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Artist Unknown (from Burkino Faso)
Untitled Vessel, early 20th Century
earthware
The idea of surface has become synonymous with a lack of depth, both literally and metaphorically. In a work of art, though, surface is a singularly important element. In the Renaissance, a painting's surface was seen as a window through which a viewer looked on to a carefully crafted representation of the world. Surface quality has also been an important element of sculpture and crafted objects like textiles, glass, and ceramics. More recently, modern and post-modern artists have questioned traditional, idealized notions of surface. Artists like Lucio Fontana (included in this exhibition) punched holes in the canvas. Others, like Andy Warhol, dwelled in the surface-only affect of contemporary media and popular culture. Surface Quality showcases examples of such diverse attitudes about surface in works of the Weisman collection.
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