"FACES IN THE CROWD" at the FAC MODERN

Thursday, 18 October 2007 22:18

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is proud to present “Faces in the Crowd: Portraiture from the FAC Permanent Collection.” The exhibition will run through January 20, 2008. This exhibition will challenge the concept of portraiture by delving into the permanent collection from all angles and putting works of art, some of which have never been exhibited, on display.

“In this show particularly we are creating different scenarios so that the viewers can arrive at their own interpretations rather than us guiding them to any preconceived notions of what portraiture is,” said Tariana Navas-Nieves, FAC Curator of Hispanic and Native American Art.

Prior to the 20th century, portraitists were usually compelled to respond to and follow the wishes of the sitters, bringing together expected poses, format, and costume to fulfill the specific demands of the client. As we move into the Modern era, artists take a freer and more expressionistic approach in order to create a likeness that is perhaps more than just physical.

“The FAC MODERN is a space where we can go out on a limb,” adds Blake Milteer, FAC Curator of 19^th-21^st Century American Art. “With “Faces” we are examining a subject that is at the core of what art has been for millennia.”

“The human face is our touchstone for so much art historically, and is a subject in which we can keep one foot in history and tradition and the other in the unexpected. So, the title of the show is a question mark, rather than a statement.”

 Works featured in the show run the gamut from irreverent humor to deeply felt homage and include Paul Cadmus’s Study for David and Goliath, which depicts the artist and his longtime partner reenacting Baroque artist Caravaggio’s paintings that were based on the Old Testament story; portraits of non-humans such as Study for Angus by James Wyeth and Bacon Dog by Dan Britton, not to mention a few surprises.

There will also be a wide variety of media from drawing, painting, installation and sculpture, including bultos by Felix A. Lopez. Artists Tony Ortega, Joe Baker, Floyd Tunson as well as Broadmoor Art Academy alum and many Latin and Native American works will be on display.

The FAC MODERN, located in the Plaza of the Rockies, was called the ‘best thing to happen to Southern Colorado business’ by the readers of the Colorado Springs Business Journal and the ‘Best Art Museum’ by the readers of The Gazette in 2007.

Opened in April of 2006, the FAC MODERN expanded the Fine Arts Center’s reach into the heart of downtown Colorado Springs. Thanks to the generosity of the Nor’wood Development Group, the FAC was able to continue to present world-class exhibitions without interruption during the expansion at the FAC main facility. The FAC MODERN will continue to offer edgy, contemporary exhibitions.

ABOUT THE FINE ARTS CENTER
Founded in 1936, the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center is a privately funded, non-profit art museum, performing arts theatre, and arts education center. A two-story, 48,000 square-foot expansion was unveiled in August 2007 which complements the original 1936 John Gaw Meem building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visit www.csfineartscenter.org