Existing comment:
Ryan McGinness: Studio Visit:
"Art history is not linear, although it is often taught as such. Culture is a multidimensional network that feeds and builds upon itself in a mash-up that transcends time."
-- Ryan McGinness
Born and raised in Virginia Beach and now based in New York, McGinness (born 1972) is known for his lively marriage of abstraction and figuration. His early interest in design, illustration, and popular culture led to a flat, clean-edged style of bold logo-like images that he calls icons, a nod to his interest in merging corporate culture and fine art.
VMFA commissioned McGinness to create a new work for its reopening in 2010. The colorful painting -- Art History is Not Linear (VMFA) -- hangs in a permanent location, behind you in the entry concourse of VMFA's McGlothlin Wing. The painting's two hundred icons represent works in VMFA's collection, which McGinness studied over several years through direct observation books, and the museum's website. McGinness reinterpreted the works through a process of hand drawing and computer design. With intuition as his guide, he then layered the images on sixteen panels using the screen-printing process. The vibrant, densely layered work serves as an introduction to the museum's holdings. This exhibition explores the creative process behind the making of the commissioned painting. |