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As a museum whose purview is to show, as one pundit put it, "the last
five minutes of art history," the New Museum of Contemporary Art is
especially honored to have been invited to organize the fourth
section of the exhibition Twentieth Century American Sculpture at The
White House. Featuring work from museum collections in the
Northeastern area of the country, we've chosen to focus on some of the
unusual ways artists consider the physical, material and conceptual
boundaries of sculptural language.
The exhibition features ten outdoor and two indoor pieces. The earliest
dates from 1971 and the latest from 1995, but most were made within the
past decade. The makers range from well-known and widely respected
artists who have achieved international recognition to younger sculptors
whose work has just begun to enter the public arena. The traditional
pedestal has disappeared almost entirely; some work seems to meld into
the ground it sits on; or appears to rise above it; or dances of into the
distance altogether.
Landscape, myth, body and spirit, those evocative and generative aspects
of the world, are both the source material and subject matter of the
work. Through the use of materials such as discarded tires or corroded
pennies, certain pieces refer to the familiar, everyday world, while
others create physically and emotionally resonant spaces that act as
bridges between the past and the present. Others provide viewers with a
moment of stillness and reflection on an otherwise rapidly moving horizon
of thought and activity.
What wonderful opportunities this exhibition provides: a chance to view
sculpture in a perfect setting, in the extraordinary tranquillity and
grace of the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden; an occasion to share with the
public some of the many ideas, materials, and forms that characterize the
sculpture of our time; and an event which celebrates the vitality,
richness and complexity of contemporary American art.
It was Hillary Rodham Clinton's deep appreciation for modern sculpture
that provides the impetus for this project, and J. Carter Brown's
knowledge and enthusiasm ensured it. My gratitude, also, to the
Association of Art Museum Directors and to Mimi Gaudieri, the Executive
Director, for generous support.
Thanks are due to Fernando Barenbilt who coordinated the project for the
New Museum and to John Hatfield, our Registrar/Exhibitions Coordinator,
for its implementation. I am particularly grateful to Rex Scouten and
other members of the White House staff whose counsel and expertise made
the project so enjoyable. All of us are indebted to the lending
institutions for their cooperation, and above all to the artists whose
vision, imagination, and dedication are fundamental to America's
artistic and cultural leadership.
Marcia Tucker, Director
New Museum of Contemporary Art
New York, New York
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