"Lee Bontecou: A Retrospective, is the most comprehensive exhibition ever assembled of this influential 20th century American artist—one of the few women artists to receive major recognition in the 1960s. Co-organized by the Hammer Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the exhibition features approximately 70 sculptures and 80 drawings from private and public collections as well as from the artist’s own holdings. It documents the complexity and scope of Bontecou’s art, from the late 1950s through 2003, with many works that have rarely or never before been publicly shown during the past 30 years" (Oct. 5th 2005, Hammer Museum).
Martinez talking here: "The above describes an art show that I had the privilege to see back in 2004. In my opinion, it has been the most detailed study of an artist's creative evolution to date. I was so impressed by the show that I went back and saw it another three times, and if I could have, I would have gone many more times. This show was an inspiration to me and to my artistic process at the time. Bontecou was an artist who gained fame from her art during an era when most women artists were ignored or completely dismissed. What is important to note about her work is the clear transition from sketches to drawings to sculptures. She truly embodies the artistic process. This is why I strongly emphasize completing your sketches before your final works!
Unfortunately, after one of her biggest shows during the 70's, she received harsh criticism from the leading art critics and felt destroyed. She went into hiding for the following 30 years and secretly continued creating art while teaching college. It wasn't until 2001 that a fellow artist was allowed to see her works, and the art world began to hear her name again. The discovery of her secret works was like finding the secret fountain of youth. The Lee Bontecou Retrospective show was meant to display these fantastic works of art."
While most of Bontecou's work consisted of abstraction, they did incorporate figurative, organic, and mechanistic references to the idea of transformation between the natural and the man-made. Her early sculpture portrayed wall-mounted, three-dimensional objects in which geometric fragments of canvas and other materials are stretched over and fastened onto welded metal framework. Her other works are intricate works made to look like mechanical spaceships made from ceramic, wire, and other materials suspended in space. (Oct. 5th 2005, Hammer Museum).
Your Task:
1. Describe the works of art; how is line, shape, contrast, value, and etc. used?
2. Are there any similarities between the drawings and the sculptures? If, so what are they? If not, what makes them different?
3. What do you think that Bontecou was trying to accomplish with her works of art? What is the message behind them?
4. How different do you think that women artists are treated today?
5. How different would have things been for Bontecou if she had emerged as an artist today as opposed to the 1960's? How do you think the art world would look at her work? Explain.
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