BUFFALO, NY.- A new exhibition of modern and contemporary work rooted in the exploration, observation, and construction of the landscape opened at the
Albright-Knox Art Gallery on Friday, February 18, 2011. Curator Heather Pesanti’s multi-layered approach to this exhibition results in a dialogue between curator, collection, artist, and author. In addition to showing multiple new acquisitions alongside well-known works from the Gallery’s Collection, Pesanti has invited five Buffalo-based artists to both exhibit their work and make their own selections from the Collection. An additional layer to this innovative exploration is the inclusion of several rare art poetry books that will allow visitors to the Gallery to further explore the visual alongside the literary.
Surveyor explores the theme of humanity’s relationship with, and fervent desire to understand, the natural world in which we live. The works on view represent man observing his environment, traditional and contemporary landscapes, topographical mapping, surveying and surveillance, and post-apocalyptic visions. Like the surveyor who seeks to comprehend the intricacies of land and topographical terrain, the viewer will embark on a journey through the complex and fantastical depths of our lived environment.
New acquisitions from the Gallery’s Collection featured in the exhibition include works by Kelly Barrie, Sonja Braas, Barnaby Furnas, Cameron Martin, Matthew Ritchie, Gary Simmons, Erika Wanenmacher, and Zhan Wang. More well-known works from the Albright-Knox’s Collection featured include those by Stephan Balkenhol, James Ensor, Leon Golub, Mariko Mori, Auguste Rodin, and Thomas Scheibitz.
The Buffalo-based artists exhibiting and curating are Michael Basinski, Bingyi, Millie Chen, Peter Stephens, and Paul Vanouse. Rare art poetry books on view from The Poetry Collection, a University at Buffalo Libraries Special Collection, will range from first editions of Gertrude Stein and T. S. Eliot to collaborative books by Helen Adams and Kiki Smith, and Michael McClure and Jess.
