June 16, 2004
Romare Beardon
The National Gallery of Art recently organized a retrospective exhibition of the art of Romare Beardon. This exhibit will be traveling through April of 1995. Currently the exhibit is at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, which has created a multimedia Flash-based presentation that uses film, music and reproductions of the paintings. Many of the artworks are accompanied by spoken commentary on Beardon's technique and significance.
Beardon's work seems to be of significance to fiber artists through the similarities of collage and building up of textures and meaning. In the 1960's Beardon was using photographic techniques to insert images into his collages, much in the way that Laury brought to the art quilt world. Additionally, SFMOMA cites Harriet Powers' Pictorial Quilt as an influence on Beardon's image making.
The Art of Romare Beardon, by The National Gallery of Art is an online exhibition that has fewer broken links and technical complexities than the SFMOMA's site. It is possible to view the pieces at a more contemplative pace. The work selected seems to enforce the similarities of Beardon's work to quilting, such as in Tomorrow I May Be Far Away, 1966/1967 (right).
Posted by sfenton at June 16, 2004 06:49 PM