redefined
Modern and Contemporary Art from the Collection

April 8, 2006–December 31, 2006

Washington, DC — redefined is the largest exhibition of modern and contemporary art from the Corcoran’s permanent collection since the founding of the Museum. It provides an unprecedented opportunity to experience many of the Museum’s most important works from the 1950s to the present. Featuring more than 180 objects in a range of media, including painting, prints and drawings, sculpture, photography, and media arts, redefined highlights the Corcoran’s historical role as a venue and repository for some of the most significant artistic achievements of the post-World War II era. The exhibition is on view at the Corcoran from July 15 through December 31, 2006.

A six DVD digital projection with sound, Loop was commissioned by the Corcoran for its neoclassical rotunda. The piece interacts with the specific space of the gallery to create a transformative experience for visitors. Dancing images of transparent colored ropes move to music that chimes across the domed ceiling from shifting and indeterminate locations. The effect is as enchanting as it is disorienting, as the walls dissolve and the room pulses with motion and excitement.

The exhibition is organized thematically rather than chronologically so that new interpretations of the works and their relationship to one another can unfold. “Creating and interpreting art is a process of definition and redefinition,” says Jonathan P. Binstock, Curator of Contemporary Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. “Modern art redefined what came before it, and contemporary art is often engaged with redefining modernism. As handy as the general categories of ‘modern’ and ‘contemporary’ may be, the differences between them are not always clear-cut. This exhibition explores this complicated relationship. Through pairings and juxtapositions of artworks, it calls attention to the visual and thematic connections and distinctions among modern and contemporary art. redefined is an occasion to consider how we understand these two terms and what their significance might be for the future.”

WILLIAM CHRISTENBERRY
The work of one of Washington’s own, William Christenberry, is featured in a gallery showcasing photography and sculpture from his more than 40-year career. From Kodak Brownie color photographs of the 1960s that established Christenberry as a leader in the field of color photography to his recent monumental Dream Building (2004), the artist tackles the richness and complexity of his Alabama roots, and of Southern society and history. Coleman’s Cafe (I) of 1982 is a scaled-down representation of a rural Alabama eating establishment that Christenberry visited many times. The highly detailed sculpture shows the cafe as it existed in the late 1960s. Also on view is a grid of 16 photographs, a new acquisition to the Corcoran’s permanent collection, documenting the progressive dilapidation of the actual building through the years, from 1967 to 1996. Juxtaposed with Christenberry’s art are important works by another pioneer of color photography, William Eggleston. Christenberry and Eggleston have had a relationship of friendship and mutual influence since the 1960s, when both lived in Memphis, Tennessee.

EXHIBITION ORGANIZATION
redefined: Modern and Contemporary Art from the Collection is organized by the Corcoran Gallery of Art and funded by The President’s Exhibition Fund. Related educational programming has been made possible in part by the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation FUNd.

PRESS IMAGES
High-resolution digital images are available to press via the Corcoran’s FTP site. To register for image use, please visit the press section of the Web site and hit “Press Image Login.” After provided contact information, an automated e-mail will be sent back with user name, password information and download instructions. For more information, please email PR@corcoran.org or call 202.639.1746.

ABOUT THE CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was founded in 1869 as Washington’s first museum of art. It is a privately funded institution incorporating both a museum and college of art and design. As one of America’s oldest art institutions, the Corcoran is known internationally for its distinguished collection of historical and modern American art, as well as European painting, sculpture, photography and decorative arts.

Founded in 1890, the Corcoran College of Art + Design is Washington’s only four-year college of art and design. The college currently offers four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree programs; two-year Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degree programs; Master of Arts (MA) degree programs in Interior Design, the History of Decorative Arts and Teaching; and a Continuing Education program encompassing more than 250 courses and 14 certificate programs for part-time adult students; as well as year-round classes designed especially for children and teens.

The Corcoran Gallery of Art is located at New York Avenue and 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC, and is open every day, except Monday and Tuesday, 10 am – 5 pm, and until 9 pm on Thursdays. The Corcoran is closed every Monday and Tuesday. Admission to the Corcoran is $8 for adults; $6 for Seniors and Military Personnel; $4 for students with valid ID; and $3 for Member guests. Admission is free for Members and children under the age of 12. The public information line for the museum is 202.639.1700. The information line for the college is 202.639.1800.

:: View images and further details from this exhibition

CONTACT:
Kristin Guiter
Manager of Media Relations
(202) 639-1867,
kguiter@corcoran.org

Media Resources:

Curator Jonathan P. Binstock

Advance Exhibition Schedule

Archived Press Releases