"When I'm 64": Artists in Their Later Years
At just fourteen years old, Paul McCartney penned the Beatles song 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64,鈥� a meditation on aging addressed to a lover that poses such questions as 鈥淲ill you still need me? Will you still feed me?鈥� Like other abilities, creativity like McCartney鈥檚 evolves as we age. This installation explores how visual artists approach their creative practices as they grow older. Some have long careers that span decades, still producing art close to the end of their lives, whereas others begin creating only later in life, with newfound time, resources, and perspective. The works assembled here demonstrate how artists have adjusted their use of media, techniques, and themes in response to changing physical constraints, psychological outlook, and social position.
Featuring a selection of late-career paintings, prints, and sculptures from the Museum鈥檚 permanent collection, 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64鈥� asks us to reconsider preconceptions about creativity and aging. Early paintings by Joan Mir贸, for example, such as Portrait of Josep F. Rafols (1917), reveal how Mir贸鈥檚 youthful experimentation with preexisting styles gave way to a more mature, personal aesthetic in later lithographs such as Untitled (1969) on view here. Self-portraits by Ida Applebroog, Werner Drewes, and Carolee Schneemann offer commentary on changes happening to one鈥檚 body and the regard society has for older people. Other works, such as Judy Pfaff鈥檚 Swan Song (2006), introduce themes of loss and mortality. Together these works invite us to reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by living a long life.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64鈥�: Artists in Their Later Years is organized by Brian Carpenter, professor of psychological & brain sciences, in conjunction with his fall 2024 Beyond Boundaries course, 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64: Preparing Ourselves and Society for a Good Long Life.鈥�
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At just fourteen years old, Paul McCartney penned the Beatles song 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64,鈥� a meditation on aging addressed to a lover that poses such questions as 鈥淲ill you still need me? Will you still feed me?鈥� Like other abilities, creativity like McCartney鈥檚 evolves as we age. This installation explores how visual artists approach their creative practices as they grow older. Some have long careers that span decades, still producing art close to the end of their lives, whereas others begin creating only later in life, with newfound time, resources, and perspective. The works assembled here demonstrate how artists have adjusted their use of media, techniques, and themes in response to changing physical constraints, psychological outlook, and social position.
Featuring a selection of late-career paintings, prints, and sculptures from the Museum鈥檚 permanent collection, 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64鈥� asks us to reconsider preconceptions about creativity and aging. Early paintings by Joan Mir贸, for example, such as Portrait of Josep F. Rafols (1917), reveal how Mir贸鈥檚 youthful experimentation with preexisting styles gave way to a more mature, personal aesthetic in later lithographs such as Untitled (1969) on view here. Self-portraits by Ida Applebroog, Werner Drewes, and Carolee Schneemann offer commentary on changes happening to one鈥檚 body and the regard society has for older people. Other works, such as Judy Pfaff鈥檚 Swan Song (2006), introduce themes of loss and mortality. Together these works invite us to reflect on the challenges and opportunities presented by living a long life.
鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64鈥�: Artists in Their Later Years is organized by Brian Carpenter, professor of psychological & brain sciences, in conjunction with his fall 2024 Beyond Boundaries course, 鈥淲hen I鈥檓 64: Preparing Ourselves and Society for a Good Long Life.鈥�
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