Traveling Exhibition of Works by Alexander Archipenko

The Faulconer Gallery will open the 2016-17 academic year with "Archipenko: A Modern Legacy," a major traveling retrospective of more than 60 sculptures, mixed media reliefs and works on paper by Ukrainian-born sculptor Alexander Archipenko (1887-1964).

Featuring works from major museum and private collections as well as never-before exhibited examples from Archipenko's archives, the exhibition spans the artist's entire career, from Kiev, Ukraine, via Moscow to Paris, Berlin, and, finally, New York City, where he established a 40-year creative legacy.

The Faulconer Gallery exhibition opens with a reception at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30, in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts, 1108 Park St., Grinnell. The exhibition highlights Archipenko’s vision as an innovator with both materials and forms in modern sculpture. He based most of his work on the human figure but drew on modern art principles to abstract the figure.

Archipenko also explored lead casting, electro plating, and polychrome patina; reintroduced color and experimented with reflective materials; introduced nontraditional materials such as Plexiglas® and Bakelite®; employed concave and convex abstractions to the human figure; and brought mixed media to the field.

The travelling exhibition was organized by International Arts and Artists in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to increasing cross-cultural understanding and exposure to the arts internationally, in collaboration with the Archipenko Foundation.

"Sculpture and art history are very active parts of the Grinnell College curriculum, and we're happy to be able to present an exhibition from an earlier period to broaden our offerings for students and patrons," says Daniel Strong, associate director of Faulconer Gallery and curator of exhibitions.

"Archipenko is inspired by Picasso and Cubism, so people may recognize and see references throughout this comprehensive survey of Archipenko's work," Strong adds. "The exhibition design itself will be of interest as many of the works are fragile and must be displayed in unexpected ways, demonstrating the talents of Director of Exhibition Design Milton Severe."

Events

Faulconer Gallery will host a series of events related to the Archipenko exhibition:

Opening Reception

4:30- 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 30. Refreshments will be served.

Yoga in the Gallery

With Monica St. Angelo, 12:15 to 12:50 p.m. Mondays and Thursdays, Oct. 3 through Dec. 15 (except Thanksgiving on Nov. 24). All levels welcome. Mats provided. Co-sponsored by Live Well Grinnell.

Gallery Talk

"Archipenko's Networked Modernism" by Jenny Anger, Grinnell College professor of art history, 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 10. Anger will consider Archipenko's position among French, German and American artists' networks, as well as his varied styles.

Gallery Talk

"Archipenko: A Modern Legacy" by Alexandra Keiser, research curator at the Archipenko Foundation and curator of the exhibition, 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. Keiser will provide an overview of the exhibition and explore several displayed works in detail.

20 Minutes@11

Short programs by guest speakers encourage the audience to view the exhibition in a variety of ways. All talks start at 11 a.m.

• Tuesday, Oct. 25: Eiren Shea, assistant professor of art history, Grinnell College
• Tuesday, Nov. 1: Mark Laver, assistant professor of music, and Eric McIntyre, professor of music, Grinnell College
• Wednesday, Nov. 9: Fredo Rivera, assistant professor of art history, Grinnell College

Concert by Fresh Flutes

Under the direction of Claudia Anderson, applied music associate, Grinnell College, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17.

Gallery Talk:

"The Material World of Archipenko" by Joyce Tsai, clinical associate professor of art education and curator of art at the University of Iowa Museum of Art, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30. Tsai will discuss Archipenko's sculpture, from abstract metal cast figures to later experiments in Plexiglas. 

Community Day

With hands-on art making activities open to all ages, 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Refreshments will be served. Supported by funding from Shane and Lauren Jacobson.

Piano Music of Claude Debussy

by Eugene Gaub, Grinnell College associate professor of music, 4 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 7. Although they apparently never met, Debussy and Archipenko both lived in Paris during the years 1908-18, each taking part in the modernist revolution.

Concurrent Exhibition

A concurrent exhibition of sculpture by Anders Krisár also is featured at the gallery through Nov. 27. He is a Swedish artist who first exhibited his work as a photographer in the Faulconer Gallery's 2005 exhibition, "Scandinavian Photography 1: Sweden." Returning now as both a photographer and sculptor, he creates figurative pieces that are uncannily lifelike, cast primarily from members of his own family.

About Faulconer Gallery

Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week, and admission is free. The gallery will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, Nov. 24, and the Archipenko exhibition concludes on Dec. 11.

For more information about the exhibitions and related programs, visit Faulconer Gallery or call 641-269-4660. Accommodation requests may be made to Conference Operations, 641-269-3235.