Through the Decades: 75 Years of the Georgia Museum of Art
University of Georgia students in Callan Steinmann’s Introduction to Museum Studies (FCID 5010/7010) class during the fall semester of 2023 organized this pop-up exhibition, rendered here in an online version. “Through the Decades: 75 Years of the Georgia Museum of Art” features a selection of works on paper drawn from the museum’s permanent collection, showcasing the diversity and range of the museum’s collecting history since it first opened to the public in November 1948.
The split-level course includes both undergraduate and graduate students, who worked on the exhibition as part of a semester-long project. Introduction to Museum Studies is a foundations class for the Museum Studies Certificate Program at UGA, and the students represent many areas of study across campus, including art history, historic preservation, art education, history, classics and studio art. Students worked in groups to select works of art acquired by the museum in each decade of its history. They researched the art and artists, then wrote extended interpretive labels for each object.
This pop-up exhibition was organized by:
Liz Adams
Katie Bell
Sage Berg
Jasmine Best
Carleigh Brisendine
Abbi Byrd
Nicholas Dietz
Katie Doss
Emma Fass
Nicole Ganelin
Kate Gottsman
Jacob Griner
Laura Leigh Haga
Casen Joyner
Avery Lowhorn
Shayla Manwill
Inga McGuire
Caroline Moore
Morgan Paulding
Sadie Pijanowski
Cassie Reynolds
Tallulah Sanders
Isabel Saunders
Eva Sell
Maribeth Smith
Mary Alice Smith
Katie Tabb
Isaak Thurman
Ashton Wilson
The 1940s: The Works That Created the Museum
Over 75 years ago, a gift of 100 paintings marked the start of the Georgia Museum of Art. Among the initial works of art donated in 1945 was Arthur Garfield Dove’s “League of Nations.” Alfred H. Holbrook, the founder and first director of the museum, added to his original donation many times. In 1946, he donated Wassily Kandinsky’s “Two Figures” and Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s “She Mourns.” Together, these three works of art speak to the tumultuous years leading up to and following the World Wars. Influenced by their surroundings and by historical events, these three works showcase the rise of abstraction and expressionism.
Click here for a two-minute WUGA audio segment, “Who Founded the Georgia Museum of Art?”
A pioneer of modern art and abstract painting, Kandinsky used color and form to create an immersive experience for the viewer. His paintings go beyond physical boundaries to give an aesthetic experience focused on beauty and human spirituality. “Two Figures” combines his early and later styles, mixing geometric (right) and organic shapes (left) based on natural patterns and biological forms. The figures’ different forms connect the known and unknown, a common idea in Kandinsky’s works.
Arthur Garfield Dove was close friends with prominent impressionists and fauvists. Taking inspiration from his peers, he grew in notoriety as the first American abstract artist. Through abstraction, he sought to simplify aspects of the natural world including ocean tides, animals, seasons and local landscape. He often explored parallels between art and music. This abstract work shows expression of movement with each stroke in a differing hue, a wonderful example of his interest in the spiritual free-form. The overlapping, organic shapes lead the eye to explore the image and allow for a dissociation from the physical world.
Kuniyoshi identified as Japanese American but was never allowed American citizenship due to harsh anti-Asian immigration laws. During World War II, he worked on anti-Japanese political posters promoting American democracy. He was as famous as Georgia O’Keeffe during his time, but his fame in America faded after the US government declared all Japanese “enemy aliens” in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Kuniyoshi’s art changed from colorful folk art to mournful portraits as he expressed his rejection of war. He said, “A few short days has changed my status in this country, although I myself have not changed at all.”
The 1950s: A Celebration of Printmaking
The Georgia Museum of Art collected many prints and works on paper in the 1950s. The works on view here showcase some of the prints collected in this period. There is more than one way to make a print. A few of the processes include etching, woodblock, and lithograph. Sue Fuller used a specific etching technique called à la poupée (described on that work’s label). Utagawa Hiroshige’s print was made with a woodblock. The artist draws a design onto a wooden block and then carves out the shapes. The printer applies ink to the carved block, then presses it on a piece of paper. Each color comes from a separate block. The process of lithography, seen in Joan Miró’s print, operates differently. Instead of carving material away, the artist draws a design on a flat stone. Chemicals allow ink to stick to the drawing for printing. Notice how the different printing practices create different kinds of marks.
