William Lamson
07.09.2017 – 31.12.2017
Wanderlust: Actions, Traces, Journeys 1967-2017
University of Buffalo Art Gallery
UB Anderson Gallery I UB Art Gallery
Buffalo, New York
Wanderlust: Actions, Traces, Journeys 1967-2017 is a 50-year survey exhibition that considers the themes of action and exploration outside of the studio and how artists engage this theme in various ways, including walking, cartography, land use, endurance, and the consideration of public space. This exhibition highlights a variety of art practices, dating from the late 1960s and continuing through present day. Artists include Vito Acconci, Bas Jan Ader, Nevin Aladağ, Francis Alÿs, Janine Antoni, John Baldessari, Kim Beck, Roberley Bell, Blue Republic, Sophie Calle, Rosemarie Castoro, Cardiff/Miller, Millie Chen, Zoe Crosher, Fallen Fruit, David Hammons, Mona Hatoum, Nancy Holt, Kenneth Josephson, Allan Kaprow, William Lamson, Richard Long, Marie Lorenz, Mary Mattingly, Anthony McCall, Ana Mendieta, Teresa Murak, Wangechi Mutu, Efrat Natan, OHO, Gabriel Orozco, Carmen Papalia, John Pfahl, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Pope.L, Teri Rueb, Michael x. Ryan, Todd Shalom, Greg Stimac, Mary Ellen Strom, and Guido van der Werve. The exhibition will be on view at the UB Art Galleries from September 7-December 31, 2017 and travel to the Des Moines Art Center in February 2018. The catalogue, published by MIT Press, includes essays by Jane McFadden, Lori Waxman and Rachel Adams
For the first time, this exhibition brings together regional, national and international artists that focus on actions in and with the landscape through various practices. No longer separately relegated to “walking” art or “land” art, but including action-based processes, Wanderlust allows viewers to experience 50 years of artistic practices that are intertwined while highlighting diverse approaches to contemporary art. By experiencing the gallery exhibitions and participating in public programs, viewers will gain an understanding of working outside the box. Artwork in the exhibition ranges in medium from drawing, photography, sculpture, installations, film, and video to performance and social practice taking place in both urban and rural landscapes. Taking its name from Rebecca Solnit’s book Wanderlust: A History of Walking, the exhibition will include works that are narrative, political, performative, and conceptual examples of contemporary art. Represented works vary in process—some artists work as solitary figures implanting themselves physically on the landscape while others form actions and create movements in a collaborative manner or in public. The exhibition will not be installed chronologically; historic artworks will be juxtaposed with recent and commissioned artworks that relate to each other through influence from previous decades and artistic intention.
Beginning with significant historical works from artists such as Richard Long, who was one of the first artists to make walking his art form, to Ana Mendieta, who carved and shaped her own figure into the earth and documented these private sculptural performances, to Michelangelo Pistoletto’s performance, Walking Sculpture, in which he and a group of people walked a large newspaper ball down the streets of Turin, the exhibition will include works from all decades since the 60s and commission artists to create new work for 2017. Commissions of new work will include: a single-channel video piece by William Lamson, who will explore a double mirror video project filmed on a boat; artist Carmen Papalia will lead his Blind Field Shuttle walk; Todd Shalom will lead an artist walk through the west side of Buffalo; and The Grass is Always Greener—a collaboration with art collective Fallen Fruit to bring fruit trees back to Buffalo’s Fruit Belt neighborhood as part of their Endless Orchard project.
During the exhibition, public programs and workshops will be scheduled to take place outside of the gallery walls, allowing visitors to experience their own form of wanderlust. A schedule of public programs will be posted closer to the opening of the exhibition.
Wanderlust: Actions, Traces, and Journeys 1967-2017 is organized by the University at Buffalo Art Galleries, Buffalo, New York and curated by Rachel Adams, UB Art Galleries Senior Curator. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Generous support for the exhibition and catalogue has also been provided by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. Additional support comes from Charles Balbach and the Techne Institute for Arts and Emerging Technologies at the University at Buffalo.