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Tucson Museum of Art
UA Museum of Art

Metropolis
from the UAMA Permanent Collection

May 27, 2010 - October 31, 2010

 

Fritz Lang's 1927 film, Metropolis, is justifiably

famous for its iconic imagery and advancements in film technique. Although the plot itself is considered the weakest part of the movie, the themes presented in the film addressed important concepts being debated in the years between the two world wars: labor issues, class division, industrialization, mechanization, architecture, and the nature of modernity.
This exhibition explores works from both the UAMA Permanent Collection and the fine arts collection of the Center for Creative Photography (CCP) to see how artists addressed these themes, either in design or in meaning. The exhibition is divided into sections focusing on specific aspects of the film. The viewer will discover that the indecisive approach in the film's plot to many of the issues of the day reflects the ambivalence and confusion of society as a whole to the unfolding future.
We want to thank the CCP for the generous use of photographs from their collection. Additionally, both UA professor Dr. David Soren and MFA graduate Christopher McGinnis provided valuable insight into the cultural issues surrounding the film. For further reading, we recommend the collection of essays on the film compiled by Michael Minden and Holger Bachmann: Fritz Lang's Metropolis: Cinematic Visions of Technology and Fear [Camden House: 2000].

Lauren Rabb, UAMA Curator of Art
Caroline Nelson, Co-Curator

Irene Rice Pereira
Man and Machine, 1936
Oil on coarse plain weave linen canvas, 36 1/4 x 48 1/4 inches
Gift of Edward Joseph Gallagher, Jr.

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Pictures of the Floating World:
Life in 19th Century Japan

June 24 - September 26, 2010

Consisting of works from the UAMA permanent collection, this exhibition focuses on woodblock prints from the nineteenth century and explores the print-making process, everyday life in pre-modern Japan, and the cultural exchange that took place between Japan and the Western world.
The Japanese woodblock print dates back to the Nara period (646-794). However, it was in the Edo period (1603-1867) that the art form truly blossomed and the works became known collectively as ukiyo-e. While the printing tradition in Japan was tied closely to the Buddhist faith, artists found the medium ideal for depicting a modern Japan. Although the term ukiyo is a Buddhist term that can be roughly translated into "the floating world," it is used tongue-in-cheek to allude to the nightlife activities in Edo (present day Tokyo). As such, a majority of the subject matter of the ukiyo-e artists is both expressive and relevant to the times.
These works can be divided into five categories: portraits of geisha and courtesans, theater prints, mythical and historical scenes, landscape, and shunga (pornographic images). This greatly contrasted with the earlier woodblock prints that primarily depicted Buddhist themes and were thought to be magical.
Portraits of geisha (female entertainers) and courtesans were the most popular subject matter of the ukiyo-e artists. Fashionable, beautiful, sensuous, and vibrant -- geisha and courtesans were the ideal focus for many artists. Although the beauties of the Yoshiwara district were chosen as subject matter for their own sake, these prints had commercial value and served to function both as fashion plates (like magazine ads today showing the current trends in clothing) and as a much sought-after souvenir for men who visited the pleasure district.
Second only to images of geisha and courtesans in popularity were actor prints and Kabuki theater scenes. The woodblock art form lent itself naturally to the dramatic makeup, vivid colors, and exaggerated expressions used in Kabuki theater. These prints also had commercial value and were often commissioned to promote shows, serve as souvenirs for attendees, or to be collected by fans. Over time, these prints developed into caricatures of sorts and specific actors could be recognized in images.
Myths and historical prints, while receiving less attention than the Kabuki prints or portraits of beautiful courtesans, were nonetheless important. Due to the complexities of the narratives portrayed, these works were often quite detailed and incorporated both figure drawing and landscape in order to create as detailed a scene as possible. Some examples of subject matter were battle scenes, tales of star-crossed lovers committing shinju (double suicide), or long journeys.
Landscape prints captured the world of Edo-period Japan, if not in accuracy, than in spirit. Prints by the great landscape artists Hokusai and Hiroshige are among the finest examples of ukiyo-e prints and, in regards to both of these artists, offer great insight into how people of that time viewed the world around them.
The final subject of the ukiyo-e print makers was shunga, or "spring prints." These were erotic in nature and depicted explicit amorous encounters. Many artists did not sign these works -- and if they did their mark was usually embedded somewhere in the image itself. However, a majority of ukiyo-e artists created shunga at some point in their careers as high demand allowed them to garner an above-average price, and made them very profitable.
In 1853 when the Kanagawa Treaty opened Japan's ports to international trade, the Western world got a glimpse of the beautiful and unique culture of Japan through its exports. Europe and America were for the first time exposed to the Japanese print, which was often used as wrapping for trade items. This uniquely Japanese art form was revolutionary to the art world. These prints were admired by, and inspired, Bonnard, Cassatt, Gauguin, Monet, Pissarro, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, Whistler, and many others; and were of monumental importance to the field of graphic design.

This exhibition was curated by Waverley Chmura, under the mentorship of Lauren Rabb, UAMA Curator of Art. Waverley is a museum volunteer who graduated from Arizona State University in December 2009 with a B.A. in Art History and a Certificate in Asian Studies with an emphasis on the Japanese language.

Yoshitaki Utagawa
Imayo Genji gojushi jo no uchi, 1869
Woodblock print on paper, 25 x 36 1/2 inches
Museum Purchase with Funds Provided by the
Edward J. Gallagher, Jr. Memorial Fund
1986.014.003

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American Innovations: The New Art
October 1, 2009 - ongoing

 

There is no question that the Second World War was the most dramatic instrument of social change of the 20th century. This change was particularly profound for American soldiers and the artists among them returning from the marvels and widespread destruction in Europe and in the Pacific. The lyrics of a popular song of the day, How you going to keep them down on the farm after they've seen Paree? summarized the restlessness of spirit and the determination of many to be more than they had been before the war. The overwhelming realization that the world would never be the same was felt most strongly, perhaps, by American artists and stimulated a sense that art itself had to find new form and meaning.

On the home front, the America our soldiers returned to had changed as well. The wives, sweethearts, and mothers they left behind were now the workforce of a nation. Women in general and women artists in particular were liberated, eager to take their rightful place side by side with men. Although fair consideration would take decades, they were confident and bold, anxious to express themselves in an environment ripe for innovation.

These artists of the post-war era set the tone for the rest of the century, questioning the very essence of aesthetic and cultural conventions. They rejected realism in particular and challenged the function of art and artists in modern society. They invented a New Art — complex expressions of vitality and new ideas. Led by the Abstract Expressionists for a generation, the art world shed its skin repeatedly for fifty years, ushering in an era of plurality that exists into the 21st century.

Abstract Expressionism, Pop Art, Op Art, Color Field, Minimal Art, Conceptual Art, New Realism, Neo Expressionism, and other movements exploded onto the scene at a breathtaking pace.
This exhibition, from the University of Arizona Museum of Art's permanent collections, examines aspects of this New Art. It includes many stylistic examples and showcases the extraordinary vitality of the art of the second half of the 20th Century.

-Charles Guerin, Director

image, Richard Diebenkorn
Berkeley #19, 1954
Oil on canvas, 60 1/2 x 58 inches
Gift of Gloria Vanderbilt, American Federation of Arts