The Saint Louis Art Museum presents Currents 105: Ian Monroe, an exhibition featuring a new body of work by the London-based artist and Washington University in St. Louis graduate. Through collage and sculpture, Monroe explores a crucial moment in both St. Louis and aviation history.
Ian Monroe, American, born 1972; ghost, 2011; vinyl on acrylic; 12 3/4 x 21 1/4 in.; Courtesy Haunch of Venison and Ian Monroe © Ian Monroe
Inspired by the architecture of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, Monroe revisits the story of its iconic terminal designed by architect Minoru Yamasaki, best known for his design of the World Trade Center and its twin towers. Opening to great acclaim in 1956, this innovative building transformed the landscape of postwar airport design, as it successfully formalized the concept of flight through the architecture itself.
Monroe presents a series of figurative collages based on archival photographs and a large-scale collaged panel depicting a jet engine and a distant view of Lambert’s undulating exterior. Such representational imagery deployed in the artist’s characteristic multi-layered, cut-vinyl collages marks a departure for Monroe who is known for large-scale geometric abstractions that depict imaginary, utopian spaces.
The exhibition includes an abstract sculptural installation incorporating common airport material, such as stainless steel and carpet. Also featuring original TWA tumblers and swizzle sticks, the installation will remind viewers of the postwar promise and sophistication of air travel.
Born in 1972 in Cooperstown, New York, Monroe received his B.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1995 and an M.F.A. from Goldsmiths College, University of London, in 2002.
Monroe’s work has been featured in group exhibitions at Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Copenhagen, Denmark; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y Léon, Léon, Spain; Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart, Berlin, Germany; Saatchi Gallery, London; Whitechapel Gallery, London; Currents 105 is Monroe’s first solo museum exhibition. Monroe is represented by Haunch of Venison, London.
Curated by Tricia Y. Paik, assistant curator of modern and contemporary art, Currents 105: Ian Monroe will be on view in Gallery 338 from April 8 through July 31, 2011.
Visitors can learn more about the exhibition through the Museum’s free Gallery Talks. Paik will host Gallery Talks on Thursday, April 21 at 11 a.m., Friday, April 22 at 6 p.m., Thursday, July 7 at 11 a.m. and Friday, July 8 at 6 p.m.
This Currents installation is one in an ongoing series at the Saint Louis Art Museum devoted to the work of contemporary artists. The Currents series is in collaboration with the Freund Fellowship, which consists of two month-long residencies in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, Washington University in St. Louis.
As the 2010–2011 Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Teaching Fellow, Monroe will give a free lecture on April 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Steinberg Auditorium on Washington University’s campus.
Generous support for Currents 105: Ian Monroe is provided by the Henry L. and Natalie E. Freund Endowment Fund, established to support the exhibition and acquisition of contemporary art at the Saint Louis Art Museum and the teaching principles of contemporary art at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis.
The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums with collections that include works of art of exceptional quality from virtually every culture and time period. Areas of notable depth include Oceanic art, pre-Columbian art, ancient Chinese bronzes and European and American art of the late 19th and 20th centuries, with particular strength in 20th-century German art. The Museum offers a full range of exhibitions and educational programming generated independently and in collaboration with local, national and international partners.
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Admission to the Saint Louis Art Museum is free to all every day. For more information about the Saint Louis Art Museum, call 314.721.0072 or visit www.slam.org