Up Close & Personal: The Body in Contemporary Art
October 30, 2021 - February 27, 2022
Lightcatcher Building
Curated by Amy Chaloupka from the Collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky
The extended isolation of the pandemic has undeniably affected our collective consciousness, especially our heightened awareness of the body and its vulnerabilities.
Sharing life “in person” once again is a celebratory moment, but also cause for self-reflection. How will we wish to operate moving forward within our own bodies, and also in caring for and considering the bodies of others?
The exhibition Up Close & Personal examines the human body through the expressive lens of 60 artists. Some explore the many ways we communicate with one another—through facial expression, body language, self-presentation, and performance. Others boldly envision narratives and representations of the self through the use of their own bodies in their work. Artists are acutely aware that all bodies reside at the dynamic intersection of gender, class, race, sexuality, age, and ability. These compelling portrayals of the figure are situated at these crossroads of identity and point toward countless possibilities for human connection and understanding.
Up Close & Personal is generously presented from the renowned collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. The dynamic selection of work, expressing a range of processes and ideas, allows visitors to get up close and personal with the mindset of the artists as represented in the selections of these lifelong collectors of art.
This exhibition is supported in part by Heritage Bank, the Whatcom Museum Foundation, and the City of Bellingham. Media sponsorship provided by Cascade Public Media KCTS 9.
To complement the exhibition, the Museum will host a companion exhibit at Old City Hall, Artists x Artists, that explores intimate portraits of artists by artists. The exhibition, on display Nov. 20, 2021 – April 10, 2022, draws from the Museum’s permanent collection and presents a variety of expressive gazes, each one giving hints toward the ways artists convey and construct the creative persona of the artist.
Featured Image credit: Samantha Wall; Dark Matter (Universal Body 1, 2, 3 and 4), 2016; Two-color lithographs (silver over black) on Arches 88 white collaborative Master Printer Frank Janzen; 30 x 22 inches each (unframed). Images courtesy of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.
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- Hung Liu; New Moon, 2004; Paper plate monoprint with collage; 34 x 33.5 in., ed. 3/6. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of the artist and Nancy Hoffman Gallery.
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- Lee M. Hale; Nose, 1999; Bronze; 2.25 x 1.375 x .375; From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Photo by Alan Fitch. Courtesy of the artist.
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- Susie J. Lee; Johnny from the series Fracking Fields, 2013, 1 min 13 seconds duration. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Photo by Rodrigo Valenzuela.
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- Samantha Wall; Dark Matter (Universal Body 1), 2016; Two-color lithograph (silver over black) on Arches 88 white collaborative Master Printer Frank Janzen; 30 x 22 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.
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- Samantha Wall; Dark Matter (Universal Body 2), 2016; Two-color lithograph (silver over black) on Arches 88 white collaborative Master Printer Frank Janzen; 30 x 22 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.
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- Samantha Wall; Dark Matter (Universal Body 3), 2016; Two-color lithograph (silver over black) on Arches 88 white collaborative Master Printer Frank Janzen; 30 x 22 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.
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- Samantha Wall; Dark Matter (Universal Body 4), 2016; Two-color lithograph (silver over black) on Arches 88 white collaborative Master Printer Frank Janzen; 30 x 22 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of Crow’s Shadow Institute of the Arts.
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- Jane Dixon; Untitled (Dummies II), 1998; Graphite and acrylic on canvas. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Copyright and photo courtesy of the artist.
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- Akio Takamori; Self-Portrait, 2002; Ink on paper; 51.5 x 42.5 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky.
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- Akio Takamori; The New Europeans, c. 2009; Hand-built stoneware, ink, and paint; approx. 12 x 6 x 6 in. each. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of James Harris Gallery.
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- Markus Hansen; Other People’s Feelings are Also My Own–Soul Drawings, 2006; Single-channel video (Selections from the video). From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Video still photos taken by and courtesy of the artist.
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- Drew Daly; Implosion, c. 2005; Photograph; 10 x 20 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky.
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- Beth Lo; Just One Child (detail), c. 1990; Ceramic, 12 x 6 x 4 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky.
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- Steven Miller; Bound VIII – Dave, 2007; Photographic print; 32 x 24 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of the artist.
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- Steven Miller; Pol (From the Milky Series), 2004; Photographic print; 48 x 36 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Image courtesy of the artist.
