Media contact:
Carolyn Mandelker 914-242-0010 ext. 101
cmandelker@harrison-edwardspr.com
The Neuberger Museum of Art presents
GOLD
July 12 – October 11, 2015
The most desirable of materials, gold is used to epitomize greed, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, the theme of the
Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance collaboration.
(Purchase, New York ……..May 18, 2015) …..According to religious tradition, there are seven deadly sins, a theme that the Fairfield Westchester Museum Alliance, of which the Neuberger Museum of Art is a member, has chosen for its current collaborative project. Each participating museum has adopted one of the sins (wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy, and gluttony) to address in their exhibition; the Neuberger’s is greed. Accordingly, the Museum will present the exhibition GOLD, exploring the many ideas with which gold, the most desirable of materials, is associated.
GOLD is organized for the Neuberger Museum of Art by the Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, Florida, and curated by Bass Curator of Exhibitions José Carlos Diaz.
GOLD features work by 22 well-known contemporary artists working in the United States and abroad. Each of these artists has used gold physically or conceptually in their practice to reinforce or challenge notions of transformation, beauty, spirituality, and values, both economic and moral: Olga de Amaral, Eric Baudart, Carlos Betancourt, Chris Burden, James Lee Byars, Elmgreen and Dragset, Dario Escobar, Sylvie Fleury, Patricia M. Hernandez, Jim Hodges, Glenn Kaino, Sherrie Levine, Kris Martin, Fernando Mastrangelo, Yucef Merhi, John Miller, Martin Oppel, Ebony G. Patterson, Todd Pavlisko, Robin Rhode, Cristina Lei Rodriguez and Rudolf Stingel.
Several artists overturn expectations of gold by using it to transform and elevate everyday objects, such as Sylvie Fleury’s gold-plated trash can, or John Miller’s assemblages of miscellaneous junk enriched through the use of gold leaf. Eric Baudart’s Concave features peeling street posters that have been spray-painted, obliterating the man-made content they originally conveyed.
By contrast, Chris Burden’s Gold Bullets juxtaposes gold’s visual beauty with the unsettling form into which it has been cast, referencing the relationship between capital and violence as well as the artist’s famous 1971 performance Shoot. The visual seduction of Ebony G. Patterson’s heavily embellished jacquard tapestry is undercut by the scenes that she depicts – images of working-class Jamaicans, who have suffered violent deaths. Robin Rhode’s gilded shovel, which stands in a pile of coal dust, references South Africa’s Witwatersrand Basin, the origin of half the world’s excavated gold and infamous for its mining practices.
Some artists explore the ritualistic use of gold to imbue objects with spiritual and eternal significance. James Lee Byars utilizes gold in pursuit of his idea of sacred beauty and perfection by including a tiny golden sphere in his Self-Portrait and using metallic fabric in The Golden Divan for one of gold.
Several works in the exhibition reference Pre-Columbian art and allude to the European conquest of the Americas. Carlos Betancourt photographs objects belonging to friends and family which he re-contextualizes in symmetrical golden totems, reflecting his trans-Caribbean identity and Taíno culture. Olga de Amaral’s glistening tapestry was made using traditional weaving methods, emblematic of Pre-Columbian artifacts. Fernando Mastrangelo’s Medallion references Pre-Columbian deity offerings. In this case, gifts like precious stones are replaced with gold dragées and crystallized sugar, modern-day exports through which the artist draws attention to the power of the commodities trade.
Among the highlights of the exhibition is a gold painting by Rudolf Stingel in which anonymous inscriptions are transformed alchemically into an artwork, expanding the vocabulary of painting and demystifying both the idea and process of making art. Elmgreen and Dragset’s Rosa, a gilded sculpture woman dressed in a black and white maid’s uniform, standing at attention with her arms behind her back.
In conjunction with GOLD, the following events are planned:
Saturday, June 27 3 pm
Special Screening
We’re presenting some “sinful cinema” at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville, featuring a special screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, a clever comedy about a prospector’s search for gold in the Klondike. This film cemented the iconic status of the Little Tramp character. It is a newly restored print that includes Chaplin’s original music. Special highlights of the day: A “golden ticket” to win a free Family Membership to the Neuberger Museum of Art; a slide show with “nuggets” of information, shown on the big screen prior to the start of the movie.
Tickets: $7 (NMA members); $12 nonmember adults, $7.50 nonmember children under twelve; JBFC Family Members: use Family Comp passes at the box office for this event.
Sunday, July 12, 1–4 pm
Family Festival: GOLD
Enjoy a day that addresses greed in many ways:
Using music, projections, and animations Jukebox Radio presents songs and stories from around the world about gold and greed, and beyond. Come sing, dance, and play as we consider what is of real value and what we should really treasure.
Search for treasure in the galleries and win a gold prize!
Watch Charlie win the golden ticket in a screening of the beloved 1971 classic film, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”
Refreshments
Tickets: FREE for Neuberger Family Circle Members and above. General Admission: Adults Free; $10 per child 18 and under.
1-4 pm Treasure Hunt in the GOLD exhibition gallery
1-4 pm Refreshments served in the café
1:30 –2:30 pm Jukebox Radio performance
2:45-4:30 pm Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory screening
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The Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York is the premier museum of modern, African, and contemporary art in the Westchester/Fairfield County area. An outstanding arts and education institution, the Museum was conceived with the dual purpose of serving both as an important cultural resource to its regional, national, and international audiences, and as an integral part of Purchase College. Support for the Museum’s collection, exhibitions, publications, and education programs is provided by grants from public and private agencies, individual contributions, the Friends of the Neuberger Museum of Art and its Board of Directors, the Purchase College Foundation, and the State University of New York.
The Museum is located at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, N.Y. (Westchester)
914-251-6100
www.neuberger.org
Museum Hours
Tuesday through Sunday, 12 noon to 5 pm
Closed Mondays and major holidays
Group tours by appointment only on Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 am to 12 noon
For persons with special needs, designated parking is available at the south end
of the Museum building. Call ahead for wheelchair accommodations.
Walk-in Public Tours
Tuesday–Friday, Gallery Talk, 1 pm
Sunday, Topic Tour, 2 pm
Sunday, Gallery Talk, 3 pm
Gallery talks offer fresh insights into the Museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection, while Topic Tours explore different aspects of the permanent collection.
Museum Store
Open during Museum hours. The store features a broad selection of art books,
art cards, handcrafted jewelry, children’s items and one-of-a-kind limited edition gifts.
Admission
$5.00 General Public
$3.00 Seniors
Free admission for Museum members, children 12 and under, and Purchase College students, faculty, and staff
Directions
The Neuberger Museum of Art is easily accessible by car or bus, and may also be reached by Metro-North. By car: From the North or South – take the Hutchinson River Parkway to Exit 28. Head north on Lincoln Avenue to Anderson Hill Road. Turn right onto Anderson Hill Road. Left at first traffic light into Purchase College campus. From 684 – take Exit 2 South on Route 120 to Anderson Hill Road. Turn left onto Anderson Hill to 2nd traffic light. Turn left at Purchase College campus. From the East – take Route 287 (Cross Westchester Expressway) to Exit 8E. Take second left over Expressway onto Anderson Hill Road. Follow signs to SUNY Purchase.
Handicap Parking
On the Purchase College campus, park in Parking Lot #1 and proceed to the underpass at the Performing Arts Center. The handicap elevator is located across from the entrance to the Performing Arts Center. Take the elevator to the second level, then exit to the left. The entrance to the museum is located diagonally across, about a city block away.