Organized by the Princeton University Art Museum
Gerhard Richter, Untitled, 1986, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Preston H. Haskell. Photograph courtesy of Douglas J. Eng. © 2015 Gerhard Richter.
An exciting collection of mid-20th Century art will be highlighted this spring at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. Rothko to Richter: Mark-Making in Abstract Painting from the Collection of Preston H. Haskell, organized by the Princeton University Art Museum, will be on display January 30 through April 22.
Jack Goldstein, Untitled, 1986, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Preston H. Haskell. Photograph courtesy of Douglas J. Eng. © 2015 Estate of Jack Goldstein.
Rivaled only by the early years of the 1910s, when abstraction was pioneered in Europe and America, the 40-year period between 1950 and 1990 witnessed dramatic developments in abstract art. This exhibition features 27 paintings by some of the era’s most important artists, including Karel Appel, Helen Frankenthaler, Hans Hofmann, Franz Kline, Willem de Kooning, Morris Louis, Joan Mitchell, Robert Motherwell, Robert Rauschenberg, Gerhard Richter, and Mark Rothko. Experimentation with various methods of producing an abstraction and applying paint to a surface was common during this time, alternately emphasizing or suppressing traces of the artist’s touch. Selected from the collection of Preston H. Haskell, these works together offer a window into the evolution of process, mark-making, and abstraction in the second half of the 20th century.
The works exhibited show this vast experimentation. For many artists, “a direct, transparent relationship exists between mark and method, a one-to-one correspondence between every stroke of paint and every movement of the artist’s hand,” says Baum. “However, not every artist subscribed to this approach. Several developed techniques designed to depersonalize the act of mark-making, to literally divorce the mark from the artist’s hand. Some even went so far as to erase the traces their tools left behind, effacing marks as soon as they were created. Instead of flaunting the process by which their paintings were produced, these artists dissimulated.”
Joan Mitchell, Champs, 1990, oil on canvas, Collection of Preston H.Haskell. Photograph courtesy of Douglas J. Eng. © 2015 Estate of Joan Mitchell.
Visitors will have the opportunity to connect to Rothko to Richter through a variety of public programs. In addition to the community opening on Thursday, January 29, other special programs include:
Member’s Preview
January 29 | 12 to 4 p.m.
Free for Members Only
No reservation needed
As a special benefit, Museum Members are invited to preview Rothko to Richter: Mark-Making in Abstract Painting from the Collection of Preston H. Haskell, organized by the Princeton University Art Museum before it opens to the general public. Get a first look at this exciting exhibition, featuring 27 paintings by some of the 20th century’s most important abstract artists.
- Members are invited to an exclusive preview of the exhibition, before it opens to the public.
- Experience docent led tours every hour on the hour from our knowledgeable staff and docent team, beginning at 12 p.m. Tours will begin at the title wall of the Gallery.
- Members can enjoy a 20% off discount in the Cummer Shop and at the Cummer Café (excluding beverages).
*Reservations for a table at the Cummer Café are highly recommended.
For further information, please contact the Membership Office at 904.899.6007.
Michael Goldberg, The Keep, 1958, oil on canvas, Collection of Preston H. Haskell. Photograph courtesy of Douglas J. Eng. © 2015 Estate of Michael Goldberg.
Community Opening Party
January 29 | 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Members Free, Non-Members $10
RSVP Required – Click here to register online.
In honor of the most anticipated exhibition of the year, we invite you to come celebrate the opening of Rothko to Richter: Mark-Making in Abstract Painting from the Collection of Preston H. Haskell, organized by the Princeton University Art Museum. Peruse the new exhibition, enjoy light nibbles, beer and wine, and live music.
*Entry includes one beverage ticket per person. Additional beverages will be available for purchase.
5 p.m. – Doors open
5 to 8 p.m. – Live music with Radio Love, small bites, and drinks, with remarks by Chief Curator Holly Keris from 7 to 7:15 p.m.
For further information, please contact the Events & Programs Office at 904.899.6038 or events@cummermuseum.org.
Conversations & Cocktails with Collector Preston Haskell and Curator Kelly Baum on the art of the Haskell Collection
February 12
| 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Members $25, Non-Members $35, Up & Cummers Members $20
Registration Required – Click here to register
Jack Goldstein, Untitled, 1985, acrylic on canvas, Collection of Preston H. Haskell. Photograph courtesy of Douglas J. Eng. © 2015 Estate of Jack Goldstein.
Talks & Tea: The Art of the Haskell Collection
February 18 | 1:30 p.m.
February 19
| 1:30 p.m.
Members and Non-Members $6
Registration Required
Click here to register for Wednesday
Click here to register for Thursday
Sunday Classical Concert featuring Contemporary Works with Benjamin Sung
March 29 | 1:30 p.m.
Free with Museum Admission
Registration Required – Click here to register
For further information or to make your required reservation, please contact the Cummer Museum’s Events & Programs Office at 904.899.6038 or reserve your tickets online at cummermuseum.org.
