A CURATOR’S PERSPECTIVE: SELECTIONS FROM THE COLLECTIONS

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Magic Windows/Framing Place

February 7 – May 17, 2015, Lightcatcher Building

Curated by Barbara Matilsky, Curator of Art

Robert Colescott, Magic Window, 1960s; Oil on board. Gift of Don Foster.

Robert Colescott, Magic Window, 1960s; Oil on
board. Gift of Don Foster.

Exhibitions often represent the personal preferences of a curator whose experience looking at works of art defines a distinct aesthetic taste. For the curator, collection shows offer both opportunities and challenges contingent on the nature of the museum’s holdings. S/he tries to tease out a theme from widely disparate artworks in different styles, media, and periods. Drawing upon imagination, knowledge of art history, and willingness to experiment with unconventional groupings of work, the curator makes a selection and presents a unifying idea that hopefully engages the viewer’s mind, senses, and spirit.

The theme of this exhibition, Magic Windows/Framing Place, derives its name from a painting, Magic Window, by the renowned artist Robert Colescott. Dreamy interiors, surreal landscapes, and cosmic visions are highlighted through a diverse mix of work that traces the way artists represent multiple worlds of reality and experience. These paintings, drawings, photographs, and sculptures provocatively evoke places both real and imagined.