Colorado Abstract Expressionism from Kirkland Museum
November 11, 2011 to February 5, 2012 EXTENDED THROUGH April 1, 2012
Curated by Hugh Grant, Founding Director & Curator of Kirkland Museum
The Expanding Universe, 1959, by Vance Kirkland,
Collection of Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art
Significant Abstract Expressionism was not limited to New York and San Francisco. In this exhibition, Colorado artists are recognized for their contributions to perhaps America’s most important art movement, one that moved the art capital of the world from Paris to New York. The works on display are all from the permanent collection of Kirkland Museum.
Liberty of London and Archibald Knox
September 16, 2011 to January 15, 2012 EXTENDED THROUGH January 29, 2012
Curated by Hugh Grant, Founding Director & Curator of Kirkland Museum
In May of 1899, London’s Liberty & Co. launched their new line of silver and jewelry with a catalog and exhibition at the store. Founded in 1875 and still in business today, Liberty was a retail emporium for imported fabrics, metalware, and home furnishings, as well as work by local Arts & Crafts artists.
Archibald Knox (1864-1933) was born, died and lived mainly on the Isle of Man—in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland (under Viking, Scottish and now English sovereignty). He became one of Liberty’s principal designers from 1899 to 1905, although his designs continued to be manufactured until at least 1908 or even perhaps 1910. In addition to metalwork, he designed jewelry, textiles and ceramics for Liberty. Knox was also an accomplished watercolorist and educator.
Due to Knox’s artistic inventiveness and the wide distribution of Liberty & Co., his designs became deservedly renowned, although he received no recognition for them at the time. Liberty insisted on complete anonymity for their designers, because they wanted the company, and not the designers, to be known for their products. However, it has been established through his drawings that most of these works are designed by Knox.
Knox’s metal designs were produced in both Tudric (pewter) and Cymric (silver)—often inlaid with enamel and sometimes semi-precious cabochon gems. Contrary to leaving pewter in its dull, natural patina, Liberty’s pewter was polished at the time and was considered a poor person’s silver. Knox’s designs show the influence of Celtic patterns and Art Nouveau curves. The terms Tudric and Cymric were invented to seem like ancient Celtic names.
Archibald Knox made significant contributions to British Art Nouveau, along with Charles Ashbee, William Morris, Arthur Macmurdo, C.F.A. Voysey, William Hutton, Alexander Fisher and others. These and other artists are the reason that the greatest achievements in the history of design from the British Isles occurred during the Middle Ages, Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau periods. Certainly England had some important Art Deco designers such as Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper and others for Shelley Pottery and Carlton Ware, but not on the scale of the former periods.
Only a few other museums in the world consistently show Art Nouveau metal pieces by Liberty & Co., including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Bröhan Museum, Berlin; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Manx Museum, Isle of Man. Kirkland Museum has consistently displayed about 25 Liberty metal works. Liam O’Neill, chairman of the Archibald Knox Society on the Isle of Man, believes that the Kirkland therefore has the largest collection of Knox designed Liberty metalware, on public view, of any museum worldwide. This temporary exhibition, Liberty of London & Archibald Knox, has 60 works including metal (7 sterling silver, 48 pewter), jewelry (4) and a large ceramic jardinière. Most of these works are designed by Knox. Fifty-three of the works are in this case and on the table behind it; seven of the pewter works are shown in the case facing the front door in the museum foyer. The Liberty objects were produced in England—one of 39 countries represented in Kirkland Museum’s decorative art collection.
Extensive exhibitions of Knox and Liberty & Co. only began to be done with the 1995 show at the New York commercial gallery Historical Design Inc. Then a 1996 exhibition was given at Middlesex University, London. The first international traveling exhibition was organized and curated by Stephen A. Martin and Mark Turner from1996 to1998, appearing at the Hunterian Art Gallery (University of Glasgow), Delaware Art Museum, Phoenix Museum of Art, The Huntington (San Marino CA, near Pasadena) and The Smart Museum (University of Chicago).
Press material and high-resolution images available.
OFF-SITE EXHIBITION
Focus: Earth & Fire
Opens June 11, 2011
Curated by Gwen Chanzit, Denver Art Museum
At the Denver Art Museum, Hamilton Building, 3rd floor
Kirkland Museum has loaned paintings by Vance Kirkland for a mini-retrospective of his work, as well as Colorado ceramics.
For more information, click the link below (PDF):
http://www.denverartmuseum.org/files/File/mm_focus-earth%20and%20fire%20info%20sheet.pdf
