Thompson Gallery Exhibit Blurs Art and Artifact
The Thompson Gallery at The Cambridge School of Weston is pleased to present “Chronicle,” featuring the work of artist Darryl Lauster. The exhibition, which opens March 29 and runs through June 19, is the third and final installment in the three-part, yearlong series, History as Medium.
The Thompson Gallery at The Cambridge School of Weston is pleased to present “Chronicle,” featuring the work of artist Darryl Lauster. The exhibition, which opens March 29 and runs through June 19, is the third and final installment in the three-part, yearlong series, History as Medium.
In “Chronicle,” Lauster blurs the distinctions between art and artifact, invented histories and historical records, artistic muse and museum scholarship, and significantly, social justice and social ignorance. Lauster has created seemingly authentic artifacts, by hijacking images and documents from history and placing them onto common household objects that are then broken and buried for lengths of time. He unearths them and partially assembles them to create the illusion of real artifacts that tell the story of events that have and have not taken place.
Lauster, a 2010 recipient of the prestigious Joan Mitchell Foundation grant for painters and sculptors, says in his artist statement: “The past is by definition inaccessible. It is gone. Our only keys to unlock it, forsaking for a moment the relatively contemporary presence of writing, are objects, which often become the vehicle through which we create accounts of prior eras....Museums often function as archives of ancient culture. Shards, abstract figures, and fractured vessels combine with didactic wall text to compose the legacy of a people for public consumption. But can we be sure of what we see? Can we be sure of what we know?”
Lauster is an assistant professor of art at the University of Texas at Arlington. His work has been featured in exhibits all over Texas and in Arkansas, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wyoming. This year’s series, History as Medium juxtaposes the work of three artists – Bo Joseph, Fran Forman, and Darryl Lauster – with shared affinity to use of historic references as both medium and themes in their work. At its center, celebrates unfamiliar, unconventional and evolved collage practices.
Artist Reception for Darryl Lauster: April 1, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at The Thompson Gallery in The Garthewaite Center for Science and Art.
Gallery Talk: May 14, 1 to 2 p.m., at The Thompson Gallery in the Garthewaite Center for Science and Art.
For more information on the exhibition and scheduled hours, contact Todd Bartel, gallery director, at 781-398-8316 or thompsongallery@csw.org.
The Thompson Gallery is a teaching gallery dedicated to exploring a single theme through three separate exhibitions, offering differing vantages of the selected topic throughout the school year. Named in honor of CSW trustee John Thompson and family, the gallery promotes opportunities to experience contemporary art by local, national and international artists and periodically showcases the art of the alumni/ae, faculty and staff of The Cambridge School of Weston.
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.