Media

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Fred Wilson (American, b. 1954), “Arise!” 2004, spit bite aquatint and direct gravure. Anonymous Gift. PC2016.03.01. A native of the Bronx, Fred Wilson is a painter, sculptor and printmaker whose print work explores contemporary race relations. In Arise! (2004), Wilson used spit bite aquatint to create painterly ink splatters evocative of organic, molecular structures. Text bubbles orbit the ink spots as if they are in conversation with each other. In the bubbles, Wilson features quotes from Black characters in literature who were created by white writers, from Herman Melville to the controversial French playwright Jean Genet. Emphasizing the stereotypical portrayals of Black folks in Western culture, Arise! speaks to the experience of existing as a Black person within the confines of white society. – Juliana Guerra, Print Room Intern, class of ‘22 #blackhistorymonth #contemporaryart #aquatint #printmaking #textimage
Welcome back, students! As we begin the semester with safety protocols in place, the University Galleries remains committed to bringing you beautiful and inspiring works of art, past and present. Our team is working to mount virtual exhibitions, host classes for remote visits, and share objects from our growing collection via online platforms. Soon the entire collection—which ranges from works by Rembrandt right up to contemporary artists such as Kara Walker—will be searchable online through our website (link in bio)! Enjoy the start to the semester and keep an eye out for updates! Image: Lynd Ward (American, 1905 – 1985), Untitled, wood engraving. Gift of William H. Hudlow. PC2012.22. #backtoschool #museumfromhome #printmaking #printstudyroom #campusmuseum
University Galleries proudly announces the installation of Robert Hewson’s (Tsimpsean, b. 1946) Raven Brings Light to the World, 2002, in the newly renovated Copley Library. Hewson's monumental carving on cedar depicts elements of the creation story of Pacific Northwest peoples in which Raven plays a central role. “Raven Brings Light to the World” was carved at USD by Hewson for the May Collection. We acknowledge the artist and thank him for his efforts. Hewson's work will remain on extended display as a loan from University Galleries to Copley Library. . . . @copleyatusd #art #carving #nativeamericanart
A very important *Pressing Matters* message today from our Director, Derrick Cartwright: . . "Wayne Thiebaud is deservedly one of the most celebrated figures in today's art world. When Thiebaud turns 100 this Sunday, USD will be among the many institutions celebrating that milestone. Thiebaud's contributions as a painter, draftsman and printmaker are admired throughout the world, but here in San Diego, we feel a special connection to the man and his work. In addition to acquiring work by this legendary California artist, University Galleries recalls the privilege of having worked with Thiebaud on a memorable exhibition of his hand-embellished prints in 2015. Happy birthday, Wayne!!" . . This photo was taken by Derrick when he visited Wayne's studio in 2015. . . #HBDMrThiebaud #WayneThiebaud #PopArt #Printmaking #Prints #Paintings #Art
*Online Now* Traditions and Transformations: May at 25 . This online presentation surveys five years of acquisition activity in support of the May Collection. Since 2015, the core strengths of the collection have continued to flourish alongside a new commitment to contemporary indigenous artists, working in a wide variety of media. We are so excited to share these works with you--keep an eye out for programming and additional ways to view the objects. Artworks can be available for study in person by request, given staff availability and ability to follow health guidelines provided by the university and County of San Diego. . You can view the exhibition on our website. Link in bio www.sandiego.edu/galleries . Artwork pictured above: Wendy Red Star, Apsáalooke (Crow), The Last Thanks, 2006, Archival pigment print on paper, 24 x 26 inches . Image copyright of the artist and Haw Contemporary.
Art Hazelwood (American, b. 1961), “Black Lives Matter”, screenprint, PC2020.17.05. Gift of the artist. . . Prints are often used as vehicles to express resistance to socio-political conditions. Following in the footsteps of many prior political artists, Art Hazelwood’s highly detailed woodcuts, etchings, lithographs and book projects address issues of concern to progressive communities. His numerous exhibitions implore social change, shed light on the recurrent nature of historical conflicts and the ways in which these narratives divide America. . . “Black Lives Matter” belongs to Hazelwood's ongoing Gaceta Callejera (“Street Gazette”) series inspired by Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada, whose socially-conscious work aimed to reach a broad audience through inexpensive, widely distributed posters. This recent screenprint depicts many of the individuals who have fought for the rights of Black communities and, consequently, paved the way to the contemporary movements we are witnessing today. For example, Hazelwood illustrates George Floyd, whose murder sparked a chain of protests across the country and, indeed, around the globe. Hazelwood's juxtapositions illuminate the persistence of racial inequity within our country and encourage vital responses. - Sarah Kushner, University Galleries Intern, class of ‘21 . . This work is a gift to USD by the artist.
