Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University

The Nasher Museum of Art

February 16 - June 17, 2012

Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art pairs some 34 masterworks by Alexander Calder with the work of seven contemporary artists whose practices are bound to Calder's legacy as modern sculptor.

While a well-known, even beloved figure, Calder is not often considered an important point of reference for contemporary artists. This is the first exhibition to explore Calder's significance for an emerging generation of sculptors, reconsidering his influence and innovation through a presentation of his own work alongside the work of contemporary artists. The seven other artists in this exhibition-Martin Boyce, Nathan Carter, Abraham Cruzvillegas, Aaron Curry, Kristi Lippire, Jason Meadows and Jason Middlebrook-have taken important cues from Calder including a return to hands-on production, the creative reuse of materials and explorations of form, balance, color and movement. Both directly and indirectly influenced by Calder, all seven artists look toward modernist forms and ideas, challenging and recontextualizing what is for many a familiar art history. The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, organized the exhibition, which is accompanied by a fully-illlustrated catalogue.

Alexander Calder and Contemporary Art: Form, Balance, Joy is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. The exhibition is sponsored by The Northern Trust Company. Lead foundation support is provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art and the Chicago Community Trust. Major support for the exhibition is generously provided by The Kenneth and Anne Griffin Foundation. Additional generous support is provided by Margot and George Greig, Anne and Burt Kaplan, Ruth Horwich, The Broad Art Foundation, Gagosian Gallery, Lindy Bergman, Helyn Goldenberg, Sara Szold, and The Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation.

At the Nasher Museum, major individual support for the exhibition is provided by Frances P. Rollins, Marilyn M. Arthur, Trent and Susan Carmichael, Drs. Victor and Lenore Behar, Kathi and Stephen Eason, and Mindy and Guy Solie. Additional generous support is provided by Deborah DeMott, Nancy Palmer Wardropper, The E. T. Rollins Jr. and Frances P. Rollins Fund, Jo and Peter Baer, Paula and Eugene Flood, Pepper and Donald Fluke, Kelly Braddy Van Winkle and Lance Van Winkle, Carolyn Aaronson, Diane Evia-Lanevi and Ingemar Lanevi, Caroline and Arthur Rogers, Angela O. Terry, and Richard Tigner. Major corporate and grant support for the exhibition is provided by the Mary Duke Biddle Foundation, NetApp, and the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources. Additional support is provided by Carolina Biological Supply Company, Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, The Research Triangle Park, Parker and Otis, Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, Clinical Ambassador, American Scientist magazine and Tech Shop.

Reproduction, including downloading of Alexander Calder works, is prohibited by copyright laws and international conventions without the express written permission of Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.