Gula, Lori

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UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices10-9-2002UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions FeatureContemporary Artists and Female visionariesLori GulaFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationGula, Lori, "UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries" (2002). UNH Today. 2326.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/232611/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionariesPage 1 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.htmlUNH Art Gallery ExhibitionsFeature Contemporary Artists andFemale VisionariesBy Lori Gula UNH News Bureau 603-862-0574October 9, 2002DURHAM, N.H. -- Six contemporary artists and sevenfemale visionaries will be featured in two exhibits atThe Art Gallery of the University of New Hampshire."Series" and "True Grit: Seven Female VisionariesBefore Feminism," run from Oct. 31 to Dec. 15, 2002.SeriesSome subjects are too intriguing to be relegated to asingle canvas. Six contemporary artists in thisexhibition explore various themes through series.Gordon McConnell paints quintessential cowboy scenesin black and white, resembling old movies andchildhood memories of the Wild West. Throughnarrative sequences, John Hull looks at the modernculture of desolate rural communities.Stephen Lack uses the series format to relate actionsequences such as an exploding helicopter and aspeedboat accident. He relies on movement and dramato draw the viewer in. Charles Parness explores thetheme of self-portraiture through his series of colorfuland outrageous depictions of himself.Martha Diamond is an abstract painter who uses color,composition and structure to suggest the weighty massof a skyscraper, or the long lines of a bridge.Photographer Luigi Cazzaniga focuses on groups in hiswork. One series looks at grouped vegetables, the otheranalyzes groupings of people and their mode ofinteraction.These contemporary artists use series to emphasize andexpand the meaning of their images. For each artist that11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionariesPage 2 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.html expansion boils down to a uniquely American vision ofadventure and progress.True Grit: Seven Female Visionaries BeforeFeminismTrue Grit surveys the seminal works of seven womenartists -- Lee Bontecou, Louise Bourgeois, Jay DeFeo,Claire Falkenstein, Nancy Grossman, Louise Nevelsonand Nancy Spero -- who asserted themselves artisticallyeven before the term "feminism" was a part of societalvocabulary. These influential artists created bodies ofwork that are lasting, engaging and laden with meaning."My most persistently recurring thought is to work in ascope as far-reaching as possible, to express a feeling offreedom in all its necessary ramifications -- its awe,beauty, magnitude, horror and basenessäThis totalfreedom is essential," Lee Bontecou (b. 1931) saysabout her work. She is an assemblage artist who createsthree-dimensional works from steel and other materials.Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911) is among the mostprominent sculptors of the second half of the 20thcentury. Born and educated in Paris, her sensual,abstract sculptures show the influence of the EuropeanModernists she met in France and later knew in NewYork during World War II. Now in her eighties, shecontinues to produce new work. "If you consider art aprivilege instead of something that society will use, youhave to save and suffer for your art, for what you love;you have to deny yourself in the cause of art," she says.Born in Hanover, N.H., Jay DeFeo (1929-1989) was acentral figure in the California avant garde. Her bestknown work is her monumental painting, The Rose,now in the collection of the Whitney Museum ofAmerican Art. As both a painter and sculptor, DeFeo'sorganic and geometric work was influenced greatly byprehistoric art, mysticism and architecture.Claire Falkenstein (1908-1997) worked in threedimensions; her work was both abstract and organic.Her work is concerned with structure and flow,revealing her interest in molecular structure, topologyand cosmology.An eclectic artist, Nancy Grossman (b. 1940) has11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionariesPage 3 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.htmlworked in mixed-media collages, landscape paintings,leather-covered sculpture, wooden assemblages anddrawings. Grossman has consistently explored thehuman condition and physical environment.Among this group's best known artists is LouiseNevelson (1899-1988) of Rockland, Maine. Nevelsonassisted Diego Rivera on a mural and began workingsculpturally in clay and plaster. She found her mediumof choice in wood, focusing on found objects. To her,wood was alive and allowed her to be spontaneous.Nancy Spero (b. 1927) is interested in giving women avoice. Working mainly on paper, Spero addresses socialthemes in a storytelling format. Spero comments on herwork saying, "But who was this artist? Me! That's whyall these tongues; in French 'tongue' is 'langue,' tongueand language -- I was sticking my tongue out and tryingto find a voice after feeling silenced for so many years."These seven artists found their voices through theirwork, and in so doing, greatly influenced countlessartists who followed in their footsteps. The exhibitionwas (CATE), Los Angeles. Its presentation at UNH isfunded in part by the S. Melvin and Mary Jo Rines ArtExhibition Fund.Public EventsOct. 30: "A Conversation with Sculptor NancyGrossman," with Mara Witzling, professor of art,art history and women's studies. 4 p.m., PaulCreative Arts Center, Room A219. Sponsored byThe Art Gallery, the Department of Art & ArtHistory, the College of Liberal Arts, the Centerfor the Humanities and the Women's StudiesDepartment.Oct. 30: Preview Reception. 5 to 7 p.m. Open tothe public.ArtBreak SeriesThe following programs are part of the ArtBreak Series,which runs Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m. in The ArtGallery, unless otherwise noted:Nov. 6: Poetry reading by UNH graduate students11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionariesPage 4 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.htmlAmanda Glenn, David Gruber and Brian PatrickHeston.Nov. 13: Demonstration by muralist and fauxfinisher Christine Butcher of Vivaldi Designs.Room A219.Nov. 20: Slide lecture: "Pushing the Limits of thePictorial: Series and Cycles in the Visual Arts,"by David Smith, UNH professor of art history.Room A219.Dec. 4: Slide lecture by exhibiting New Yorkpainter, Charles Parness. Room A219. Sponsoredby The Art Gallery and the Department of Art &Art History.Dec. 11: Performance by the Pavane RenaissanceDance Ensemble, presenting 16th century dancesfrom the courts of Europe.The UNH Art Gallery is at the Paul Creative ArtsCenter, 30 College Road, Durham. Hours are Mondaythrough Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, 10a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1 to - 5 p.m.The Art Gallery is closed Fridays, university holidays,and during exhibition changes, including Nov. 11 andNov. 28-Dec. 1. Admission is free. School and othergroups are welcome; tours are free with advancereservation. Call 862-3713 to schedule.News Editors: Color slides are available upon requestfrom Amanda Tappan, education and publicitycoordinator, The Art Gallery, at (603) 862-3712 orart.gallery@unh.edu.Back to UNH News Bureau

UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
10-9-2002
UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature
Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries
Lori Gula
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Gula, Lori, "UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries" (2002). UNH Today. 2326.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/2326
11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries
Page 1 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.html
UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions
Feature Contemporary Artists and
Female Visionaries
By Lori Gula 
UNH News Bureau 
603-862-0574
October 9, 2002
DURHAM, N.H. -- Six contemporary artists and seven
female visionaries will be featured in two exhibits at
The Art Gallery of the University of New Hampshire.
"Series" and "True Grit: Seven Female Visionaries
Before Feminism," run from Oct. 31 to Dec. 15, 2002.
Series
Some subjects are too intriguing to be relegated to a
single canvas. Six contemporary artists in this
exhibition explore various themes through series.
Gordon McConnell paints quintessential cowboy scenes
in black and white, resembling old movies and
childhood memories of the Wild West. Through
narrative sequences, John Hull looks at the modern
culture of desolate rural communities.
Stephen Lack uses the series format to relate action
sequences such as an exploding helicopter and a
speedboat accident. He relies on movement and drama
to draw the viewer in. Charles Parness explores the
theme of self-portraiture through his series of colorful
and outrageous depictions of himself.
Martha Diamond is an abstract painter who uses color,
composition and structure to suggest the weighty mass
of a skyscraper, or the long lines of a bridge.
Photographer Luigi Cazzaniga focuses on groups in his
work. One series looks at grouped vegetables, the other
analyzes groupings of people and their mode of
interaction.
These contemporary artists use series to emphasize and
expand the meaning of their images. For each artist that
11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries
Page 2 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.html
 
