Palm Springs Art Museum

08/13/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // VICTOR VASARELY

Born in Hungary in 1906, Victor Vasarely studied medicine before becoming an artist; his interest in science influenced his experimentation with color and optics. He contributed significantly to the evolution of Op (or Optical) Art, an important development in 20th-century painting internationally, in which geometric forms and patterns were used to create visual effects. Vasarely moved to Paris in 1930 and first worked as a graphic artist to support himself while beginning an artistic career influenced by Surrealism as well as design.

Palm Springs Art Museum is fortunate to have thirteen works by Victor Vasarely in its collection—including two paintings and a sculpture, that are part of a group of Op Art installed in the Chase Wing. Along with works by Yaacov Agam and Jesús Rafael Soto, they will be on view when the museum reopens to the public this fall.

Victor Vasarely (French, 1908-1997), Zett-Kek, 1966, tempera on linen, 56 × 56 inches. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William H. Wise, 77-1979.

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08/11/2020

Palm Springs Art Museum captured by @ms.modernism 🖤

08/08/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // CARA ROMERO

Cara Romero maintains a strong connection to her Native Chemehuevi land and culture of the vast California Mojave Desert. “Water Memory” is from a series of works that focus on the loss of water on Indian reservations throughout the West, calling attention to the destructive effects of climate change and the impact of government projects on Native lands, such as the building of dams and other water restrictions. In this work, Romero photographed her models underwater as they fell into a pool dressed in traditional Pueblo Corn Dance attire—a ceremonial dance expressing supplication or thanksgiving for the maize crop. The subjects, Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) and Santiago Romero (Taos/Cochiti Pueblo), come from communities recently ravaged by flooding in the aftermath of wildfires in New Mexico.

According to the artist, “Water Memories are photography dreamscapes dealing with Native American relationships to water, the forces of man, and of Mother Nature. They are individual explorations of space, memory, and diverse Indigenous narratives that are both terrifying and peaceful.”
Cara Romero (Chemehuevi, born 1977), “Water Memory,” 2015, archival pigment print, 44 x 44 inches. Gift of Loren G. Lipson, M.D., 2018.12

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08/07/2020

Have you viewed all of our #PSArtMuseumatHome online exhibitions yet? See them all here: https://www.psmuseum.org/art/online-exhibitions//
Shown: Hugh Kaptur, AIBD, Hotel for Mrs. Fern Laurance (formerly Impala Lodge, now Triangle Inn), Palm Springs, 1958, rendering by Hugh Kaptur, ink on paper, 24 x 42 inches. Gift of Hugh Kaptur, S2015.6.

08/06/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // ROBERTO MATTA

Born in Santiago, Chile, Roberto Matta moved to Europe in 1933, where he initially studied architecture with the pioneering Modernist known as Le Corbusier. Later, Matta took up painting and, through his friendship with Andre Breton, he joined the Parisian Surrealist group, which advocated channeling the unconscious to reveal forms and images. To escape war in Europe, Matta emigrated from Paris to New York in 1939; along with other European artists in exile, he became acquainted with New York-based painters including contemporaries Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and others. Matta’s spontaneous drawing and interest in mysticism influenced the evolution of Abstract Expressionism.

In "Le Même Si," Matta’s angular draftsmanship and use of dreamlike forms create an atmosphere of both growth and destruction within an imaginary landscape. The acid colors of his palette in this painting convey a highly charged emotional state, supporting what Matta asserted as the purpose of his paintings: to depict the human condition. In an essay on Matta, Mexican poet Octavio Paz described his painting as “an architecture of time: an edifice of lines, forms, and colors in motion—space beginning to walk.”

Roberto Matta (Chilean, 1911-2002) "Le Même Si," 1959, oil on canvas, 45 x 57 5/8 inches. Gift of the Estate of Seymour Oppenheimer, 76-1980.

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08/05/2020

Our last art activity explored Op Art and Kinetic Art—works that create the illusion of movement through a three-dimensional relief—and referenced the work of artist Yaacov Agam. Here are some of the submissions we received from the activity, and you can still participate in this and other past art activities; see our website for details: https://www.psmuseum.org/at-home/

Image 1: art by Judith Rothenstein-Putzer
Image 2: art by Ramona Skola
Image 3: art by Louann Hart @ Palm Springs, California

08/02/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // AGNES PELTON

Originally from the East Coast, Agnes Pelton arrived in the Palm Springs area in 1932 and settled in the adjacent town of Cathedral City for the remainder of her life. Founding member and short-time participant in the New Mexico Transcendental Painters Group, Pelton became known for her spiritual abstractions. However, throughout her career she also painted desert landscapes concurrently in a realistic style. Pelton saw these two styles as complementary forms of expression that informed one another, with color the essential means of expression in both modes.

Pelton was a sensitive observer of nature, and she immediately responded to the unique shapes, forms, and light of the desert environment and the mysterious flora that burst into colorful blooms during the winter season. Named for its compact indigo mass of blossoms that resembled puffs of smoke, smoke trees became one of her favorite desert subjects as seen in Smoke Trees in a Draw.

