As Is: Beauty and the Body in Contemporary Art
GVSU Arts Gallery (PAC 1121)
Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
August 26, 2022 - November 4, 2022
Opening Reception: September 22, 2022, 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Hours:
Monday - 10am-5pm
Tuesday - 10am-5pm
Wednesday - 10am-5pm
Thursday - 10am-7pm
Friday - 10am-5pm
Our bodies are both personal objects and shared spaces. They allow us to physically experience the world and are also complex entities where concepts of beauty, self, gender, and identity intersect. Although there is a long history of artists engaging the human form, increasingly, contemporary artists have embraced the complexity and imperfection of the body as it is.
This exhibition, selected from a private collection in Chicago, brings together 19 artists from the last 25 years who actively engage the body and its changing role through their work. Drawing on historical and progressive approaches to figuration, they celebrate the body as a source of inspiration and challenge traditional notions of beauty and representation.
The images and renderings of bodies in this exhibition are not neutral. They reveal each artist’s motifs, beliefs, and passions and raise questions about the representation of the human form in a world still saturated with idealized images of the body. More importantly, they provide meaning and help us see ourselves and how we see others within a culture that is increasingly conscious of age, race, gender, and status.
Clio Newton, Jules, compressed charcoal on paper, 2019
Featured Artists
Steven Assael (American, b. 1957)
https://www.stevenassael.com/
Melissa Cooke Benson (American, b. 1982)
https://melissacookebenson.com/
Aleah Chapin (American, b. 1986)
https://www.aleahchapin.com/
William Fisk (Canadian, b. 1969)
https://www.williamfisk.ca/
Rose Freymuth-Frazier (American, b. 1977)
https://www.freymuth-frazier.com/
Nick Gebhart (American, b. 1988)
https://www.nickgebhart.com/
Anthony Goicolea (American, b. 1971)
https://www.anthonygoicoleastudio.com/
Susan Hauptman (American, 1947-2015)
https://www.susanhauptman.com/
Amanda Elizabeth Joseph (American)
https://zggallery.com/joseph.htm
Alyssa Monks (American, b. 1977)
https://www.alyssamonks.com/
Clio Newton (American, b. 1989)
https://www.forumgallery.com/artists/clio-newton
Nicolas V. Sanchez (American, b. 1983)
https://www.nicolasvsanchez.com/
Aaron Smith (American, b. 1964)
https://www.aaronsmithart.com/
Maria Tomasula (American, b. 1958)
https://www.forumgallery.com/artists/maria-tomasula
Christian Vincent (American, b. 1966)
https://www.christianvincentstudio.com/
Ruprecht von Kaufmann (German, b. 1974)
https://www.rvonkaufmann.com/home/
Eric White (American, b. 1968)
https://ewhite.com/
Robin F. Williams (American, b. 1984)
https://www.robinfwilliams.com/
Zane York (American, b. 1978)
https://www.zaneyork.com/
A quick-reference guide to the exhibition themes as well as discussion prompts for educators to incorporate into their teaching.
A list of books, articles, and other media related to the exhibition available from the GVSU Libraries in a variety of formats including print and digital.
Events, both in-person and virtual, related to this exhibition and others.
Location
August 26, 2022 - November 4, 2022
GVSU Art Gallery (PAC 1121)
Haas Center for Performing Arts, Allendale Campus
1 Campus Dr.
Allendale, MI 49401
Contact
For special accommodation, please call:
(616) 331-3638
For exhibition details and media inquires, please email:
Joel Zwart, Curator of Exhibitions
[email protected]
For learning and engagement opportunities, please email:
Amanda Rainey, UX/Learning Manager
[email protected]