Allison Wilton , Spam (3598), March 2008; artist media book, hardcover, screwpost bound, 6 x 4 x 16 inches; Art Endowment Fund, 2008
3-D Wit
On View Friday, July 8, 2011–Sunday, February 19, 2012
3-D Wit allows for a unique presentation of selected sculptures from the Burchfield Penney's permanent collection. Drawing upon the principles of humor and satire, the exhibition features work by artists including Dianne Baker, Nancy Dwyer, Christy Rupp, Bill Stewart, Allison Wilton and Westley Olmsted. This exhibition is dedicated to Olmsted, an artist and friend who passed away in March 2011.
Artists have demonstrated their wit through humor and satire for millennia, with origins credited to the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. In countless manifestations, works of literature and art might take playful aim at critiquing a subject in ways that make us laugh. On the other hand, artists might express anger and indignation at subjects they find morally reprehensible, yet use humor-infused satire to lure audiences to appealing imagery before delivering their pointed critiques. Sometimes a simple play of words, or pun, has the greatest impact for its seemingly effortless condensation of philosophy and hidden meaning. Often the choice of materials contributes to a tongue-in-cheek message, or as Marshall McLuhan said in 1967: “The medium is the massage.”
Drawing on these principles, this exhibition presents sculpture in the collection, including recently acquired work. The exhibition was organized by Nancy Weekly, Head of Collections and the Charles Cary Rumsey Curator.
