Drawing, Different
The Dominique Lévy gallery opened its doors for a panel featuring a conversation between the groundbreaking 1976 MoMA Drawing Now curator Bernice Rose, and Kate Ganz, curator of the Lévy gallery’s recent exhibition, Drawing Then.
Drawing Then is a timely look at the drawings of the era on the 40th anniversary of the 1976 Drawing Now, a comprehensive exhibit exploring American drawing in the 60s.
Rose’s original MoMa exhibition displayed works by artists of the time who challenged the art of drawing, playing with textures, shapes and mediums to create works of art that fell outside of traditional iterations of the art form.
During the panel, Rose gave listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the exhibition. There were logistical challenges, permissions from the artists on how to display their work, and reviews– both favorable and unfavorable– from reputable New York critics.
Ganz’ Drawing Then takes a retrospective look at the artists who shaped the era– with a twist: over half of the drawings featured were from artists whose works were not displayed in the original exhibition.
Ganz said in the panel that she sought out lesser known works from artists that were featured in the original exhibition with the intention of letting the art speak for itself, even amongst educated members of the art community.
The drawings on display were characteristic of the era– pushing the boundaries of the traditional and asking viewers to question the integrity of the norm at the time.
According to the gallery’s website, Drawing Then features loans from MoMa and the Whitney Museum among other institutions and pieces from artists’ private collections. As with the original exhibition, a catalogue will be published in conjunction with the exhibit, featuring essays from artistic scholars detailing how each artist changed and shaped the world of drawing.
The exhibition runs until March 26 at the Dominique Lévy gallery.
-Hilary Ribons
[slideshow]Photo Credit: Hilary Ribons