Spanish surrealist and abstract artist Joan Miro is primarily remembered as a painter, but he also experimented with sculpture, ceramics, tapestries and prints. Like many other surrealist artists, he was interested in psychology. His childlike style comes in part from his focus on the unconscious or subconscious mind. Miró’s approach to printmaking was particularly unique and improvisational. He often rearranged elements during their creation, finding the final image through a process of experimentation. This piece contains intertwining biomorphic forms within a flattened space, a staple of his artistic style.
“Playing Ball” is one of Sue Fuller’s last etchings before she shifted to creating abstract string compositions. She used a type of intaglio printmaking technique called à la poupée. Typically with this technique, artists apply each color of ink to a separate plate. Then they carefully ink all the colors at once across a single plate, reinking after each impression. Fuller learned this technique from Stanley William Hayter, a famous experimental printmaker, in New York City.
The Japanese printmaking style known as ukiyo-e flourished from the 17th through the 19th centuries and is recognizable by its vividly colored landscapes and figures. This print is part of a series that shows Mt. Fuji in differing seasons and weather conditions. This work shows several fishing boats anchored off Tsukuda Island, birds skimming the surface of the water and Mt. Fuji rising in the distance. Hiroshige interpreted Mt. Fuji and other famous Japanese sites through the lens of everyday experience, capturing the serene beauty of the Edo period. He is considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e tradition.
The 1960s: Voices of a Nation
The 1960s saw revolutionary change in almost every aspect of society. Art was no exception. Artists were stepping away from old techniques and rebelling against the norm, as seen in the pop art movement. The civil rights movement and other social movements empowered underrepresented voices fighting to gain the visibility they deserved. In the 1960s, the pieces the museum acquired fit into the narrative of revolutionary change, even though most were not created during that decade.
The 1960s were a time of expansion and change for the museum, too. Annual visitor numbers continued to rise, and the museum had over 2,000 works in its collection by 1967. It also became a space that featured both local artists and more internationally acclaimed artists thanks in part to its first curator, William D. Paul Jr.
Pop culture. Comic strips. Consumer culture.
All three of these things appear within this work, which is an example of pop art. Pop artists in the 1960s took inspiration from mass culture and elevated ideas from pop culture that some thought were beneath the art world. Still, the pop art movement caught on, and the Georgia Museum of Art collected this piece soon after its production. In this print, Liechtenstein mimics comic strip printing by using Ben-Day dots, small circles spaced to show shading in mechanical printing. He also uses lyrics from Hoagy Carmichael’s song “Stardust,” borrowing from pop culture.
Woody Crumbo was a Native American artist and a flute dancer. As an active member of his community, he wanted to create art that recorded the customs of Native Americans across the United States. “Flute Dancer” aligns with his goal. It serves as a record of Native American tradition and starts a conversation about why artists create. Crumbo was also a curator in a museum, and his work asks questions about why museums display art. Why do you think museums display art? How can you see this conversation in the museum around you?
In the 1930s, Howard Cook spent a little over 6 weeks in Alabama through a travel grant from the Guggenheim Foundation. While there, he created over 60 drawings and prints, determined to “develop much further a strong background of the American scene.” Cook later described cotton picking as “a back-breaking effort” and claimed that “in spite of this [the pickers] traveled down the long rows in groups for the sake of companionship, sang, joked and carried on lively gossip.” Do you think this drawing shows companionship? Or does it show the field as a place of arduous work?
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is perhaps the best-known figure in United States civil rights history. In this print, the artist depicts him giving a powerful speech. The artist, Ben Shahn, often addressed social and political issues in his work, and printmaking helped him do so. Prints are additionally very easy to mass produce and can help spread these themes more. Shahn creating this work as a print allowed him the possibility to draw more attention to Dr. King and the civil rights movement.
