Materials & Meanings - Dallas Museum of Art

about Materials & Meanings

May 3, 2008–Summer 2010
Center for Creative Connections

Materials & Meanings, an exhibition of eight master works of art selected by Dallas Museum of Art educators and curators from the Museum’s encyclopedic collections spanning 5,000 years, focuses on the materials from which a work of art is made and on the meanings associated with those materials to both the artist and to the viewer.

Gold, wood, chocolate, cardboard, velvet—what do the materials of works of art mean to artists? What do the materials of works of art mean to you?

Materials can have powerful meanings for the artist who selects and manipulates them as part of the creative process. You bring your own experiences with materials when you look at a work of art. The works of art in this exhibition come from different cultures and time periods, but all are made from materials that suggest meanings to the artist and perhaps to you.

How can we learn more about the objects?
Learning Links – An area to discover more about the objects in the exhibition through Web sites, videos, and books.

 


Where can my ideas be shared?
Materials Wall– Use your mind and hands to lead the way for art explorations through touching and writing.

 


Is it my turn to be creative?
Materials Bar – Let the exhibition inspire you to think about and make your own creation.

 


How has the use of materials changed in 8,000 years?
A Material Journey Through the Dallas Museum of Art – Material lines guide you through the Museum’s encyclopedic collections.

 
What do materials look like before they are used by an artist?
Material of the Month – Each month find a new raw material to investigate.

 

Where do we go from here?
Gallery Connections – Take a special self-guided tour through the rich collections in the Museum galleries.

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Seated ruler in ritual pose, Mexico, state of Puebla, San Martín Texmelucan, Highland Olmec culture, c. 900–500 B.C., serpentine and cinnabar, Dallas Museum of Art, gift of Mrs. Eugene McDermott, The Roberta Coke Camp Fund, and The Art Museum League Fund, 1983.50

Wreath, Greek, 4th century B.C., gold, Dallas Museum of Art, Museum League Purchase Funds, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., and Cecil H. and Ida M. Green in honor of Virginia Lucas Nick, 1991.75.55

Standing male figure with nails (nkisi nkondi, Mangaaka type), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Chiloango River Valley, Yombe people, late 19th century, wood, iron, raffia, ceramic, pigment, cowrie shell, kaolin, red camwood (tukula), resin, magical ingredients (graveyard dirt and leaves), and animal skin, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of the McDermott Foundation, 1996.184.FA

Janine Antoni, Lick and Lather, 1993, chocolate and soap busts, The Rachofsky Collection, © Janine Antoni, courtesy of the artist

Dorothea Tanning, Pincushion to Serve as Fetish, 1979, black velvet, wood, metal, paint, and copper, Collection of Deedie and Rusty Rose and the Dallas Museum of Art through the General Acquisition Fund, 2005.27, © 1979 Dorothea Tanning/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/ADAGP, Paris