January 26, 2010 — Coral Gables — The University of Miami’s Lowe Art Museum has received a gift from an anonymous donor of “Breathing Glass” – a room-sized installation by multi-media artist Sandy Skoglund. This installation is Skoglund’s first work to incorporate glass and it is also accompanied by one of Skoglund’s signature photographs.
“Breathing Glass” features thousands of individually lamp-worked, mechanized glass dragonflies, which flutter amidst miniature marshmallows, against a grid of blue-glass panels. An intricate glass mosaic glitters on the floor, while upside-down figures float weightlessly through the work's open space. The artwork, which will be installed by the artist, will be on permanent view as of Saturday, February 20th in the Lowe’s Tobin Gallery. The installation has been underwritten at the Lowe by local art collector Francien Ruwitch. The book Sandy Skoglund: The Artificial Mirror will be available pre-signed at the Lowe Art Museum Store while supplies last.
Sandy Skoglund (b. 1946) was born in Quincy, MA and attended Smith College, where she studied studio art and art history from 1964 to 1968. She received her M.A. in 1971 and her M.F.A. in painting in 1972 from the University of Iowa.
Skoglund came of age artistically as one of a young generation of conceptual artists in 1970s New York City. In the late seventies, Skoglund's desire to document conceptual ideas led her to teach herself photography. This developing interest in photographic technique became fused with her interest in popular culture and commercial picture- making strategies.
Her mature work combines an interest in popular culture, installation art, and photography. She is internationally acclaimed for creating and photographing surreal, room- and life-sized mixed media installations. These color-saturated theaters of the absurd – which usually feature a proliferation of people or mannequins, sculpted creatures, and assorted objects – explore the collision of natural and unnatural worlds.
Many of Skoglund’s installations have been commissioned by museums and universities around the world, including the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, France, and the Columbus Museum of Art. Her photography and mixed-media installations are held in numerous museum collections world-wide.
The Lowe Art Museum is located at the University of Miami at 1301 Stanford Drive, Coral Gables. Gallery and Museum Store hours: Tuesday-Saturday: 10-4; Sunday: 12-4; Monday: Closed. Regular Admission (not including special events) is $10; $5 for Seniors and Non-UM Students; Free for Lowe Art Museum Members, University of Miami students, faculty and staff, and children under 12. For more information, call (305) 284-3535 or visit http://www.lowemuseum.org.
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EVENTS:
Lecture by Sandy Skoglund
Thursday, Feb 18th from 7-8 pm
Storer Auditorium (5250 University Drive, Coral Gables campus)
A reception, underwritten by HSBC Private Bank, will follow at the Lowe from 8-9 pm
$10 Admission; Free for Lowe Members and guests of HSBC
RSVP: 305.284.5960
Media Contacts:
Gita Shonek, Lowe Art Museum
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
305.284.5422
Elizabeth Amore, University of Miami
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
305.284.5500