The 1970s: Accessibility and Experimentation in Printmaking
Printmaking began as a way to spread information, a revolutionary device for communicating through written language and illustration. As print technologies and processes developed, artists experimented with the art form. As time went on, printmaking was used in the fine art world and opened conversations of accessibility. Printmaking allowed for the vast dissemination of art and allowed individuals all around the world to finally experience fine art, regardless of class. Several of the artists in this grouping used printmaking to reach audiences beyond the upper class, and the museum acquired many prints during the 1970s.
Printmakers pursued the idea of art for the public and used its techniques to experiment. Mary Cassatt engaged with Japanese print styles and techniques to focus on her regular subject matter of women’s daily life. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec used printmaking for widespread communication to uplift the medium as fine art. Edward Hopper used printmaking to explore narrative in a new medium. Robert Rauschenberg synthesized movements in printmaking, pushing boundaries and reflecting larger trends toward experimentation. Artists from the 18th century onward ultimately furthered the practice of printmaking through their democratization and radical experimentation in art.
Mary Cassatt spent most of her artistic career in Europe. She was one of the only Americans among the first impressionists, a group of artists known for small, flowing lines and detailed attention to shadow and light. A close friend and fellow impressionist, Edgar Degas, introduced Cassatt to the world of Japanese printmaking, which inspired the look of her prints. To maintain the hazy look of pastels, she used a printing technique that involved hardened resin and acid on a bronze plate. “The Coiffure” shows a woman’s mundane daily tasks without sexualizing the subject, unlike her inspirations.
This portrait shows Tatyana Grossman, an artist who Rauschenberg collaborated with until her death in 1982. Rauschenberg met Grossman through artist Jasper Johns, his lover. Grossman founded Universal Limited Art Editions (ULAE) to bring the French tradition of livres d’artistes (artists’ books) to New York. Rauschenberg created this lithograph for the 15th anniversary of ULAE. This print is the 42 out of the 50 impressions made in 1974. Two watermarks are visible on the left side of the print. One watermark of the ULAE logo in the lower corner next to the edition count. The other watermark states “Auvergne a la Main” (handmade in Auvergne). Auvergne is a central region in France known for its quality paper.
“L’Estampe Originale” was a French periodical that aimed to establish printmaking as a serious art form, publishing quarterly portfolios of prints from 1893 to 1895. This periodical featured prints from many now famous artists such as Paul Gauguin, Auguste Renoir, and Auguste Rodin. Toulouse-Lautrec’s “The Lithograph” served as the cover for the inaugural edition of “L’Estampe Originale.” In this print, Jane Avril, a popular French cancan dancer, reviews a new poster for an upcoming performance. In the background, master printer Père Cotelle prints more of these posters. Toulouse-Lautrec and Avril were close friends, and he often depicted her in his artwork. Here, he suggests the chicness and modernity of printmaking in the 1890s in his inclusion of popular contemporary figures.
In this scene, we are positioned above a solitary figure walking down the street. Hopper uses repeated linework to create a distinct contrast in this print. This technique of layering lines, called cross-hatching, creates an ominous tone through the shadows of the streetlight. Reminiscent of the film noir movement of the 1940s, this work alludes to the isolation many people experienced in urban environments in the early 20th century. Hopper printed large edition numbers to make his artwork widely accessible. What story do you imagine is unfolding in this scene?
The 1980s: A Museum in Progress
The 1980s was a pivotal decade for the Georgia Museum of Art. Previous growth was putting a strain on the museum’s space, so the university made plans to build a new museum campus. The new building would not open until 1996; however, the museum continued to acquire important works for the collection. Artworks by prominent American and European artists reflect the museum’s commitment to continue making art accessible to the public, and the objects on display here embody the museum’s vision for widening the scope of the collection to better serve all patrons.
Elaine de Kooning was an American artist who painted in a variety of styles. She was a firm believer in abstract expressionism, a form of abstract art characterized by the impression of spontaneity and large gestural strokes. Abstract expressionism typically does not contain figures, yet she often pictured figures in her work. Her “Bacchus” series is one example. De Kooning painted this large series of works in the 1980s based on a statue of the Roman satyr Silenus, on display in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. She also made numerous studies, including this one. One of the paintings in the series is also in the museum’s permanent collection.
