revised: GREY ART GALLERY: ANONYMOUS WAS A WOMAN
The Grey Art Museum's, Anonymous Was a Woman: The First 25 Years showcases works made by 41 women artists over the age of 40, each a recipient of the AWAW grant, which now consists of $50,000 awarded annually to 15 women. The exhibition features an array of media including sculpture, video, photography, and painting. A centerpiece in the second room of the show, Rona Pondicks Magenta Swimming in Yellow (2015-17), features a resin cast translucent magenta head, halfway submerged in a block of translucent yellow resin. This piece acts as a conceptual anchor for the exhibition as it evokes a feeling of being stuck, which goes hand in hand with the mission of the foundation Anonymous Was a Woman, as it allows women to emerge from this obscurity by providing a means for them to create work. Other works include Petah Coyne’s Untitled #1242 (Black Snowflake) (2007–12), a large black chandelier composed of materials such as wax, glass, steel, ribbons, tassels, and a taxidermy peacock, which was made in reference to the bombing of Hiroshima. Jennifer Wen Ma’s Paradise Interrupted: Disintegration (2014) consists of three large hanging mirrored acrylic panels, adorned with intricate black paper forms, the mirrored surfaces making viewers confront themselves as they view the artwork. While the exhibition successfully demonstrates diverse material range, the amount of work often overwhelms the space, diluting the power of individual pieces.
I like how you connected Pondick's "Magenta Swimming in Yellow" back to the mission of the AWAW as it provided better context for the work. I would maybe try and connect the other pieces you describe back to the overall theme of the show. You do a good job at describing them though. I think it was good that called out the lack of space/crowdedness of the exhibit. I think that can really make or break a show.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate how you gave such good context to not only the show but what the AWAW grant is. I think when combined with your descriptions of key pieces it helps me place myself in a wider net of what the show is doing and talking about. I think the note at the end about how it can feel overwhelming is maybe tacked on, but I certainly appreciate that you brought it up after your three well-written and condensed descriptions that lead the reader almost fully to the same conclusion.
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