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PaperCity Dallas September 2023

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Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) and Nevelson were the only women working on sculptures of this scale during that period. What was her process in the studio? SRH: Nevelson had limited resources when she started her signature wall assemblages in the late 1950s. She collected wooden debris like furniture, crates, and cabinets from litter on New York City streets, took these found objects home, and organized them into piles. She configured these objects into crates and stacked them on one another. With her modular units, the artist could rearrange the crates until she landed on a solution that suited her eye. Nevelson painted each object and crate primarily monochromatic black, and later white or gold to unify the disparate wood fragments. During the 1950s, Nevelson probably did most of the work herself but had a live-in assistant, but by the 1960s, when Nevelson had greater financial means, she hired more assistants to help assemble large-scale works. But the vision was always Nevelson's. Why explore her work in the 2020s? SRH: Looking at the Carter's holdings by Nevelson — including an etching, her 1963 and 1967 Tamarind lithographs, and three sculptures created during different phases of her career — inspired me to dig deeper into the artist's oeuvre. As a young Jewish Ukrainian immigrant and mature working artist during the male-dominated art world of the mid-20th century, Nevelson had overcome many obstacles. I thought it was important to reclaim the depths of her contributions to American creativity and her interest in the natural environment, particularly today when conversations about immigration and the environment are contentiously ongoing. Nevelson's 20- year study of modern dance, collecting interests, travels to Mexico and Guatemala, lithographic experimentation, and awareness of the environment had not been explored in depth before. The exhibition presents a more nuanced portrait of Nevelson, featuring five thematic sections titled The Choreographer, The Visionary, The Printmaker, The Community Builder, and The Environmentalist. Through January 7, cartermuseum.org. Clockwise from top, works by Louise Nevelson: Case with Five Balusters, 1959. Lunar Landscape, 1959-1960. Night Landscape, 1955. Louise Nevelson standing in front of her artwork at Pocantico Hills, 1969. LEFT, BOTTOM © 2022 ESTATE OF LOUISE NEVELSON / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NYC IMPACT PHOTOS INC., ARCHIVES OF AMERICAN ART, SMITHSHONIAN INSTITUTION (Continued from page 88) AMON CARTER MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, LOS ANGELES WALKER ART CENTER, MINNEAPOLIS 90

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