André Derain, (French, 1880-1954), "Bacchic Dance", 1906. Watercolor and pencil on paper. 19 1/2 x 25 1/2" (49.5 x 64.8 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. ©2010 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.
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NEW YORK, NY.- Throughout history, humankind has sought to make sense of their world through myths. These stories, often taking visual forms, have been both preserved and transformed over the years as they have been repictured and retold. Artists have long considered mythology part of their aesthetic language, a tradition continued by modern and contemporary artists who address and reinterpret mythologies in their works. "The Modern Myth" features works on paper from the collection of The Museum of Modern Art that engage elements of ancient mythological narratives, incorporating them into new visual repertoires.
Arranged thematically, it includes work by Francisco de Goya from 1797 through work by contemporary artists from 2008. The exhibition unfolds in three chapters, presenting modern depictions of classical mythologies, artists’ own imaginary cosmologies and archaic figurations, and contemporary art featuring new mythologies— ever-evolving fictional worlds, utopian visions, ideals, and worldviews that themselves generate new artistic typologies and narratives.
Among the artists represented are Matthew Barney, Joseph Beuys, Paul Cézanne, Enrique Chagoya, Salvador Dalí, André Derain, Marcel Duchamp, Willem de Kooning, Juan Downey, Max Ernst, Paul Gauguin, Adolph Gottlieb, Arshile Gorky, Wifredo Lam, Matta, Ana Mendieta, Wangechi Mutu, Pablo Picasso, Richard Prince, Jackson Pollock, Odilon Redon, Mark Rothko, Jim Shaw and Andy Warhol. The exhibition is organized by Geaninne Gutiérrez-Guimarães, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Drawings, with Luis Pérez-Oramas, The Estrellita Brodsky Curator of Latin American Art.
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