DESIRE
February 5 – April 25, 2010
MLK at Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
Curator: Annette DiMeo Carlozzi
This spring the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin investigates the notion of desire in an exhibition of the same name. Desire features over fifty works from an international selection of contemporary artists working in a wide range of media.
Curator Annette Carlozzi states, “Desire is a complex human emotion and a driving force in our lives from childhood through old age. We all can recall examples of literature, music and film that are rife with expressions of physical desire. But how do contemporary visual artists portray desire, and all its attendant psychological states—anticipation, arousal, infatuation, longing, regret, and so on? Desire explores multivalent aspects of desire—hot and restrained, overwhelming and over-analyzed, life changing and inconsequential. From flickers of romantic fantasy to visceral visions of fully engaged response, these assembled works chart an emotional and psychological journey that correlates basic human experience with vital creative expressions.”
Works by Isaac Julien, Marilyn Minter, Kalup Linzy, William Villalongo, Olaf Breuning, James Drake, Petah Coyne, Georganne Deen, Gajin Fujita, Adam Pendleton, Peter Saul, Valeska Soares, Danica Phelps, Miguel Angel Rojas, Mads Lynnerup, Rochelle Feinstein, Richard Prince, Laurel Nakadate, Jesse Amado, Isabell Heimerdinger, Alejandro Cesarco, Eve Sussman, Robert Kushner, Tracey Emin, Luisa Lambri, Chris Doyle, Glenn Ligon, Cauleen Smith, Susie J Lee, Amy Globus, Bill Viola, and Michael Scoggins together provide an engaging multi-generational exploration of this complex emotion. Created during the past twelve years, the contemporary works in Desire are countered by a selection of historical prints from The Blanton’s collection that shows how artists have explored notions of desire over the years.
The accompanying illustrated publication contains texts by art critics, fiction writers, poets, performing and visual artists, collectors and curators, all written in direct response to the works of art in the exhibition.
A full range of public programs is planned in conjunction with the exhibition, including a special film series curated by The Austin Film Society. See our website for details.
Desire is organized by the Blanton Museum of Art.
Funding for the exhibition is provided in part by Melissa Jones and by a grant from Houston Endowment Inc. in honor of Melissa Jones for the presentation of contemporary art at The Blanton. The accompanying publication is made possible by Michael Chesser.
