New Acquisitions, New Perspectives

How do we differentiate styles in painting?  How does the artist’s chosen medium — modelling in clay and cast in bronze, sculpted in marble, carved in wood, or painted on canvas — impact representation?   Do all landscapes look alike?   Are all faces painted from life portraits?

These are some of the questions viewers are invited to think about looking at the works presented in this exhibition.  Objects possibly familiar to our visitors are brought into a new context by comparison with new acquisitions including works by Lisa Bartolozzi, a figurative realist painter; Dennis Beach, a sculptor who creates unique forms in wood that through the addition of color enter into the realm of abstract painting; Thomas Cornell, who looks back to the traditions of western art in imagining idealized landscapes populated by timeless figures, and by the Northwest coast carver, Barry Scow.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website.

Whether or not you go, The Art Question demystifies the question, 'What Is Art" in this brilliant and accessible little book. With the help of varied illustrations and photographs, from Cézanne and Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol and Damien Hirst, best-selling author Warburton brings a philosopher's eye to art in a refreshing jargon-free style.

With customary clarity, he explains art theories, that are much discussed but little understood, by thinkers such as Clive Bell, R.G Collingwood and Wittgenstein. He illuminates other perplexing problems in art, such as the artist's intention, representation and emotion. Drawing on photographs of Cindy Sherman and Tiananmen Square, Warburton shows that, if we are ever to answer the art question, we must consider each work of art on its own terms.

A stimulating and handy guide through the art maze, The Art Question is essential reading for anyone interested in art, philosophy or those who simply like looking at and thinking about pictures.

The Art Question