Agnes Pelton (American, born Germany, 1881-1961), Smoke Trees in a Draw, ca. 1950, oil on canvas, 25 x 31 ½ inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by the Western Art Council, Mary James Memorial Fund, 2008, 31-2008.

08/01/2020

PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM AT HOME ACTIVITY // GET INSPIRED BY JIM DINE

Repetition and Pop Art

Find everyday objects to inspire works of art, like the Pop Artists did in the 1950s and 1960s. Practice depicting one object repeatedly over the course of several days and explore different ways to represent the same image.

What is Pop Art?

Pop Artists moved away from the personal and emotional content of Abstract Expressionism by incorporating readymade and everyday imagery and techniques associated with mass production as the inspiration for their art. This included imagery and stylistic approaches found in popular culture, especially in magazines, television, and advertisements with their highly recognizable products and symbols. By using imagery and references from popular culture, the Pop Artists began to explore new ways of creating imagery that challenged traditional fine art and, in turn, made it more accessible to the public through its familiarity.

About the Artist

Artist Jim Dine is often considered a Pop Artist because of his subject matter associated with everyday life and familiar icons. He frequently works with the heart shape, a popular and recognizable form, which he has depicted in a multitude of ways.

Learn more about Dine here: https://www.psmuseum.org/at-home/activity/jim-dine

SUPPLIES //
One object of your choosing
Drawing paper
Drawing supplies

STEP 1 //
Select your object. When choosing your subject matter, consider items at home that you use every day, that are familiar and/or have personal meaning. Keep in mind you will be reproducing this object multiple times to consider different ways of drawing and depicting it, so you might want to start off with something simple that you like to look at.

STEP 2 //
Place your chosen object in an area with good lighting, somewhere you can comfortably observe and draw it.

STEP 3 //
With your drawing supplies, sketch the object.

Consider different ways to depict the same subject matter. This might range from realistic to abstract renderings. Something as simple as altering the color scheme or angle can change the way it appears. One day, you might want to draw your object realistically in color; on the next day you might choose to focus on its outlines, marks or shapes. Use your imagination and get creative!

STEP 4 //
With fresh eyes on a different day or a few hours later, draw your object again. How many ways did you come up with to draw the same object?

STEP 5 //
Drawing the same object several times can help you improve your drawing abilities. It can also help you practice your observational skills and allow for new ways of imaging. How did your series of drawings change over time?

SUBMIT YOUR WORK! https://store-psmuseum.org/submission-16/

07/31/2020

Architect Albert Frey bequeathed the Palm Springs Art Museum his long-time residence, Frey House ll (completed 1964), which sits on the hillside above Museum Drive. #permanentcollection

07/30/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // FRED EVERSLEY

The works for which Fred Eversley is most known take the form of transparent, monochromatic, concave parabolic lenses with optical properties. Palm Springs Art Museum is fortunate to have three of Eversley’s lens works in its collection—Red Lens; Untitled, a similar lavender lens; and Untitled (Black), a smaller black form. In these works, the curve of the lens refracts the direction of the light in ways that distort and tint what is seen through it.

Trained as an engineer before becoming an artist, Eversley collaborated with NASA and aerospace companies, which influenced his interest in the parabolic lenses that concentrate energy to a single focal point. His work is also influenced by the notion that energy is the common element for all natural and human systems. Eversley was a pioneer in the mid-20th-century Light and Space art movement rooted in Southern California. His use of materials, including plastic, polyester resin, and industrial dyes, reflects the technological advances that define the artistic innovations of the time responsible for creating new forms and augmenting viewers’ perceptions.

Shown: Frederick Eversley (American, born 1941), Red Lens, 1983, cast polyester resin, 37 inches diameter, 2 ½ to 4 inches deep. Gift of the Estate of Eugene V. Klein, 62-1992.

07/28/2020

A Burst of Local Color

A look ahead to Fall 2020 at Palm Springs Art Museum from Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs California.

The Palm Springs Art Museum plans to reopen with an exhibition by Agnes Pelton to highlight a season that includes a virtual gala and drive-in art auction…

07/24/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // DEBORAH BUTTERFIELD

Deborah Butterfield is an American sculptor known for her large sculptures of horses. She and her husband, artist John Buck, divide their time between Hawaii and a farm in Bozeman, Montana, where Butterfield trains, rides, and bonds with her horses.

Butterfield’s early horse sculptures from the 1970s were made of natural materials such as mud, clay, and sticks, but in the 1980s she began using scrap metal or cast bronze. Ryuanji, a later work, combines both wood and bronze in its construction. She first gathered large branches of driftwood to assemble a skeleton-like armature, adding smaller branches to define the curves and graceful lines of the equestrian form. Each wood piece was then dismantled, cast in bronze, and reassembled in its original position. The bronze patinas were achieved by applying various chemical washes to recreate the natural hues and textures of worn and weathered driftwood.

