The Heckscher Museum of Art

Transcription

1 The Heckscher Museum of Art EXHIBITION GUIDE FOR TEACHERS Gary Erbe, The Big Splash, 2001 [detail]. Courtesy of Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Cusenza. Gary Erbe MAY 21 - AUGUST 28, 2016 WHAT S INSIDE 2 Prime Avenue Huntington, NY Heckscher.org Education Department Education@Heckscher.org About the Exhibition...1 About the Artist...1 Exhibition-Related Web Resources...1 Exhibition-Related Vocabulary...2 Select Images...3

2 ABOUT THE EXHIBITION In the tradition of America s trompe l oeil masters, Erbe s paintings and sculptures present objects so carefully observed and finely painted that they could be real. Erbe was inspired by popular culture, ranging from childhood pursuits and national pastimes, to music, radio, television, and film of the 1950s. Erbe creates layered compositions that engage both the eye and the mind. Erbe's still life constructions are also displayed in the galleries for the viewer to compare with his painted work. Gary Erbe, The 50 s, Courtesy of Ira W. Kent. Gary Erbe. ABOUT THE ARTIST Gary T. Erbe, a self-taught painter in the medium of oil, was born in Union City, New Jersey, in In 1970, he decided to pursue art full-time. He has been painting professionally for over 40 years. Erbe s work can be found in many public and private collections throughout the world. Gary Erbe among his paintings. WEB RESOURCES Artist Website garyerbe.com Video of the Artist s Process tinyurl.com/erbeprocess Video of the Artist Discussing His Work tinyurl.com/erbetalk - 1 -

3 EXHIBITION-RELATED VOCABULARY composition: The arrangement or placement of objects or design elements within a work of art. construction: An object or group of objects built by an artist. cubism: An early-20th-century art movement, pioneered by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, that revolutionized European painting and sculpture. Instead of showing an object from one point of view, the artist shows many viewpoints at one time. depth: The apparent distance from front to back or near to far in an artwork. illusion: An experience of seeming to see something that does not exist or that is other than it appears, such as a two-dimensional image appearing to be three-dimensional. levitational realism: A term coined by Gary Erbe to describe his realistic style of painting in which objects appear to float. nostalgia: A sentimental longing for the past, typically for a time or place with happy personal memories. overlap: The placement of objects over one another in order to create the illusion of depth. point of view: The perspective, or angle, from which a subject is shown. photorealism: The genre of art in which an artist studies a photograph and attempts to reproduce the image as realistically as possible. popular culture: Cultural activities or products that represent the way of life of the people of a particular time period. repetition: When a color, shape, line, or other component of a work of art is used more than once. scale: The appearance of the size of an object in relation to other objects in a work of art. series: A group of related works, usually by a single artist, focusing on a particular theme or idea. still life: A work of art depicting an arrangement of objects such as fruit and flowers. symbol: An image that has a specific meaning or represents a particular idea. texture: The surface quality or feel of an object (ex: roughness, smoothness, softness). three-dimensional: An object that has length, width, and depth, such as a sculpture. In a twodimensional artwork, images may appear to be three-dimensional. trompe l oeil: A French term literally meaning trick the eye. It is a style of painting which gives the appearance of three-dimensional, or photographic realism. two-dimensional: A flat surface that has length and width, but no depth, such as a painting

4 Gary Erbe, Levitated Tabletop Composition, 1973, Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist. Gary Erbe - 3 -

5 Gary Erbe, Virtuoso, 1982, Oil on canvas. Brandywine River Museum of Art, Museum Volunteers Purchase Fund, Gary Erbe - 4 -

6 Gary Erbe, Frenzy, 2007, Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist. Gary Erbe - 5 -

7 Gary Erbe, Western Album, 2016, Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist. Gary Erbe - 6 -

8 Gary Erbe, Master of the Ruptured Word, 2015, Oil on canvas. Courtesy of the Artist. Gary Erbe - 7 -