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Seen In Storage: Raymond Pettibon

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June 2nd, 2022

Raymond Pettibon
Raymond Pettibon (American, b. 1957)Untitled (However Vast), 2007Print33.375 x 25.125 inGift of John Andrew MacMahon '95 However vast the “outer space” may be, yet with all its sidereal distances it hardlybears comparison with the dimensions, with the depth dimensions of our inner being, which doesnot even need the spaciousness of the universe to be within itself almost unfathomable. Thus, ifthe dead, if those who are to come, need an abode, what refuge could be more agreeable andappointed for them than this imaginary space? I rarely find words to be integral to an illustration, but here they are compositionally and conceptually core...
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Seen on Campus: A Shatter of Camellia Blooms Arranged Themselves over Tom’s Face

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May 27th, 2022

Raymond Grubb,
Raymond Grubb (American, b. 1952)A Shatter of Camellia Blooms Arranged Themselves over Tom's Face, 202023 x 17 inArchival ink jet printGallery Purchase A man sits — or perhaps lounges — on the ground, leaning against a rusted bench. Vibrant pink Camellia flowers lay across the man’s face. Vines and branches growing with green leaves curl up around the bench, almost in active, visible motion, like they are conscious, moving in concert with Tom and creating a halo to rest on his head. He is not dressed like an angel; he is a person, just like you or me, wearing regular (albeit fancy)...
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New Acquisition: 1, from Distorted Square Within a Circle

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May 13th, 2022

Robert Mangold, 1, from Distorted Square within a Circle
Robert Mangold (American, b. 1973)1, from Distorted Square Within a Circle , 1973Screenprint in colors on Arches paper27.75 x 27.75 inGift of John Andrew MacMahon '95 Don't tell Robert Mangold that square pegs don't fit in a round hole. All jokes aside, Mangold's 1, from Distorted Square Within a Circle exemplifies the contrast and tension built upon shapes in the work. In this strikingly minimalist work, it is the square and the circle that provides the action. It begins at first glance with the perfectly proportional orange circle directly in the center of the piece. Then, as you turn your attention to...
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Artist: Mickalene Thomas

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May 5th, 2022
When Ends Meet (Condoleezza Rice), Mickalene Thomas When Ends Meet (Oprah Winfrey), Mickalene Thomas Mickalene Thomas is a New York-based artist who boldly uses enamel, acrylic, and rhinestones in her larger-than-life pieces. Often known for her portraits, Thomas' work points to identity, gender, and beauty standards. Even more specifically, how women are represented and presented in pop culture. The two portraits gifted to the college are of the most recognizable women in journalism and politics, Oprah Winfrey and Condoleezza Rice. Her use of lines and contours creates harsh expressions on both women's faces. With the addition of the costume-like "blingy"...
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Panel Discussion — “The Growth of ‘Unshadowed Land’: Welcoming Kus Back to Campus”

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April 29th, 2022
On April 19th, the VAC hosted a panel discussion titled “The Growth of ‘Unshadowed Land’: Welcoming Kus Back to Campus” on our continuing project with Indigenous artist Nicholas Galanin, “Unshadowed Land,” and our collaboration with Catawba Nation, the native people indigenous to this area. The event was sponsored by the Davidson College Farm; the Environmental Studies, Art, History, and Biology Departments; and the Van Every/Smith Galleries.  To recap, “Unshadowed Land” began in Fall 2021, when students, faculty, and community members dug the outline of the statue of Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Square, Washington D.C. w into the ground, like he’s...
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