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October Issue 2003
Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC, Features Works by Red Grooms
The Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, SC,
is offering the bold and boisterous exhibition The Human Comedy:
Portraits by Red Grooms, on view through Dec. 14, 2003. The
exhibition, organized with the full participation of the artist
and curated by the National Gallery of Design's Isabelle Dervaux,
includes 75 paintings, sculptures and works on paper ranging from
intimate sketches of friends and family to large, three-dimensional
constructions portraying such twentieth century personalities
as Mae West, Jesse Helms, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.
Born in Nashville, TN, Grooms has worked in the traditional genre
of portraiture throughout his nearly 50-year career, creating
a veritable portrait gallery of "who's who" in the worlds
of art, politics, literature, stage and film. A draftsman, painter,
sculpture and printmaker, Grooms draws upon his love of theatre
and his skill as a storyteller to produce vibrant works that jump
off the wall. By incorporating trademark features and accessories
into his portraits, Grooms brings his sitters to life, revealing
much more than simply their physical characteristics.
The Human Comedy: Portraits by Red Grooms highlights the
satirical wit, humor, and impassioned, emotional approach to portraiture
that distinguishes Grooms from many of his American contemporaries
who were more engaged by abstraction and photography. From early,
intimate sketches of family and friends to daring, three-dimensional
constructions of significant cultural figures, The Human Comedy:
Portraits by Red Grooms explodes the traditional two-dimensional
portrait into the dramatic realm of mixed-media sculpture. The
Human Comedy explores Grooms's ability to dissolve conventional
boundaries that separate the sophistication of high art and the
naiveté of low art, while simultaneously incorporating
the cartoonist's caricature.
"From the beginning of his career, Grooms has been fascinated by the appearance, personality and life of other artists. Relying on well-known photographers and famous anecdotes, he portrays artists as cultural icons rather than as masters of high art," states curator Isabelle Dervaux. "In complex, three dimensional prints such as Dali Salad (1980), Grooms conveys the outrageous public persona of the famous Surrealist by showing his head emerging from a bed of lettuce - intending to present him as 'overripe'- with bulging eyes of Ping-Pong balls," said Dervaux.
Although Grooms has not yet received the accolades reserved for artists that spearhead movements, The Human Comedy: Portraits by Red Grooms demonstrates that the artist has developed a style of social commentary that is highly original and important. The Human Comedy examines the ways in which Grooms, working with a centuries-old tradition, has upset many of its conventions, and in doing so, reinvented portraiture for the 20th century.
The Human Comedy: Portraits by Red Grooms is made possible through the generous support of Gibbes,
Etc. Gibbes Etc., one of the museum's three principal auxiliary
groups and the only entity based on Kiawah Island, includes over
150 women interested in the visual arts and dedicated to raising
funds to support the museum.
"The walls of the Gibbes will dance this
fall with Grooms's incredible use of color and skill for capturing
the essence of an individual's character," states Betsy Fleming,
executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. "Personality,
character, and charisma are such hot topics these days in terms
of politics, business and celebrity-watching. The exhibition is
timely. Grooms's Southern background and international success
will inspire artists and art lovers throughout the region."
The third exhibition to feature portraiture in the Gibbes Museum
of Art's fall exhibition schedule, The Human Comedy will
be on view concurrently with Works by Warhol: From the Cochran
Collection and Face Lift: Fresh Encounters with Portraiture
at the Gibbes Museum of Art.
Media sponsorship of The Human Comedy: Portraits by Red Grooms is provided by the Charleston City Paper.
For more information check our SC Institutional Gallery listings, call the museum at 843/722-2706 or on the web at (www.gibbesmuseum.org).
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