Columbus Museum of Art
Columbus, OH
614-221-6801
http://www.columbusart.mus.oh.us
Illusions of Eden: Visions
of the American Heartland
The character
and values of the American Midwest have exerted a profound influence on
the way the nation views itself. Illusions of Eden: Visions of the American
Heartland," on view at the Columbus Museum of Art through April 30,
2000, brings four contemporary installations together with art from the
1920s through the 1940s to explore the cultural identity of the region.
Including more than 100 paintings, photographs and four installations, the
exhibition captures the complex spirit of a region that spans the heart
of the nation.
"Illusions of Eden" is one component of "The
Heartland Project," a series of three traveling museum exhibitions
and an interactive website
that will evaluate the impact of culture on present-day life in two different,
yet intertwined, regions of the world: the Central United States and Central
Europe.
Often considered the most quintessentially "American"
of the nation's regions, the Midwest was recognized as a distinct cultural
and geographic entity in the early part of the 20th century. Artists in
the 1920s who lived or worked in the Midwest were the first to visually
interpret the region, creating images that remain icons of our society.
"Illusions
of Eden" features historical works that have seldom been viewed together,
alongside innovative installations created by four contemporary artists
with strong ties to the Midwest. Thus, "Illusions of Eden" places
the accomplishments of past artists in a contemporary context. The exhibition
is structured around five essential motifs of American and Midwestern culture.
journey (history, time, transition, travel); garden (the earth,
topography, nature); home (the family, society, culture); word
(myth, memory, belief); and work (labor and the creation of goods).
"Our participation in this exhibition continues our long commitment
to the study of American art and to the organization of exhibitions for
international audiences," explained Irvin M. Lippman, executive director
of the Columbus Museum of Art. "With "Illusions of Eden,"
we are able to present a unique perspective on the art of the Midwest. We
are proud to organize this project with our sister institutions to aid in
understanding the cultural milestones of our countries." (left:
Russell Lee, Hands of Mrs. Ostermyer, Wife of Homesteader, Woodbury Co.
Iowa, 1936, gelatin silver print, 6 5/8 x 9 5/8 inches, Columbus Museum
of Art, Ohio, Museum Purchase)
Twenty-seven painters from the first half of the 20th century
will be represented, including Grant Wood,
Thomas Hart Benton,
John
Steuart Curry, Charles
Burchfield, Aaron Bohrod, Clarence
Carter, Archibald Motley and Marvin
Cone. Photographers include Margaret
Bourke-White, Russell Lee, Wright Morris and Charles
Sheeler. Works by these artists relate to the journey motif. The
contemporary component of the exhibition is composed of newly commissioned
work by Malcolm Cochran (work), Maya Lin (garden), Mary Lucier (word) and
Kerry James Marshall (home).
"Illusions of Eden" showcases works that capture
the unique character and spirit of a region central to the economic and
cultural development of the United States," said Stephanie French,
vice president, corporate contributions for Philip Morris Companies Inc.
"Philip Morris is proud to continue its more than 40-year commitment
to the arts by sponsoring this exhibition and its national tour. Our company's
ties to the heartland are particularly strong, with two of our five operating
companies - Kraft Foods, Inc. and Miller Brewing Company - headquartered
in the Midwest. We are therefore pleased to be working with the Ohio Arts
Council, Arts Midwest and the Columbus Museum of Art to share these uniquely
American works, both traditional and contemporary, with audiences around
the country."
"Illusions of Eden" was organized by a team of
curators led by Robert Stearns, senior program director, Arts Midwest; Columbus
Museum of Art curators Nannette Maciejunes, senior curator, Annegreth Nill,
curator of 20th century and contemporary art; Catherine Evans, curator of
photography; Michael D. Hall, independent critic and artist; and Karal Ann
Marling, professor of art history, University of Minnesota.
From Columbus, the show travels to the Museum of Modern
Art/Ludwig Foundation Vienna, Austria (June 1 through August 15, 2000);
the Ludwig Museum/Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest, Hungary (September
21 through November 26, 2000); the Madison Art Center, Madison, Wisconsin
(February 24 through May 13, 2001); and the Washington Pavilion of Arts
and Science, Sioux Falls, South Dakota (June through August 2001). Additional
U.S. venues are under consideration.