Visit the permanent collection wing to see a completed painting in her Bacchus series. View the other studies in the museum’s collection to see her progress in creating the final Bacchus paintings.
In the 1880s, Winslow Homer moved to Prouts Neck, Maine, in search of solitude and isolation. His artwork developed a new level of drama and intensity. Homer became obsessed with imagery of human interaction and struggle with the ocean, and many of his most influential pieces originate from this period in his life. These themes are prevalent in “Saved,” which shows a striking scene of a naval rescue in action.
Odilon Redon used his wild imagination to create outlandish and often unsettling works of art. He used Gustave Flaubert’s dramatic poem “Temptation of St. Anthony” as inspiration for the series this piece is a part of. The story details the journey of St. Anthony through the Egyptian desert as he confronts temptations created by Satan. These temptations included beautiful women and demonic creatures that made Anthony question his faith. Redon used charcoal shading and highlights to contribute to the eeriness of this alluring yet haunting figure.
The 1990s: A Museum Transformed
At the Georgia Museum of Art during the 1990s, the museum experienced several major changes. The museum began an internship program, hired a new director, launched its first website and opened a new, much larger building. Under the new leadership of William Underwood Eiland, visitor attendance to the galleries and educational programming flourished, exceeding 50,000 visitors per year. In 1996, to accommodate the rapidly growing collection and increase in visitors the new museum facility opened on East Campus, where it remains today.
This decade was a period of significant progress, which is reflected in the variety of artwork the museum collected and displayed during this time. Popular exhibitions showcased works by Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt van Rijn. While the works of widely known artists had a presence in the galleries, the museum also continued to acquire works by local artists, including faculty of the Lamar Dodd School of Art.
In the early 20th century, Edward Steichen advocated for the developing field of photography to be considered among the fine arts. Similarly, Isadora Duncan, the subject of this photogravure, championed efforts to include modern dance in the fine arts in contrast to rigid classical ballet. Both artists sought to represent the human experience in its authentic totality, straying from established artistic traditions. Steichen said that photography is “the best medium for explaining man to himself and to his fellow man.”
Art Rosenbaum was a performer and collector of traditional American folk music as well as a visual artist. This charcoal sketch shows a performance of the traditional music of the Gullah Geechee people of the barrier islands in the southeastern United States. Gullah Geechee culture evolved from enslaved West African people. They preserved parts their traditions over time, mixing languages and cultures. This drawing shows a ring shout, an important genre of call-and-response music from Africa but with deep ties to the culture of enslaved people in the U.S.
Georgia artist Kara Walker created this pop-up book that features miniature versions of her iconic black cut-out silhouettes. Walker’s silhouettes reference 18th- and 19th- century artwork and minstrel shows that featured derogatory visual stereotypes of Black people. Set after the Civil War, the story of her book follows an enslaved woman granted freedom. She dreams of starting a new, idyllic life in Liberia, but discovers that she still faces oppression based on her race and gender. She realizes at the end that true freedom is nothing but a dream.
Check out a video of the book in its entirety here.
The 2000s: Diverse Collecting in the New Millennium
At the beginning of a new millennium, the Georgia Museum of Art continued to collect numerous works on paper and transition into the digital sphere. A large part of the museum’s legacy in the 2000s was marked by the acquisition of 600 works by Pierre Daura in 2002. Not only did the permanent collection receive a wealth of his art such as paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, but the Georgia Museum of Art also created the Pierre Daura Study Center to allow for further research of Daura and his artwork as well as organize exhibitions. The three works here display the range and scope the museum has within its collection. Encapsulating multiple styles, techniques and movements, this selection aims to show just how vast the permanent collection had become.