expansion boils down to a uniquely American vision of
adventure and progress.
True Grit: Seven Female Visionaries Before
Feminism
True Grit surveys the seminal works of seven women
artists -- Lee Bontecou, Louise Bourgeois, Jay DeFeo,
Claire Falkenstein, Nancy Grossman, Louise Nevelson
and Nancy Spero -- who asserted themselves artistically
even before the term "feminism" was a part of societal
vocabulary. These influential artists created bodies of
work that are lasting, engaging and laden with meaning.
"My most persistently recurring thought is to work in a
scope as far-reaching as possible, to express a feeling of
freedom in all its necessary ramifications -- its awe,
beauty, magnitude, horror and basenessäThis total
freedom is essential," Lee Bontecou (b. 1931) says
about her work. She is an assemblage artist who creates
three-dimensional works from steel and other materials.
Louise Bourgeois (b. 1911) is among the most
prominent sculptors of the second half of the 20th
century. Born and educated in Paris, her sensual,
abstract sculptures show the influence of the European
Modernists she met in France and later knew in New
York during World War II. Now in her eighties, she
continues to produce new work. "If you consider art a
privilege instead of something that society will use, you
have to save and suffer for your art, for what you love;
you have to deny yourself in the cause of art," she says.
Born in Hanover, N.H., Jay DeFeo (1929-1989) was a
central figure in the California avant garde. Her best
known work is her monumental painting, The Rose,
now in the collection of the Whitney Museum of
American Art. As both a painter and sculptor, DeFeo's
organic and geometric work was influenced greatly by
prehistoric art, mysticism and architecture.
Claire Falkenstein (1908-1997) worked in three
dimensions; her work was both abstract and organic.
Her work is concerned with structure and flow,
revealing her interest in molecular structure, topology
and cosmology.
An eclectic artist, Nancy Grossman (b. 1940) has
11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries
Page 3 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.html
worked in mixed-media collages, landscape paintings,
leather-covered sculpture, wooden assemblages and
drawings. Grossman has consistently explored the
human condition and physical environment.
Among this group's best known artists is Louise
Nevelson (1899-1988) of Rockland, Maine. Nevelson
assisted Diego Rivera on a mural and began working
sculpturally in clay and plaster. She found her medium
of choice in wood, focusing on found objects. To her,
wood was alive and allowed her to be spontaneous.
Nancy Spero (b. 1927) is interested in giving women a
voice. Working mainly on paper, Spero addresses social
themes in a storytelling format. Spero comments on her
work saying, "But who was this artist? Me! That's why
all these tongues; in French 'tongue' is 'langue,' tongue
and language -- I was sticking my tongue out and trying
to find a voice after feeling silenced for so many years."
These seven artists found their voices through their
work, and in so doing, greatly influenced countless
artists who followed in their footsteps. The exhibition
was (CATE), Los Angeles. Its presentation at UNH is
funded in part by the S. Melvin and Mary Jo Rines Art
Exhibition Fund.
Public Events
Oct. 30: "A Conversation with Sculptor Nancy
Grossman," with Mara Witzling, professor of art,
art history and women's studies. 4 p.m., Paul
Creative Arts Center, Room A219. Sponsored by
The Art Gallery, the Department of Art & Art
History, the College of Liberal Arts, the Center
for the Humanities and the Women's Studies
Department.
Oct. 30: Preview Reception. 5 to 7 p.m. Open to
the public.
ArtBreak Series
The following programs are part of the ArtBreak Series,
which runs Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m. in The Art
Gallery, unless otherwise noted:
Nov. 6: Poetry reading by UNH graduate students
11/3/17, 11'33 AMUNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries
Page 4 of 4http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2002/october/lg_20021009art_gallery.html
Amanda Glenn, David Gruber and Brian Patrick
Heston.
Nov. 13: Demonstration by muralist and faux
finisher Christine Butcher of Vivaldi Designs.
Room A219.
Nov. 20: Slide lecture: "Pushing the Limits of the
Pictorial: Series and Cycles in the Visual Arts,"
by David Smith, UNH professor of art history.
Room A219.
Dec. 4: Slide lecture by exhibiting New York
painter, Charles Parness. Room A219. Sponsored
by The Art Gallery and the Department of Art &
Art History.
Dec. 11: Performance by the Pavane Renaissance
Dance Ensemble, presenting 16th century dances
from the courts of Europe.
The UNH Art Gallery is at the Paul Creative Arts
Center, 30 College Road, Durham. Hours are Monday
through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, 10
a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1 to - 5 p.m.
The Art Gallery is closed Fridays, university holidays,
and during exhibition changes, including Nov. 11 and
Nov. 28-Dec. 1. Admission is free. School and other
groups are welcome; tours are free with advance
reservation. Call 862-3713 to schedule.
News Editors: Color slides are available upon request
from Amanda Tappan, education and publicity
coordinator, The Art Gallery, at (603) 862-3712 or
art.gallery@unh.edu.
Back to UNH News Bureau


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UNH Art Gallery Exhibitions Feature Contemporary Artists and Female visionaries

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