Luminous Ground - ISM Museums and Galleries
Luminous Ground
Luminous Ground: Artists With Histories offers a kaleidoscopic panorama of the work of eleven diverse Illinois artists who share three important similarities: 1) the creation of life-long bodies of work of the highest caliber; 2) the influencing of multiple artists across generations, not only by their art but through teaching and community involvement; 3) commitments of fifty to sixty years or more to the exploration of creativity. Their art and lives have come together in a luminescence that defines their essence. “Luminous Ground” is the depth of their being, the source of inspiration and art, for these artists who, by gifts of longevity and introspection, have created bodies of work that are radiant, insightful, and life-affirming. Their ages range from 78 years old into their 90s. They are not presented as exceptions or curiosities but as exemplars from whom much can be learned. A few are deceased, but most are working artists. While acknowledging the difficulties of old age, the exhibition suggests that the pursuit and exploration of creativity is the closest that mortals can come to partaking of a ‘Fountain of Youth.” The artists and media include: Ralph Arnold (1924-2006), constructions; Morris Barazani (1925), abstract painting; Gerda Meyer Bernstein (1931), socially conscious installation; Fred Berger (1923-2006), figurative paintings, sculpture, and works on paper; William Frederick (1922), silversmith; Theodore Halkin (1924), painting and sculpture; Thomas Kapsalis (1925), abstract painting and sculpture; Vera Klement (1929), painting; Ellen Lanyon (1926), printmaking and painting; Elizabeth Ruprecht (1932), painting; Leopold Segedin (1927), figurative painting. The exhibition also looks at medical, scientific, and psychological evidence that show there are mental and physical health benefits for those involved in creative processes and at aging and society as reflected in the cultural matrix. This exhibition is curated by Judith Lloyd Klauba and Doug Stapleton, co-curators at the Illinois State Museum Chicago Gallery. The exhibition runs from October 11, 2011 through April 13, 2012.Click to Press Release for more information.
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