Vignettes: Concentrated Views... | Exhibitions

Vignettes: Concentrated Views of RAM鈥檚 Collection

Racine Art Museum

Racine | Wisconsin | USA

Feb 01, 2023 - Aug 19, 2023

Artwork cannot be experienced in a vacuum. The meaning of individual pieces can fluctuate and change鈥攏ot just between what the artist intended and what the viewer sees but also within the dynamics created in the context of a gallery space. Playing with this idea, Vignettes is comprised of several smaller exhibitions of works gathered under various organizing principles or themes鈥攅mphasizing specific characteristics of the individual pieces and overall groupings. These groupings are inspired by RAM鈥檚 history or collection in different ways鈥攆or example, some reference past exhibitions while some highlight time periods, favored pieces, or ideas donors explored. As a vignette is defined as a 鈥渂rief, evocative description鈥� of a larger entity, each group of this exhibition is a self-contained idea that gives a sense of RAM in a 鈥渟napshot鈥� through curatorial eyes.

Celebrating RAM鈥檚 20th anniversary and featuring textiles, art to wear, art jewelry, photography, prints, ceramics, and more, this atypical presentation highlights the range of the permanent collection in its variability of artist voices and backgrounds as well as types of media. Panels next to each sub-theme contain keywords or ribbons of thought that link artworks together. While the words offer curatorial transparency, visitors are encouraged to find their own meaning and potential connections.

Some of the over-arching themes in Vignettes include glamour, black/white, colorful, 1940s/2000s, topical, out of the ordinary, and cosmic.