The Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech’s newest exhibition provides a glimpse into the evolution of portraiture through the lenses of traditional and technology-based art.
Featuring the work of American icons such as Andy Warhol and Cindy Sherman, as well as emerging artists, “Aspects of the Self: Portraits of Our Times” traces how artists have presented the self not only in painting, photography, and works on paper, but in sculpture, video, and computer generated works of art as well.
The opening reception for the exhibit was held on Friday, March 21 at the Moss Arts Center.
Traversing a period of over 40 years the exhibition features 25 artists whose compelling, occasionally surprising, and sometimes unexpected work spans a multiplicity of media and uses portraiture as a point of departure to explore concepts of the self. With works from museums, private collections, and artist’s studios, the exhibition features national and international artists, as well as several artists living in Virginia.
The exhibition includes Andy Warhol’s classic 1967 image of Marilyn Monroe, a recent self-portrait screenprint by renowned artist Chuck Close, miniature rubber sculptures by Jeanne Silverthorne, an interactive, computer generated work by Daniel Rozin, and a 19 foot high video projection by Spanish artist Daniel Canogar. Photography is featured prominently, including a monumental portrait by German artist Thomas Ruff.
Acclaimed artists are represented in the exhibition, including three paintings by Kehinde Wiley, who re-contextualizes black individuals from urban streets around the world into positions of dignity and power. Also on view is an intimate yet rigorous self-portrait by Blacksburg artist Janet Niewald, along with work by area artists Nick Vitelli and Mary Kate Claytor.
Wiley will present an artist talk on Monday, April 7 at 5:30 p.m. in the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Moss Arts Center’s Street and Davis Performance Hall. In this first-ever talk in Virginia, Wiley speaks about the scope and meaning of his work in what has been one of the most remarkable artistic careers of recent times. The event is co-presented by Virginia Tech’s School of Visual Arts in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, with support from the Women and Minority Artists and Scholars Lecture Series.
Complementing the center’s exhibitions is a special series of 15-minute lectures. “My Take Talks” provide community members with the opportunity to share their perspective and exchange ideas about the art in a relaxed, social atmosphere.
For more information go to http://www.artscenter.vt.edu/
