing, and other sets of current scientific visual languages. 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, bringing together cutting-edge and age-old visual technologies.

Big Bang! brings together fifteen artists who reside mostly in New England. They have created post-Postmodern paintings, visually complex and compelling, grounded in ideas that transcend art making and the art world to encompass everything: the universe, the mind, the sciences, the imagination, and the structures that connect them all. In Big Bang!, scale is unmoored. As the artists explore the very huge and the very tiny – often simultaneously – galactic and subatomic worlds oscillate. Paintings range widely in size, often within the oeuvre of a single artist. In this exhibition, seven-inch square paintings appear in proximity to canvases over ten feet wide. In other works, artists blast off from the painting itself to spread imagery across the surrounding walls, in installations that include painted three-dimensional objects.

Organized by DeCordova Curator Nick Capasso and Lisa Sutcliffe, Mary Levin and William Koch Curatorial Fellow. Big Bang! is accompanied by a full-color exhibition catalogue, and features work by: Peter Barrett, Thaddeus Beal, Steven Bogart, Sean Foley, Reese Inman, Clint Jukkala, Julie Miller, Meg Brown Payson, Jon Petro, Cristi Rinklin, Terry Rose, Sarah Slavick, Laurel Sparks, Barbara Takenaga, and Sarah Walker.

DeCordova Museum is proud to be a part of the 2007 Boston Cyberarts Festival with Big Bang: Abstract Painting for the 21st Century. The Festival runs Apr 20 - May 6, 2007 . Please visit www.bostoncyberarts.org for more information.

Stephen DiRado: JUMP
Arcade Gallery
Jan 20 – Apr 22, 2007 (opening reception: Friday, Jan 26, 2007, 6 - 9 pm )

Over the course of several summers, Worcester photographer Stephen DiRado has photographed vacationers and residents as they jump off the American Legion Memorial Bridge in Martha’s Vineyard. This 18-foot descent into the waters of a tidal inlet has been a rite of passage for generations of youth. DiRado’s black-and-white prints capture the anticipation, desire, anxiety, and release associated with the moment of letting go, as terra firma is abandoned and the void embraced. Organized by Mary Levin and William Koch Curatorial Fellow Lisa Sutcliffe.

Approaches to Narrative
Dewey Family Gallery
through – Oct 2007 (reception: Friday, Jan 26, 2007, 6 - 9 pm )

Stories can be found in just about every aspect of our lives in the form of personal histories, childhood fairytales, or a favorite film. In the visual arts, the narrative impulse is as old as the oldest paintings and, in the past 30 years, has re-emerged in contemporary art as a mode for artists to convey personal, social, and political issues. Approaches to Narrative highlights artworks from DeCordova’s Permanent Collection that use imagery to “tell” stories. The paintings, prints, photographs, drawings, and digital images on display ask viewers to consider how artists use basic storytelling components, such as character, plot, and setting, to create visual narratives. Narrative approaches represented include documentary photography, expressionist figuration, realism, surrealism, collage, and illustration. Fifty-eight works by 29 New England artists will be on view. The themes explored in this show are linked to the educational content of the Art ExperienCenter. Organized by Curatorial Fellow Dina Deitsch with input from the DeCordova Education Department.

Events and Programs

Guided Snowshoe Sculpture Park Tours
Sculpture Park
Selected Saturdays at 10 am and 1 pm
Jan 20 & 27, Feb 3, 10, 17 & 24

Tour the sculptures in a winter wonderland at DeCordova! The Museum provides the Tour Guides—Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) provides the gear and snowshoeing instruction. Beginners are welcome. The program will last approximately two hours, so dress in layers that are warm and waterproof, and wear your snow boots.

$15 for Members; $10 for Member children ages 8 -14; $24 for Non-Members. Space is limited and reservations are required. RSVP to membership@decordova.org or 781/259-3629.

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:
Feb 10: Reese Inman
Feb 24: Cristi Rinklin
Mar 3: Terry Rose
Mar 17: Thaddeus Beal

Stephen DiRado: JUMP Gallery Talk: Mar 31

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. The upcoming programs will be centered on the exhibition Big Bang! Abstract Painting for the 21st Century:

Jan 21: Guest artist Sarah Slavik will host
Feb 25: Guest artist Laurel Sparks will host
Mar 25: Guest artist Steven Bogart will host
Apr 22: Guest artist Julie Miller will host

Big Bang! DeCordova Uncorked
Wine Tasting
Museum Galleries
Saturday, Feb 10, 7 – 11 pm

Plan to attend an evening full of taste on Feb 10, 2007 from 7 – 11 pm. Start your Valentine celebrations by evoking your senses with aromas and flavors from a variety of savory wines provided by Gordon’s Fine Wine & Liquors, Inc. Reds and whites will be paired with scrumptious fare and hors d’ oeuvres by East Meets West Caterers. Learn about many varieties of wine—what makes each one unique, and discover your new favorite. Tickets are limited and reservations are required: $60 YMOD (Young Members of DeCordova); $80 Members; $95 Non-Members. Contact 781/259-3629 or membership@decordova.org for more information.

Artist of the Month
The Store @ DeCordova

The Store @ DeCordova continues to host a series of monthly events celebrating (and selling!) the wonderful work of local artists and artisans.

February celebrates Sarah Nehama, who extends her love of delicate metal forms to include high-karat gold and semi-precious stones in jewelry that flatters and delights. Reception: Sunday, Feb 4, 2 – 4 pm.

March highlights local ceramist Marek Jacisin’s intricate and colorful geometric abstract designs to complement your 21 st century décor. Reception: Sunday, Mar 4, 2 – 4 pm.

April honors RISD-trained jewelry artist Amie Louise Plante, who will bring some of her exquisitely crafted works to The Store—and add some pieces designed just for this event. Reception: Sunday, Apr 1, 2 – 4 pm.

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.

 

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