UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Palmer Museum of Art will present a new exhibition this semester that highlights monumental canvases from the permanent collection — many of which have not been on view in recent years—in an attempt to unpack preoccupations with size in post-1945 art. What compelled these artists to work at such a large scale? What does sheer size argue about the paintings in question? "BIG Deal: Sizeable Paintings from the Permanent Collection" will be on view Sept. 5 through Dec. 17.
The canvases on view in "BIG Deal," all of which measure at least five feet in a single dimension, range from abstract to figurative. Drawing on the ambitious scale of academic history painting, a number of the paintings explore the narrative potential of the nude figure, while other politically charged works warn against violence brought on by war, the displacement of peoples, and cultural conflict. Other large canvases, however, are not so declamatory. Quiet interior scenes and quotidian objects serve as artistic fodder for painters desiring to monumentalize the commonplace.
While the exhibition highlights numerous works created — and acquired — in the 1970s, "BIG Deal" reminds us that concerns with size continue to loom large in contemporary art.
Keri Mongelluzzo, graduate student in art history, will lead a Gallery Talk titled "BIG Deal: Sizeable Paintings from the Permanent Collection" at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 15, in the exhibition gallery located on the museum’s second floor.
Joyce Robinson, curator, will lead a Gallery Talk titled "BIG Deal: Sizeable Paintings from the Permanent Collection" at 12:10 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, in the exhibition gallery located on the museum’s second floor.
All programs are held at the Palmer Museum of Art and are sponsored by the Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art unless otherwise noted.
Also on view at the Palmer Museum of Art this fall are "Asher B. Durand: To Begin Again," Sept. 5 through Dec. 10; and "New Acquisitions: Minna Citron after Atelier 17," Sept. 5 through Dec. 10.
The Palmer Museum of Art at Penn State is located on Curtin Road and admission is free. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. The museum is closed Mondays and some holidays. The museum will have modified hours of noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, through Sunday, Nov. 26; and Saturday, Dec. 16, through Thursday, Dec. 21. The museum will be closed Thursday, Nov. 23; Friday, Nov. 24; and Friday, Dec. 22, through Monday, Jan. 1, 2018.
The Palmer Museum of Art receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.