Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art from Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges
Photo by Timothy Hursley, courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Two temporary exhibitions will open concurrently at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art on Saturday, Oct. 13, both focusing on light as a source of inspiration for works of art and architecture.
See the Light: The Luminist Tradition in American Art traces the importance of light for American artists from the nineteenth century through today. Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges showcases the masterful use of light in architectural design by Crystal Bridges architect Moshe Safdie.
Both exhibits are free, and no advance tickets are required.
See the Light: The Luminist Tradition in American Art
Oct. 13, 2012 through Jan. 28, 2013
Untitled (to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Inch) by Dan Flavin, 1964
Courtesy of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
From the luminous paintings of Martin Johnson Heade in the nineteenth century to Dan Flavin’s minimalist sculpture featuring fluorescent tubes in the twentieth, light has inspired American artists for more than 100 years. See the Light: The Luminist Tradition in American Art will feature selected works from Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection combined with works on loan from other institutions. The exhibition will trace the fascinating evolution of artists’ use of light through the work of key American masters.
The works selected for See the Light showcase how light is often deployed by American artists as a metaphor for transcendent experience through a long history of changing styles and media. Works in the exhibition range from the Impressionist paintings of John Singer Sargent in the late nineteenth century, to works created within the last 20 years by artists such as James Turrell and Jim Campbell using state-of-the-art electronic technologies.
One of the highlights of See the Light will be the unveiling of a breathtaking new acquisition to Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection. This work of art by a major mid-century American artist was acquired through a private sale, and has not been exhibited for more than four decades. The acquisition will debut for Crystal Bridges Members at the Member-only Preview of the exhibition on Friday, Oct. 12.
Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges
Oct. 13, 2012 through Jan. 28, 2013
The use of light as a powerful design element is key to the signature style of Moshe Safdie, the world-renowned architect of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Walls of glass, skylights, exterior views, and manipulation of natural light to create space and mood are elements that can be traced throughout Safide’s career. His design for Crystal Bridges is completely unique, and yet references elements from several of his major national and international projects. Moshe Safdie: The Path to Crystal Bridges charts the design development of four key projects—Habitat 67 in Montreal, The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, The National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, and the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles—which helped to inform the design for Crystal Bridges. Through models, architectural drawings, photographs and video, this exhibition illuminates Safdie’s path to Crystal Bridges by highlighting his aesthetic language of transcendent light, powerful geometric form, and metaphoric imagery. Members will be invited to a Members-only Preview prior to the public opening.
