Contemporary Drawings from the Ackland Collection

The Ackland Collection contains a selection of important works on paper created since the late 1970s, many of which have rarely if ever been exhibited. Contemporary Drawings from the Ackland Collection presents Julian Schnabel, Chuck Close, Ellsworth Kelly, Agnes Martin, and Kehinde Wiley are among the many artists with works on display. Portraits, landscapes, studies for larger works in other media, and independent works range from intimate to monumental in scale.

The exhibition explores the use of material and process in unconventional ways. Julian Schnabel's Drawings in the Rain (In Barbados)-Stain tracks the spatter of rainfall on a painted surface. Robert Morris' Blind Time XIII was drawn while the artist was blindfolded, creating an exploration of process, concept, and memory. Richard Long's White Mud Circle uses mud as a medium, and Alan Shields makes hand-made paper which is then dyed, cut, stitched, and painted in saturated hues of watercolor.

Other artists depict more traditional content, albeit through a contemporary perspective. When viewed from a distance, Chuck Close's Robert/Fingerprint looks like a highly realistic portrait. Step closer, though, and the drawing breaks down into pixels composed of ink and graphite fingerprints. Other portraits include Jim Nutt's Study for Cotten Mouth, influenced by sources ranging from comic books to Surrealism, and Red Grooms' playful Portrait of Mimi.

Artists well-known for their painting and sculpture are included in the exhibition. With its irregular shape and illusion of three dimensions, Open Book Drawing, the large scale pastel by Elizabeth Murray, invokes her works on shaped and molded canvas. Brice Marden and Agnes Martin's works each rely on geometry and monochrome colors to express highly personal and subjective visions, and Ellsworth Kelly is represented by Goldenrod, one of the botanical themes he has returned to throughout his career.

The most recent work in the exhibition is by Kehinde Wiley, who explores issues of power and masculinity in portraits of young black males, placing them in poses and backgrounds inspired by Renaissance and Rococo art. Idrissa Ndiaye was created during the artist's visit to West Africa, one of a number of locations where he established a studio in order to express the black experience in other parts of the world.

Contemporary Drawings from the Ackland Collection is curated by Director Emily Kass and Graduate Intern Kate Arpin.