Squeak Carnwath
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This presentation of Carnwath’s work—the first organized by a major West Coast museum—includes more than 40 paintings not seen collectively since the artist’s last major exhibition, in 1994. “An in-depth examination of Squeak Carnwath’s work is timely, if not overdue,” says museum director Lori Fogarty. “This show confirms Carnwath’s groundbreaking artistry and stature as one of California’s leading contemporary artists.” As the title indicates, a painting is “no ordinary object” for Carnwath (American, b. 1947). Her recurring motifs—among them numbers, rabbits, and lists—reflect personal and universal themes; each meticulously applied layer of paint carries meaning and inquiry. “Painting is a philosophical enterprise,” Carnwath says, “a kind of alchemy . . . inert material becomes something else—a document of being, a repository of the human spirit.” This exhibition will transform 5,600 square feet of the OMA's galleries into a visually dazzling environment of light and color. Visitors will take a journey, which will include a walk through a mirrored maze, panoramic murals, video projections and a blown glass sculpture. The journey will end in a room-size glass building filled with art works representing the artist's conception of a Fountain of Youth.  |