The exhibition is produced by Arts Midwest and the Ohio
Arts Council's International Program in partnership with the Columbus Museum
of Art. Additional financial support is provided by The Rockefeller Foundation,
the National Endowment for the Arts, the Trust for Mutual Understanding,
the Ohio Arts Foundation, Inc., and state arts council partners the Illinois
Arts Council, the South Dakota Arts Council and the Wisconsin Arts Board.
Financial and facilitative assistance is provided by the Bureau of Educational
and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State. Special commissioning
support is provided by Loann W. Crane. "Illusions of Eden" is
endorsed by the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, and its
European tour is designated an official Millennium event of the White House
Millennium Council.
A full-color catalog in English, Hungarian and German accompanies
"Illusions of Eden." In addition, a key component of the exhibition
is an interactive website
including images, as well as historical, cultural and educational information
about the exhibition and the Midwest.
The Heartland Project
Components of The Heartland Project are:
- "Aspects/Positions: Fifty Years of Art in Central
Europe, 1949-99," assembled by the Museum of Modern Art/Ludwig Foundation
Vienna, Austria. Opened in Vienna, December 17, 1999 at the Museum of Modem
Art/Ludwig Foundation Vienna, Austria. Touring Europe and the United States
through 2001. Venues to be announced.
- "Illusions of Eden, Visions of the American Heartland"
organized by the Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, Ohio. Opened February
18, 2000, at the Columbus Museum of Art.
- "Into the Light: New Images of Central Europe and
the Midwest." Opening late 2001.
- "The Heartland Project" website, http://www.heartlandproject.org,
created by Spike, Inc.
Major support for The Heartland Project website is provided
by Spike, Inc. and AT&T.
See also our section on midwest 20th century art: 20th Century Midwest States Painting
Please Note: RLM does not endorse
sites behind external links. We offer them for your additional research;
external links were chosen on the basis of being the most informative online
source at the time of our search.
Read more about Columbus
Museum of Art in Resource Library Magazine
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with museum exhibition news, stories
on American art, calendars, and more. Here are links to selected sections
of the magazine:
- Feature Stories Indexed by Publication
Date
- Museum Exhibition Stories Indexed by Institution
and Geography
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and Media
- Museum Calendar of Exhibitions, Current
and Future Years
- Milestones, Including Appointments,
New Buildings, etc.
- Methods and Sources of Appraisals, Authentication,
Conservation and Artist Identification
- Art Law by Columnist Ann Avery
Andres,
- Art Sellers' Showcase and Sponsorships
- Books, Magazines, Videos & CD-ROM's
- Cameos of Historic American Art Collections
- Distinguished Artists, Including
an Alphabetical Index of Over 1,000 Deceased American Artists
- Dunbier on American Art and Fine Art
Valuation, a Series of Columns by Dr. Roger Dunbier
- The Plein Air Scene by Columnist
Sarah Beserra
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"Illusions
of Eden" features historical works that have seldom been viewed together,
alongside innovative installations created by four contemporary artists
with strong ties to the Midwest. Thus, "Illusions of Eden" places
the accomplishments of past artists in a contemporary context. The exhibition
is structured around five essential motifs of American and Midwestern culture.
journey (history, time, transition, travel); garden (the earth,
topography, nature); home (the family, society, culture); word
(myth, memory, belief); and work (labor and the creation of goods).
"Our participation in this exhibition continues our long commitment
to the study of American art and to the organization of exhibitions for
international audiences," explained Irvin M. Lippman, executive director
of the Columbus Museum of Art. "With "Illusions of Eden,"
we are able to present a unique perspective on the art of the Midwest. We
are proud to organize this project with our sister institutions to aid in
understanding the cultural milestones of our countries." (left:
Russell Lee, Hands of Mrs. Ostermyer, Wife of Homesteader, Woodbury Co.
Iowa, 1936, gelatin silver print, 6 5/8 x 9 5/8 inches, Columbus Museum
of Art, Ohio, Museum Purchase)