O'Hern to Present

O'Hern to Present Gallery Talk at Rockwell Museum

April 29, 2003

How are works of art selected for an exhibition? In particular, how were 20 specific works selected for the "Re-presenting Representation VI - The West." These works are now on display at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, and form one of two parts of a biennial show curated by John O'Hern, Executive Director and Curator of the Arnot Art Museum.

These questions and others will be the subjects of a Gallery Talk O'Hern will present on Tuesday, May 6, at 6:00 pm in the Special Exhibition Gallery at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, 111 Cedar Street in Corning. Members of the Rockwell Museum and the Arnot Art Museum are invited to attend without charge. The fee for non-members is $3.00. Advance reservations are strongly advised and may be made by contacting Linda Phillips at the Rockwell Museum (607-974-2807).

Re-presenting Representation VI is a blockbuster art show, much like the Monet, Van Gogh, and Matisse/Picasso exhibitions that have garnered headlines around the world. The first "RR," as the biennial show has become known, was held at the Arnot Art Museum in 1993. This year, as in 2001, it spans two museums: the Arnot Art Museum (Elmira, New York) and Rockwell Museum of Western Art (just 20 miles west in neighboring Corning). It is currently open to the public in both locations and will continue through August 31.

The 20 works of art displayed in the Special Exhibition Gallery of the Rockwell Museum focus on Western Art. "I really knew very little about Western art before I began curating these past two RR shows," says O'Hern. "I had thought of art as art. But now I am forming ideas about Western art as a phenomenon in itself." For RRVI, O'Hern began with two sets of goals. The first was the overall goal of Re-presenting Representation: to find and show some of the most exciting new representational art work by contemporary artists. The second was to reflect the major themes of the Rockwell Museum of Western Art: the people, places, and ideas of the West.

"Historically, we first learned about the West from Easterners, mainly of European heritage, who went west and brought back their paintings and stories," says O'Hern. "Now, our perspectives of the West are much wider and richer, since we are able to see the work of Hispanic and Native American artists, as well as others." He found most of the work for "RRVI - The West" in Santa Fe, and it principally reflects the Southwest, but the show also includes two pieces of glass art from the state of Washington. O'Hern is quick to point out that these are only two small segments of the West and its art: "There is a whole other West for future sheriffs to investigate!" he laughs.

About the Exhibition
The entire Re-presenting Representation VI exhibit features 149 works by 84 artists or pairs of artistic collaborators. Of these, 128 works by 75 artists are shown at the Arnot Art Museum; 20 works by 13 artists appear at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art.

Media included in the show are painting, drawing, photography, video, tapestry, sculpture, clay, and glass. This is the first year that video will be represented. The human figure is the subject of a great many works in the exhibition, but its treatments are many and widely varied.

This is the sixth Re-presenting Representation exhibit, and the second collaborative exhibition between the two museums. The show has received attention in the national press, particularly since no major art museum in the United States has undertaken a major survey of representational art.

The gallery talk is one of a series of events related to Re-presenting Representation VI. For more information about others, contact the Arnot Art Museum.

RRVI - The West
At the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, as at the Arnot Art Museum, visitors will find great diversity among the works of art. For instance, at the Rockwell Museum, a bronze cast sculpture of a snake by Steve Kestrel is realistic, but it is also symbolic, stylized, and mythic. He unites his love of paleontology and zoology with his love of sculpture. On the other hand, William Shepherd's painting begins with a sensation of an experience and then creates visual metaphors for the experience. Richly textured, full of bright color and multiple objects, his painting presents a dramatic contrast to Kestral's sculpture. Both of these contrast equally with Barbara Van Cleve's photographic portrayal of ranch women, whom she views as modern day pioneers. In style and subject, all of these works of art reflect the West, and all fall clearly within the realm of realism, yet they could scarcely be more different from one another. Such are the contrasts that help visitors to see the West and art through new eyes.

About O'Hern
John O'Hern joined the Arnot Art Museum in 1989 as Director, added the responsibilities of Curator in 1994, and became Executive Director and Curator in 2003. Under his guidance and direction, the museum has won acclaim for innovative, multi-disciplinary education programs and outstanding exhibitions. The Re-presenting Representation exhibitions O'Hern has curated have been recognized as a model and featured in national and international media. Prior to coming to the Arnot Art Museum, O'Hern was the first resident curator and manager of the Darwin D. Martin House, a Frank Lloyd Wright house, a national historic landmark owned by the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also held earlier posts at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo and Kenan Center in Lockwood, New York.

Rockwell Museum of Western Art
The Rockwell Museum of Western Art owns one of the largest and finest collections of Western American art in the Eastern United States and provides the public with a chance to see the Best of the West in the East. All of the Rockwell Museum's exhibits and services - galleries, events, art packs, Trading Post, and the adjacent Cantina - immerse visitors in an authentic Western experience. The Rockwell Museum puts equal emphasis on creating an enjoyable experience and displaying art. Galleries and exhibits are designed to stimulate fresh ideas and encourage discussion. The old and the new are often placed side-by-side, inspiring comparison and curiosity.

The Rockwell Museum is open to visitors Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Sundays 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.