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- Lena Takamori; Watching Woman, 2021; Stoneware; 11 x 8.5 x 10.25 in. From the collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Courtesy of the artist and Lucy Lacoste Gallery.
Docent Tours
Saturday, February 5, 1pm
Thursday, February 10, 1pm
Thursday, February 24, 1pm
Take a docent-guided tour of Up Close & Personal to gain in-depth insights and knowledge about some of the 60 artists featured. Their works offer compelling portrayals of the figure and point toward countless possibilities for identity, human connection, and understanding. Docents will discuss the techniques and processes utilized by artists, focusing on specific works in the exhibition. Each tour can accommodate 8 people, begins in the lobby of the Lightcatcher, and lasts one hour. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-in visitors will be accommodated as space allows. Included with admission/Members free.
Curator Tours
Fridays, Dec. 10, Jan. 14, and Feb. 11, 1pm
Included with admission/Free to members
We’re excited to offer in-person curator tours of Up Close & Personal. Learn more about the artists and artwork featured in this stunning exhibition from the Museum’s Curator of Art, Amy Chaloupka, who organized this exhibition from the renowned collection of Driek and Michael Zirinsky. Tours last one hour and will be limited to eight people per tour. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged, but walk-in visitors will be accommodated as space allows. Participants will need to wear face coverings while visiting the Museum and participating in the tour.
Artists featured in Up Close & Personal:
Magdalena Abakanowicz (Poland, 1930-2017), David Airhart (American, b. 1953), Paolo Arao (Filipino, b. 1977), Natalie Ball (Klamath/Modoc, b. 1980), Algis Balsys (b. 1948), Joe F. Brubaker (American, b. 1948), Lordan Bunch (American, born 1967), Mark Calderon (American, b. 1955), Phillip John Charette (Yup’ik, b. 1962), Long-Bin Chen (Taiwanese, b. 1964), Drew Daly (American,, b. 1973), Noah Davis (American, 1983–2015), Lesley Dill (American, b. 1950), Jane Dixon (British, b. 1963), Olafur Eliasson (Danish-Icelandic, b. 1967), Vernon Fisher (American, b. 1943), Till Freiwald (German, born Peru, 1963), John Grade (American, b. 1970), Lee M. Hale (American, b. 1958), Jane Hammond (American, b. 1950), Markus Hansen (German, b. 1963), Judy Hill (American, b. 1953), Susan Hiller (American, 1940–2019), Hosup Hwang (Korean, b. 1955), Titus Kaphar (American, b. 1976), William Kentridge (South African, b.1955), Käthe Kollwitz (German, 1867–1945), Marianne Kolb (Swiss, b. 1958), Cynthia Lahti (Polish, b. 1963), Isaac Layman (American, b. 1977), Dinh Q. Lê (Vietnamese, b, 1968), Susie J. Lee (American, b. 1972), Kalup Linzy (American b. 1977), Hung Liu (American, born China, 1948–2021), Beth Lo (American, b. 1949), Robert Longo (American, b. 1953), Benoît Lorent (Belgian), Marilyn Lysohir (American, b. 1950), Robert Ernst Marx (American, born Germany, 1925–2020), Steven Miller (American, b. 1968), Brian Murphy (American, b. 1970), Scott Myles (Scottish, b. 1975), Ronna Neuenschwander (American, b. 1954), Bertjan Pot (Dutch, b. 1975), Julia Randall (American, b. 1968), Wendy Red Star (Crow/Apsáalooke, b. 1981), Jena Scott (American, b. 1967), Paul Shambroom (American, b. 1956), Roger Shimomura (American, b. 1939), Lucy Skaer (British, b. 1975), Kiki Smith (American, born Germany, 1954), Akio Takamori (Japanese and American, 1950–2017), Lena Takamori (American, b. 1990), Josephine Taylor (American, b. 1977), Storm Tharp (American, b. 1970), Terry Turrell (American, b. 1946), Friese Undine (American, b. 1965), Samantha Wall (American, born Korea, 1977), Kumi Yamashita (Japanese, b. 1968), Wanxin Zhang (Chinese, b. 1961)
The Whatcom Museum acknowledges that we gather on the traditional territory of the Lhaq’temish – Lummi People – and the Nuxwsá7aq – Nooksack People – who have lived in the Coast Salish region from time immemorial. The Museum honors our relationship with all of our Coast Salish neighbors and our shared responsibilities to their homeland where we all reside today.
