The Expanded Print: Western Michigan University’s Collection in Context
September 14 – October 22, 2017
Monroe-Brown Gallery
Indra Lācis, Ph.D, Curator
Founded in 1969 and housed exclusively within the Gwen Frostic School of Art, Western Michigan University’s print collection features blue chip artists of the late 1960s and 70s as well as contemporary artists of national and international repute. In concert with this year’s 10th anniversary celebration for the Richmond Center for Visual Arts, the exhibition The Expanded Print: WMU’s Collection in Context juxtaposes beloved collection highlights with key loans featuring artists who are either represented within the collection or tangentially related.
Featuring examples of proto-pop, POP, and conceptual art, as well as 1980s abstraction, 1990s appropriation strategies, and artists who confront identity politics, The Expanded Print provides a select chronology of art historical movements included in the Frostic School of Art’s print collection. With the goal of providing a fresh and expanded perspective on classic collection favorites—from a gender-bending feminist take on Warhol’s much-loved 1967 Portraits of the Artists to re-creating Sol LeWitt’s wall drawings on site and as a complement to his elegant 1970s prints—this exhibition rests on the notion that works of art are best understood when studied in context. Seeking to “punch out” particular aspects of a given work or "fill in" a certain collecting gap, The Expanded Print pairs and re-frames prints from WMU’s collection through the lens of other works to expand and deepen the function of the University’s collection as a distinct teaching tool. Featured artists include Laylah Ali, Chakaia Booker, Chitra Ganesh, Deborah Kass, Sol LeWitt, Elizabeth Murray, Tony Oursler, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Richard Serra, William Villalongo, and Andy Warhol.
Members Preview and Opening Night Reception
September 13, 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Become a member today, MyWMU.com/FriendsofRCVA
This exhibition is made possible with support from the Gwen Frostic School of Art, the College of Fine Arts, and the Friends of the Richmond Center.