Welcome back, students! While this semester has begun like no other, the University Galleries remains committed to bringing you beautiful and inspiring works of art, past and present. Our team is working to mount virtual exhibitions, host classes for remote visits, and share objects from our growing collection via online platforms. Soon the entire collection—which ranges from historic works like this Rembrandt right up to contemporary artists such as Kara Walker—will be searchable online through our website (link in bio)! Enjoy the start to the semester and keep an eye out for updates! Image: Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606 – 1669), ‘Christ Seated Disputing with the Doctors,’ 1654, etching. Gift of Karen and Robert Hoehn. PC2004.01.13 #backtoschool #museumsfromhome #printroom #universitygallery #rembrandt #etching
*Pressing Matters* is a virtual look into USD's print collection. . . Mark Dion (b. 1961, New Bedford, MA), "The Young Entomologists," 2019, two color lithograph, 11 x 10 in. Anonymous gift in honor of Jennifer Zwolinski, Associate Provost, 2017-2020 (PC2020.04) Copyright Mark Dion, image courtesy of @tamarindinstitute . . Mark Dion is a highly regarded contemporary artist whose work in a variety of media is unified by its bemused approach toward historical museum practice. Dion’s fascination with collecting and display is fundamentally sincere, however. Building or transforming museum environments has been part of his playbook for decades. Appreciation for Dion’s imaginative installations is today quite broad and has resulted in invitations from curators to create site-specific projects in prestigious museums from Seattle to Boston, and from Minneapolis to Fort Worth. In 2000, Dion participated in a three-artist exhibition called "Ecologies" at the David and Alfred Smart Art Museum (University of Chicago) in which he titled his personal contribution “Roundup: An Entomological Endeavor.” That project, and likely many others, stand behind the lithograph he recently made at the Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque, called "The Young Entomologists." In this small, nearly square-format work, Dion mixes the visual language of natural science with children’s book illustration to mount a wry commentary on academic discovery and the accumulation of knowledge. This print was acquired in honor of Professor Jennifer Zwolinski, a valued colleague and ardent supporter, for her service as the University Galleries’ liaison to the Provost over the last three years. . . #printmaking #collecting #entomology #tamarindinstitute #prints #lithography #MarkDion #ThankYouJen!
*Pressing Matters* a virtual look at prints in USD's collection. . . Diego Romero (Cochiti, b. 1964), "Pueb Fiction," 2020, Lithograph, 23 ½ x 20 ½ in., Purchased through the John A. Petersen Print Acquisition Fund, PC2020.07. Copyright Diego Romero and Black Rock Editions, LLC. . . Although he was born in Berkeley, California, Diego Romero has spent most of his professional life near his ancestral home in New Mexico. He moved to Santa Fe as a young man to study at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Romero later continued his art training at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles before receiving his MFA, in 1993, from UCLA. Today, he specializes in ceramic sculpture and printmaking. Romero’s practice typically involves the ironic combination of traditional designs with subject matter drawn from contemporary, “pop culture” sources. In this recent lithograph, the artist draws directly on promotional imagery associated with Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film, "Pulp Fiction," to trouble the romanticizing of Pueblo cultures by non-Indigenous peoples. Using the familiar palette and checkerboard framing motifs of his own earthenware pottery, Romero gives his figure the noir-ish pose of Uma Thurman in a well-known Hollywood poster. His fictional Pueblo “star” wears a headdress, moccasins, and reads a text titled "Cochiti," however. Romero’s works can today be found at the British Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Peabody-Essex Museum, and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC. "Pueb Fiction" is the first work by Romero to enter University Galleries’ collection and was selected for USD by Zoë Morales Martinez, Class of ‘21. . . #NativeAmericanArt #printmaking #lithography #BlackRockEditions #PulpFiction #Cochiti #popart @blackrockeditions
Many happy returns of the day to Rembrandt van Rijn, born this day in 1606! A tower figure of the Dutch "Golden Age," Rembrandt remains celebrated for his deeply humanistic treatment of contemporary subjects and biblical scenes. A virtuosic and innovative printmaker, Rembrandt's etching of ‘The Adoration of the Shepherds (a night piece)’ pushed the boundaries of the medium with its dramatic chiaroscuro and painterly effects. Rembrandt van Rijn, ‘The Adoration of the Shepherds (a night piece),’ c. 1657, etching, engraving and drypoint. PC2004.01.05. Gift of Karen and Robert Hoehn. #rembrandt #etching #printmaking #bornonthisday #engraving #drypoint