fbpx

Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections

Exhibitions
PAST EXHIBITION

Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections

OPENS
February 24, 2013
CLOSES
May 19, 2013
SHARE

About the Exhibit

February 24, 2013 – May 19, 2013

John William Godward
Bellezza Pompeiana, 1909
Oil on canvas, 20 x 16 in.
Private collection
Photo courtesy of Richard Green Gallery, London

The Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin presents Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections, an exhibition of nearly 200 extraordinary objects from the art collections of University of Texas at Austin alumni across the country. Marking the occasion of the Blanton’s fiftieth anniversary, this special survey will include ancient Mayan vessels, tribal masks, Chinese jade, Renaissance paintings, and Old Master prints and drawings, showcased alongside modern and contemporary works by major artists such as Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keeffe, Ed Ruscha and Kehinde Wiley. Through the Eyes of Texas will tell the fascinating stories of these objects and their owners, as well as provide unique learning opportunities and a chance for visitors to experience significant works that span the history of art.

“We are at one of the most exciting points in our 50-year history,” states Blanton director Simone Wicha. “This exhibition gives us an opportunity to highlight the important leadership role that University of Texas alumni play in our cultural landscape. What starts here truly does change the world. We are pleased to share these significant works with our audience and are grateful to the many collectors who made this presentation possible.”

The unique nature of the exhibition enables the Blanton to display works outside the scope of its permanent collection—art and artifacts not normally on view in Austin. Among them are an Egyptian lion-headed goddess from 664-30 BC, an ancient Chinese urn from the Liao Dynasty, and an eccentric Mayan flint from the late Classic period. This grouping, along with a selection of tribal masks loaned to the museum from several private collections, marks the Blanton’s first major presentation of ethnographic objects. Other highlights include costume designs for the Ballets Russes, a 1916-19 Water Lilies painting by Claude Monet, and a Robert Rauschenberg “Jammer” from 1975.

For a cell phone audio tour, dial (512) 590-8360.
Download the list of objects in the audio guide

Spanning many periods, media, and genres, the works in the exhibition allow viewers to make creative connections, explains exhibition curator, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi. A second-century Roman bust of a goddess, for example, will be paired with unusual portrait busts made of chocolate and soap by contemporary artist Janine Antoni in an effort to explore classical concepts of beauty. Sculptor Petah Coyne’s Daphneprovides a contemporary counterpart to Alfred Maurer’s Woman in a Black Dress and the dense detail of a large-scale color photograph of a Brazilian jungle by Thomas Struth conjures a different manner of seeing than the precise clarity of Henri Rousseau’s Exotic Landscape with Tiger and Hunters.

Through the Eyes of Texas also explores the stories behind the objects and the lives of the collectors who, after leaving The University of Texas at Austin, have gone on to significantly impact the art world here and abroad. Among the lenders to the exhibition are alumni Jeanne and Michael Klein of Austin, Mary Winton Green of Chicago, Judy and Charles Tate of Houston, Cindy and Howard Rachofsky of Dallas, and Darren Walker and David Beitzel of New York. They—and the many others who have graciously shared their collections—support artists, strengthen arts advocacy and scholarship, and steward important collections that, in many cases, will ultimately be gifted to cultural institutions across the country. Several collectors’ voices will be heard through an audio-guide created for the exhibition, as will University of Texas at Austin students and faculty responding to their experiences of this unprecedented assembly of works. An illustrated catalogue will accompany the show.

Through the Eyes of Texas: Masterworks from Alumni Collections is organized by the Blanton Museum of Art.

Generous funding for the exhibition is provided by Cornelia and Meredith Long and The Eugene McDermott Foundation, with additional support from Mr. and Mrs. Jack S. Blanton, Sr., the ECG Foundation, Windi and David Grimes, Houston Oil Producing Enterprises, Inc., John Schweitzer, the Vivian L. Smith Foundation, Eliza and Stuart W. Stedman, Judy and Charles Tate, and Laura and William M. Wheless III.

Related Programming

March 7, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi

March 9, 3 PM: Curator gallery talk, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi

March 21, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Nassos Papalexandrou

March 21, 6 PM: Art Gazes, Melinda Mayer

March 23, 1 PM: Screening, Le mystère Picasso

March 30, 3 PM: Curator gallery talk, Annette DiMeo Carlozzi

April 4, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Veronica Roberts

April 11, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Hao Sheng

April 13, 2 PM: Lecture, Reiko Tomii

April 18, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Julia Guernsey

April 18, 6 PM: Art Gazes, Paul Bolin

April 20, 2 PM: Art Collectors Panel

May 9, 12:30 PM: Perspectives, Francesca Consagra and Catherine Zinser

May 16, 6 PM: Art Gazes, Veronica Roberts

Check the Blanton’s online events calendar for additional public program information.

Scroll to Top