Under Construction is the Mint Museum’s first large-scale exhibition to explore collage as a medium. It’s an artistic technique in which materials are cut, torn, and layered to create new meanings and narratives. Though it gained acclaim in the early twentieth century through the groundbreaking work of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Kurt Schwitters, and Jean Arp, the art form experienced a renaissance after World War II. Charlotte’s own Romare Bearden is widely credited with having rejuvenated and reinvigorated the technique.
Featuring more than 50 international artists and more than 100 works of art, including Bearden’s, Mint Museum Under Construction explores the growth of the collage technique and aesthetic from the 1950s to present. It includes numerous works by Bearden, as well as examples by other notable artists like Robert Motherwell, Tim Rollins and K.O.S., Sam Gilliam, Howardena Pindell, Dario Robleto, Donald Sultan, and James Rosenquist. The impact of the collage aesthetic in the fields of painting, printmaking, photography, and assemblage work will be explored as well. Although drawn primarily from the many holdings of The Mint Museum itself, this exhibition also includes special loans from private collections and new work by some of today’s leading artists who continue to push the creative form ahead.
