Faculty News: Elizabeth Alexander Exhibits at Crystal Bridges Museum of America
From more than 10,000 American artists, Montserrat College of Art’s Sculpture faculty member Elizabeth Alexander has been selected to have her art exhibited at Crystal Bridges Museum of America. She is one of 100 under-recognized artists whose work will be on display from September 13, 2014 – January 19, 2015.
Crystal Bridges Museum of America is located in Bentonville Arkansas and the Exhibit is called State of Art, Discovering American Art Now.
In everyday language, to be “decorative” is also to be feminine, flowery, or delicate. In her work across various media, Elizabeth Alexander probes that traditional understanding of decoration by adding or subtracting it from existing objects, producing familiar-yet-alien forms that defy expectation. In her sculptural series Tea, for example, the artist begins with everyday found porcelain pieces—teacups, saucers, and pitchers—that feature surface decorations such as painted flowers or leaves. Then, using a refined cutting tool, Alexander methodically removes the decorative elements along with the porcelain underneath, creating wavy, irregular holes in the surface of the objects.
The undulating edges of these empty spaces resemble islands, lakes, or rivers, creating beauty even in their absence. Importantly, the removal of decoration destroys the functionality of the original objects: the cup can no longer contain tea, the saucer no longer catches stray crumbs. Alexander’s altered forms compel us to reconsider our notions of beauty in our home environments, suggesting that “mere” decoration perhaps isn’t so mere after all.
Learn more about the exhibit from this New York Times article.
Published by College Relations Intern Josh Ramsey