“Christ and The Fisherman,” Frank Vincent Dumond, 1891. Oil on canvas courtesy of Stephen V. DeLange and N. Robert Cestone, Rowayton, Conn.
Paintings and Sculpture by Herb Alpert at the Tennessee State Museum
NASHVILLE, TENN. – “Herb Alpert: ,” a retrospective exhibition of more than 75 paintings in acrylic on canvas and on paper and 40 bronze sculptures created during the period 1978 to 2001 by the legendary musician and record producer, will be on view at the Tennessee State Museum, August 3 to September 30.
The exhibition, organized by the State Museum, was assembled from various gallery and private collections. It will also be shown at the Virginia Beach Pavilion/Virginia Beach Institute of Contemporary Art from December 15, through January 15, 2002.
Alpert’s work has had gallery showings since 1989 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Houston, Antwerp, Zurich, Basel, Berlin and Frankfurt. This is his first museum exhibition.
In an essay for the exhibition’s catalogue, art critic Peter Frank writes: “Having painted for more than three decades, and having exhibited his paintings for more than half that time, Herb Alpert must be regarded as an important participant in the ongoing discourse of contemporary art.” Frank also notes that Alpert’s more recently initiated sculptures present figures that are “spry and sinuous, dancing to their own inner music.”
The title “” refers to inner music. While Alpert’s subjects are not specifically jazz related, his visual art clearly possesses elements of rhythm, harmony and improvisation. His Spanish titles, such a “Fandango” or “Tango Nuevo,” make distinct musical references, and his paintings and sculptures include undulating form that evoke the twists and turns of Latin dance.
Alpert credits his passion for the works of the great Mexican modernists Rufino Tamayo, David Alfaro Siqueiros and Diego Rivera as the stimulus that launched his visual arts career.
His career as a musician has been extraordinary, with his trumpet playing earning him five #1 hits, seven Grammy awards, 14 Platinum Albums among 15 Gold. Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass propelled Latino music into the pop music limelight, at one point outselling the Beatles two to one. Through commitment to artists with personal visions, Alpert (along with partner Jerry Moss) transformed A&M Records from a humble garage operation into the largest independently owned record company in the world.
In the late 1980s Alpert started The Herb Alpert Foundation, which assists educational and arts programs dedicated to young people as well as mid-career artists of many disciplines – helping them discover their own potential.
The hardcover catalogue, published in cooperation with the Tennessee State Museum, is available.
The Tennessee State Museum is at the corner of Fifth and Deaderick streets. Hours are 10 am to 5 pm Tuesday to Saturday and 1 to 5 pm on Sundays. For information, 615-253-0151.
