“Head of a Man,” Alphonse Legros, 1886. Metal point on white clay-coated board, laid down on cardboard, overmatted with cardboard mount.
From Twilight to Dawn:
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Paintings, sculptures and photographs from some of the most prominent artists of the last four decades will be featured in “From Twilight to Dawn: Postmodern Art from the UBS PaineWebber Art Collection” at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, through May 26.
One of the foremost collections of contemporary art in the United States, the UBS PaineWebber Art Collection was started more than 30 years ago by Donald B. Marron, Chairman, UBS America. “From Twilight to Dawn” features 56 works, many of which are new acquisitions to the collection that have never been exhibited publicly, including works by Alighiero Boetti, Gregory Crewdson, Andreas Gursky, Susan Rothenberg, Edward Ruscha, Laurie Simmons, Lorna Simpson and Sam Taylor-Wood. Works by other notable artists including Jean-Michael Basquiat, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, Cindy Sherman, Gerhard Richter, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol, are also a part of the exhibition.
“The collection originated with the conviction that good contemporary art reflects contemporary trends in society, and truly outstanding works might even suggest the future,” said Marron. “We have always sought to acquire the most significant works by artists who best represent our times.”
Many of the works in “From Twilight to Dawn” provide insight into major developments in the era that has been defined as “postmodern.” The exhibition demonstrates the varied ways artists deviated from the “art for art’s sake” approach of late modernism to seek connections between art and individuals, society and the world. Works in “From Twilight to Dawn” were selected by Frist Center Curator Mark W. Scala and are organized in eight areas that explore such themes as the legacy of Pop Art, abstraction, Neo-expressionism and new internationalism in photography.
The collection features the works of major artists of the post-war era, representing the range of avant-garde activity from Europe and the United States. The collection currently numbers more than 850 paintings, sculpture, works on paper, prints and photographs.
The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is at 919 Broadway and is open Mondays through Saturdays, 10 am to 5:30 pm; Thursday, 10 am to 8 pm; and Sundays, 1 to 5 pm. For information, 615-244-3340.