Butterfield explains that her horse imagery provides her a way of creating a metaphorical self-portrait. She has created horses in a myriad of poses, postures, and attitudes from standing upright, as in this work, to grazing or lying down—each with its own individual personality. The spaces between the branches give her horse its rhythm and relative density, while inviting the viewer to discover hidden secrets such as the root that is wrapped around a rock. According to Butterfield, in this work, “The striated pattern of parallel lines reminded me of raked Zen gardens, so I titled this gentle horse Ryuanji.”

Deborah Butterfield (American, born 1949) Ryuanji, 2006, bronze, 86 x 119 x 31 inches. Museum purchase with funds provided by David Kaplan and Glenn Ostergaard, 116‑2006.

07/24/2020

Wonderful piece on Stephen H. Willard from Steven Biller x Palm Springs Life Magazine, Palm Springs California!

VIew the full summer issue here:https://digital-palmspringslife.com/psl/2020-july-august/

07/23/2020

Moments x Palm Springs Art Museum

07/23/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // DIANE ARBUS

Mrs. T. Charlton Henry, with her collar of pearls and trappings of wealth, might have appeared an atypical subject for Diane Arbus, the singular photographer best known for her vernacular images of social outsiders. In this dimly lit portrait commissioned for Harper’s Bazaar, Mrs. Henry gazes directly at the camera with a careful posture that appears to hold her bouffant of hair aloft. Amid the apparent luxury of her home, Mrs. T. Charlton Henry’s narrow frame seems almost fragile, both protected and weighed down by the clothes and furnishings that envelop her. Arbus often shot her subjects in their homes, reflecting the intimate relationships of trust that the photographer built. Yet they also reveal a voyeuristic pleasure. Arbus appeals to our natural curiosity to look at the other, and then forces us to linger, surprising us with the raw imperfections of humanity.

Arbus was one of a wave of new documentary photographers to emerge in the 1960s and 1970s. Following the composed pictorialism of photographers such as Alfred Steiglitz and Paul Strand, and the consciousness of social documentarians of the first half of the twentieth century, Arbus draws from both fine art and documentary traditions to explore the grittier and often unseen realties of everyday life. Her distinctive photographs are both disarmingly unsentimental and richly observant, embracing the classic portrait tradition while encapsulating emotional response and social critique.

Diane Arbus (American, 1923‑1971), Mrs. T. Charlton Henry on a couch in her Chestnut Hill home, Philadelphia, Pa., 1965, gelatin silver print, edition 20/75, 19 7/8 × 15 7/8 inches. Gift of Joe and Pamela Bonino, 89‑2010.

07/21/2020

Last week's activity involved creating symbols in art. Symbols represent an idea and can take the form of words, images and sounds. Rather than depicting something objectively—or as it appears in the world—a symbol conveys an idea through an association. The art activity was inspired by the work of William Baziotes. Shown here are some of the submissions we received. You can still participate in this and other past art activities; details at www.psmuseum.org/at-home/
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Image 1: Art by Nicholas Haecker
Image 2: Art by Ramona Skols

07/19/2020

ARTWORK OF THE WEEK // NAMPEYO

Nampeyo, considered one of the finest potters of the Southwest, is credited with reviving Hopi pottery in the late-nineteenth century. She gained renown for her Sikyátki-inspired multi-colored designs which looked to ancient pottery forms and methods while reinterpreting them in her own unique style. (Sikyátki is the name of an ancient Hopi village occupied from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century.) Nampeyo painted abstract designs, geometric patterns, and anthropomorphic figures on her coiled pots, utilizing materials and techniques of her ancestors. Known for her graceful, curvilinear motifs and balanced compositions, she refined and perfected her skills until 1925, when she became blind. After that time, she relied on members of her family to paint her designs, but she continued to form her pots through touch.

Outlined in black, with red accents, and animated with elaborate decorative elements, the mythical creature in Polychrome Bowl with Mythical Bird or Butterfly Design appears actively in flight. A pair of wings is attached to the tear-drop shaped body, with white triangles for eyes, while a long-forked tongue is complemented by a pair of forked-legs. Encircled by a black border, the central space is delineated by a red, crescent-shaped area suggesting the horizon—or possibly a distinction between earth and sky, or night and day.

Nampeyo’s influence on other Hopi potters continues today, and her pottery designs have become the legacy of her Corn Clan descendants. Her artistic lineage also extends to her great-great grandson, contemporary painter and sculptor Dan Namingha (whose work is in Palm Springs Art Museum’s collection), and his two artist sons, Arlo and Michael.

Attributed to Nampeyo (Hopi-Tewa, c. 1860–1942), Polychrome Bowl with Mythical Bird or Butterfly Design, c. 1910, polychrome ceramic, 4 x 10 ¼ inches. Gift of Winifred Little from the F. A. Little Collection, A13-1972.139.