Sneak preview: Upcoming exhibitions at Cantor Arts Center

Jan. 21, 2015, 11:33 p.m.

Several new and continuing exhibitions will be on view at Cantor Arts Center in the coming months, ranging from collections of Civil War-era photographs to exhibitions of contemporary drawings and prints. Below is a list of upcoming Cantor exhibitions with a brief overview of each.

Josef Albers and the Marmor Collection (Feb. 11–June 15)

From February 11 to June 15, pieces selected from the Marmor family’s expansive collection of contemporary American print publications will be on display. The collection features works by a number of high-profile American artists from the mid-1900s, including those of abstract painter and educator Josef Albers.

Imagining the Oceans (Mar. 18–June 29)

Alexander Cozens (England, b. Russia, 1717–1786), Sunrise over a Rocky Coastland, c.1780-85. Oil on paper. Courtesy of Cantor Arts Center collection.
Alexander Cozens (England, b. Russia, 1717–1786), Sunrise over a Rocky Coastland, c.1780-85. Oil on paper. Courtesy of Cantor Arts Center collection.

“Imagining the Oceans,” on view from March 18 to June 29, explores how the ocean has influenced the creative mindsets of various artists across history. The sheer breadth of the works that will be on display at this exhibition reveals ocean environments as a fixture in the development of human culture. Featuring pieces from a range of different artists, including a romantic fantasy by French etcher Charles Méryon and a ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, “Imagining the Oceans” reaffirms the idea that the world around us is a product of our perception.

American Battleground: Photographs of the Civil War, 1861–1865 (Mar. 25–Aug. 17)

The American Civil War was one of the first military conflicts to be thoroughly documented photographically — a fact that “American Battleground,” on view from Mar. 25 to Aug. 17, seeks to highlight. “American Battleground” features not only professional photographs, but also amateur ones, allowing viewers to experience the Civil War through various lenses. The exhibit sheds new light on how individual citizens were affected by the conflict.

Bravo! Music and Theater in Enlightenment Europe (Mar. 25–Aug. 17)

Thomas Rowlandson (England, 1756–1827), Vauxhall, 1785. Etching, engraving, and aquatint. Courtesy of Cantor Arts Center.
Thomas Rowlandson (England, 1756–1827), Vauxhall, 1785. Etching, engraving, and aquatint. Courtesy of Cantor Arts Center.

“Bravo!,” also on view from March 25 to August 17, documents the performing arts scene in Europe as it burgeoned during the Enlightenment era. The Enlightenment was a movement that emphasized reason and individualism over piety and tradition. Comprised of 16 prints and drawings, “Bravo!” seeks to capture the growth of theater practice in Europe through the eyes of 18th-century visual artists in order to expose the relationship between the two art forms.

“Loose in Some Real Tropics”: Robert Rauschenberg’s “Stoned Moon” Projects, 1969–70 (until Mar.16)

A continuing exhibition on view until March 16, “Loose in Some Real Tropics” showcases the lesser known works of American pop artist Robert Rauschenberg and encourages us to reflect on the relationship between visual arts and cosmology. Rauschenberg’s “Stoned Moon” series consists of 34 lithographic prints. In particular, “Sky Garden,” the centerpiece of the Cantor exhibit, has the distinction of being the largest hand-pulled lithograph ever created.

She Who Tells a Story: Women Photographers from Iran and the Arab World (Jan. 28–Mar. 16)

Untitled by Tanya Habjouqa from the series Women of Gaza, 2009. Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Untitled by Tanya Habjouqa from the series Women of Gaza, 2009. Courtesy of Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

“She Who Tells a Story,” on view until May 4, showcases the work of 12 female photographers hailing from Iran and the Arab world; the exhibit intends to provide an alternative view on the issue of representation and identity in the Middle East. There are clear political undertones in the photographers’ work. The range of pieces on display seeks to reconcile the rigidity of Middle Eastern social class structure with the artists’ personal desire to assert their respective identities.

Contact Eric Huang at eyhuang ‘at’ stanford.edu.

 

Eric Huang is a junior at Stanford University hailing from Irvine, California. An aspiring computer science major and art practice minor, Eric's passion for visual arts manifests itself not only in his practice, but also in his writing. To contact Eric, shoot him an email: [email protected].

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