On Tuesday January 31 Joseph Gallivan interviews Judith Sobol, the Executive Director of the Cantor Foundation, about Rodin: The Human Experience, a new show at the Portland Art Museum which runs now through April 16, 2017.
Sobol will talk about Rodin as a businessman, his place as a bridge between Romanticism and modernism, and why he was the Jeff Koons of his day.
From the press release:
Rodin: The Human Experience
Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collections
JAN 21 – APR 16, 2017
The Portland Art Museum is pleased to present Rodin: The Human Experience—Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collections, an exhibition of 52 bronzes by the groundbreaking French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The exhibition, which opens January 21, 2017, is being staged in Portland to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the artist’s death.One of the greatest artists of his time, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) revolutionized the art of sculpture. While his works always remained faithful to nature, he departed from traditional practice in seeking to reveal the creative process. This exhibition of stunning bronzes will demonstrate Rodin’s particular passion for modeling the human form in clay, the medium in which his hand and mind are most directly evidenced.
The selected bronzes in the show represent the major achievements of Rodin’s long career. They include powerful studies for The Burghers of Calais, as well as works derived from his masterpiece, The Gates of Hell. Others, such as The Night (Double Figure), demonstrate his experimentation with assemblage. Rodin: The Human Experience also features sculptures, such as Monumental Torso of the Walking Man, which demonstrate Rodin’s admiration for Michelangelo, and Dance Movement D, which speaks to his interest in understanding how the body moved.
The exhibition is especially rich in portraiture. Included are Rodin’s famous depictions of the writers Victor Hugo and Honoré de Balzac; the composer Gustav Mahler; the artist Claude Lorraine; one of his favorite dancers, Hanako; and his portrayal of The Hand of God, which is likely a self-portrait.
Rodin’s ability to use bronze to represent living flesh and his interest in expressing extreme psychological states were highly influential upon younger artists, both in Europe and America. Rodin: The Human Experience reveals why the artist is considered the crucial link between traditional and modern sculpture.
The Museum will present a variety of public programs and tours in conjunction with the exhibition, including an opening lecture by exhibition curator Judith Sobol, Executive Director of the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.
This exhibition has been organized and made possible by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation. Curated by Judith Sobol, Executive Director of the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation; host curated by Dawson Carr, Ph.D., The Janet and Richard Geary Curator of European Art.
Joseph Gallivan has been a reporter since 1990. He has covered music for the London Independent, Technology for the New York Post, and arts and culture for the Portland Tribune, where he is currently the Business Reporter. He is the author of two novels, "Oi, Ref!" and "England All Over" which are available on Amazon.com
This show was recorded at KBOO on Jan 21, 2017 and edited by KBOO’s Derric Crooks.
- KBOO