Four Must-See Design and Print-Focused Shows to Catch in New York This Fall
We’re thrilled to welcome New York-based writer Anni Irish to the Journal as our East Coast art world dispatch and this month she is sharing a group of exhibitions that print and design lover will not want to miss. This list is making us wish we were in New York right now but we’ll forgive Anni for that and hope that you can catch at least a few!
As summer draws to a close, the New York City art scene is ramping up for their busiest time of year. This means the roll out of new exhibition programming for the autumn months, attracting eager art goers in the process. If you find yourself in the Big Apple soon be sure to check out these diverse print and design-focused exhibitions.
Installation view: Ed Baynard at White Columns, image courtesy of the gallery.
Ed Baynard at White Columns, West Village
As an active member of New York City's art scene since the 1970s, Ed Baynard’s multi-faceted practice has often been overlooked in the decades that have followed. This current show at White Columns looks back at the artist's work and highlights his love of Japanese Woodblock prints and how this decorative imagery found its way onto his canvases. A particular focus is placed on his painted still life scenes that present the clear influence his work has had contemporary artists such as Jonas Wood. During the 1980s, Baynard even went so far as to create his own hand-carved woodblocks which took his creative process a step further. Through including large oil paintings and smaller watercolors alongside printed ephemera from Baynard’s personal and professional life, the exhibition looks at Baynard's work and lasting influence over the last 30 years.
On view through September 7th, 2019.
Maurice Sendak (1928-2012), Study for stage set #10 (Where the Wild Things Are), 1979-1983, watercolor, pen and ink, and graphite pencil on paper. © The Maurice Sendak Foundation. The Morgan Library & Museum, Bequest of Maurice Sendak, 2013.
Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet at the Morgan Library
Much-loved children's book author and illustrator Maurice Sendak had a little-known secondary career that the Morgan Library is shedding light on with their show entitled Drawing the Curtain: Maurice Sendak’s Designs for Opera and Ballet. The exhibition explores his 1970s career pivot towards set and costume design for the stage. As the first major museum exhibit dedicated to this subject matter it delves deeply into the whimsical and magical designs Sendak created. The exhibition features over 900 drawings made by Sendak himself as well as 150 objects from his estate given to the Morgan.
Drawing the Curtain showcases a wide range of objects such as storyboards, preparatory sketches, costume studies, watercolors, and dioramas for Mozart’s Magic Flute, Janáček's Cunning Little Vixen, Prokofiev’s Love for Three Oranges among others. These works encapsulate Sendak's genius as an artist and also give viewers a chance to see a lesser-known facet of his creative output.
On view through October 6th, 2019.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973). Head of a Young Man (Tête de jeune homme), 1923. Grease crayon on pink Michallet laid paper, 241/2 x 185/8 in. (62.2 x 47.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum; Carll H. de Silver Fund, 39.18. © 2018 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Rembrandt to Picasso: Five Centuries of European Works on Paper at The Brooklyn Museum
This exhibition offers an impressive showcase of works on paper from European masters. With over 100 works from the Brooklyn Museum's permanent collection, Rembrandt to Picasso looks at a range of drawing and prints, several of which have not been publicly exhibited in decades. The show features the work of heavy-hitters Rembrandt and Picasso as well as Albrecht Dürer, Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Francisco Goya, Berthe Morisot, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Vincent van Gogh, Käthe Kollwitz, and Vasily Kandinsky.
Rembrandt to Picassco delves into the role that drawing and printmaking played in these artists’ creative processes while also considering its wider contribution through art history . By exploring printmaking and drawing’s larger historical significance this exhibition is also able to showcase how these mediums evolved over time.
Presented alongside this exhibition is One: Titus Kaphar which offers a crucial alternative take on the larger white male-centric narrative that has come to dominate Western art history. They are a terrific pairing and when viewed in tandem provide viewers with valuable dual perspectives.
Both shows are on view through October 13, 2019.
Roksana Żelazkiewicz XXX-1, 2018. Printed and published by the artist, image courtesy of the artist
Umbra: Prints for a Dark Ages at IPCNY
This latest exhibition at the International Print Center, New York (IPCNY) is part of their quarterly New Prints program, a series that carries the aim of highlighting the current state of printmaking. Acclaimed artist, Alison Saar has curated the work of over 40 international artists who collectively offer an exciting take on the fraught subjects of race, gender, labor and more, while incorporating a diverse array of print-based processes.
This group show features a wide range of artists from many countries; from Germany to Greece; the United Arab Emirates to the United States. This exhibition marks the 60th edition of the New Prints series and is an exciting time in the IPCNY's tenure and this current exhibit should not be missed!
On view through September 28, 2019.