John Stockton de Martelly has become synonymous with American Regionalism. The movement captured scenes of rural, small-town, and working-class America, especially during the Great Depression. Friends and coworkers with Regionalism’s founder Thomas Hart Benton, de Martelly made several lithographic prints throughout the 1930s and 40s while he taught at the Kansas City Art Institute. When Benton was fired from the Institute, they offered de Martelly his job as head of the painting department. Enraged at the treatment of his mentor, he moved to Michigan State University in 1943, his art taking on a more abstract feel. De Martelly’s art often depicts subjects reflecting in nature. “Old Moon” shows a solemn figure strumming a guitar underneath the countryside moonlight. As you reflect on the work, think about the last time you enjoyed the outdoors. How did you feel?
In Paris, Daura was exposed to European post-impressionist and early abstract artists. The expressive strokes and bold colors in “Fruit and Janus Magazine” show their influence on his work. Many of his paintings focused on themes of nature and reflect rural European settings. After moving to the U.S. with his family, Daura said, “All I have ever wanted to do is find a way to paint. . . . I have given myself to my art. That is what I wanted from my very early age . . . to be an artist, good or bad . . . that is what I am.”
Alex Katz is a multifaceted artist known mostly for his paintings, but also for his sculptures and prints like “Olympic Swimmer.” This print was made using the silkscreen process, a technique that creates designs by pushing ink through a mesh screen. The artist would cover the mesh with an emulsion, and a design would be burned into the screen to create designs. Ink goes into those parts of the screen, transferring to the paper.
Look closely at the gray in the splash around the swimmer’s mouth and the shading under their eyebrow. These are both the same layer of warm gray. In color theory, other colors surrounding a specific color can make it look like a different shade. Katz uses this to minimize his layers and give depth to his work.
2010 to Present: New Voices and New Mediums Progress
In the 2010s, the museum intentionally focused on diversifying its collection. It acquired works from underrepresented artists, collected contemporary art and expanded the types of mediums in the collection. Works by African American artists such as Emma Amos and Romare Bearden allow the museum to show new perspectives and voices. Moreover, the hundreds of photos taken by photographer Arthur Tress allow the museum to represent nontraditional art forms in its gallery.
The three works of art featured here show different art forms, different voices and different time periods. These pieces illustrate how the Georgia Museum of Art is now a more representative gallery of the human experience that considers new voices and new mediums.
“You should always respect what you are and your culture because if your art is going to mean anything, that is where it comes from.” — Romare Bearden
Bullfighting is a contest that pits a person against a charging bull. A bullfighter, or matador, attempts to subdue, immobilize or kill the animal according to a set of rules, guidelines or cultural expectations. Bullfighting was popularized in Spain, and many Spaniards see it as a source of national heritage, but some condemn it as unethical. Bearden depicts the sport here in simple geometric shapes — a style called cubism popularized by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso. Cultural representation is at the heart of Bearden’s work. His other pieces depict the African American experience in a way that authentically links culture and art. Here he deviates from his other works by focusing specifically on linking Spanish heritage with a Spanish-associated art style.
“It’s always been my contention that for me, a Black woman artist, to walk into the studio is a political act.” — Emma Amos
Atlanta native Emma Amos challenged ideas of race, gender, sexuality, and culture in her paintings and prints. Using bold colors and mixed media, she pushed the boundaries of traditional Western artforms to create a distinct style representing Black women’s lived experiences. Political activism and representation are at the center of her work.
“Identity” blurs the lines between gender and race by dividing the portrait in half. By encouraging viewers to think beyond binaries and to see the person behind them, Amos comments on modern issues of race and gender.
Arthur Tress started photographing at age twelve in his hometown of Coney Island, New York. Tress used his camera to show run-down areas to bring attention to the environmental crisis surrounding the human population. His photographs bring attention to problems that Tress sees with society and showcases Indigenous cultures from around the world. His most famous works include “Open Space in the Inner City,” “Appalachia,” “Dream Collection” and “Male of the Species.”
“Bull Dancer, Tenejapa” was taken in 1965 on Tress’ 1964 – 65 visit to Tenejapa, Mexico. Tress photographed many Indigenous practices on his visits to Mexico, Asia and Africa. These photographs show Indigenous ceremonies practiced in their local communities that would not typically be seen.