“About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture" at the Figge Art Museum -- June 20 through August 30.
Saturday, June 20, through Sunday, August 30
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
Stunning and elegant works by a collection of more than 30 ceramic artists are set for public viewing at the recently re-opened Figge Art Museum, with the beauty of hand-crafted objects celebrated in About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture, a new exhibition organized by the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts on display from June 20 through August 30.
With uncanny detail, About Face examines the lineage and influence between the revolutionary generation of artists working in figural ceramics during the mid-20th century and artists working today. Museum visitors will be able to view 54 objects highlighting the work of emerging, mid-career, and master artists. Within the exhibition, works of art by important ceramic artists of the 1960s are seen alongside their contemporary successors to create an unfolding narrative of American figurative ceramics – one of innovative sculpture that moves away from the historical and decorative European traditions. The artists use the human form to explore issues relating to the body, various social and cultural concerns, and ideas relating to the female/male gaze, among others. About Face reveals how contemporary figurative ceramics has flourished in the United States and celebrates the creative and artistic triumphs of artists in the field.
The exhibition's participating artists include: Chris Antemann, Robert Arneson, Rudy Autio, Russell Biles, Cynthia Consentino, Cristina Córdova, Jack Earl, Sean Erwin, Viola Frey, Alessandro Gallo, David Gilhooly, Georgia Jones Godwin, Gerit Grimm, Sergei Isupov, Doug Jeck, Howard Kottler, Curt Lacross, Michael Lucero, Walter McConnell, Gerardo Monterrubio, Jim Neel, Virgil Ortiz, Clifton Pearson, Andrew Raftery, Katy Rush, Akio Takamori, Yoshio Taylor, Jason Walker, Kurt Weiser, Christina West, Beatrice Wood, Kensuke Yamada, and Sunkoo Yuh.
About Face is accompanied by a full-color catalogue with essays by exhibition curator Dr. Jennifer Jankauskas and Glenn Adamson, Senior Scholar at the Yale Center for British Art, and will be on view in the fourth-floor gallery. The Figge will also be hosting a pair of companion events for the exhibition. In a virtual presentation held at 6:30 p.m. on July 16, Dr. Jankauskas – who also serves as Curator of Art at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts – will discuss the artists and themes exhibited in About Face in a virtual Curator Talk presentation. And in a live Figge program taking place at 6:30 p.m. on August 20, local ceramic artists will give insight into the imagery and techniques used in the works featured in About Face.
Museum hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m, and entrance to the museum is free through all of June, with $4-10 admission after. Reservations are required for access to the venue, and more information on the June 20 through August 30 About Face: Contemporary Ceramic Sculpture exhibit is available by calling (563)326-7804 or visiting FiggeArtMuseum.org.
