Come as You Are – Art of the 1990s

Alex Bag, video still from “Untitled Fall 95.” From “Come As You Are: Art of the 1990s." Alex Bag (born 1969, USA) Untitled Fall 95, 1995 57 min, color, sound Courtesy of Team Gallery and Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York Alex Bag
Alex Bag, video still from “Untitled Fall 95.” From “Come As You Are: Art of the 1990s.”
Alex Bag (born 1969, USA)
Untitled Fall 95, 1995
57 min, color, sound
Courtesy of Team Gallery and Electronic Arts
Intermix (EAI), New York
Alex Bag

Running from February 21 – May 15, 2016 at Austin’s Blanton Museum of Art is a survey of contemporary art from the 1990s. This is actually the first major museum exhibit to historicize this transitional decade. Over 50 artists are represented, spanning the gamut from installation, video art, painting, photography, sculpture and early internet art. This is truly a showcase not to miss.

From the fall of the Berlin Wall to Sept. 11, the artists capture a time of enormous socio-economic, political and cultural change. Among the appearing artists are: Alex Bag, Glenn Ligon, Doug AitkenShirin Neshat, Gabriel Orozco, Donald MoffettShahzia SikanderCatherine Opie, Felix Gonzalez-Torres,and Kara Walker.  

The 90’s were time of radical identity politics, steeped in the AIDS crisis, events like the Rodney King riots, and the rise of the Internet. It was a time of “culture wars” which impacted creative freedom as well as a time when global expansionism and digital technology forever altered both production and the art market. 

Additionally the Blanton will be screening:

Matthew Barney: The CREMASTER Cycle

Tuesday, March 15–Saturday, March 1912 noon

as well as the following films:

Come as You Are: Films of the 1990s

Sundays, April 3 – May 1 | 1 p.m.

April 3: Party Girl (1995) starring Parker Posey, capturing the 90’s NY party scene.

April 10: Safe (1995) starring Julianne Moore, a comment on suburbia.

April 17: How to Survive a Plague (2012) + “Untitled” (Felix Gonzalez-Torres)  A documentary on Act-Up and AIDS.

April 24: Hackers (1995) A film about teenage hackers starring a young Angelina Jolie.

May 1: The Glass Shield (1994)  A film starring Ice Cube and Lori Petty about race and the LA Police.

 

And lastly, what would the early 90’s have been without mix-tapes? (Yes, for those of us geezers we were making mixed tapes back in the 80’s and earlier…but this is a fun interactive piece). The Blanton will be checking out walkman cassette players with 90’s mixed tapes! Plus, if you submit your own 90’s playlists you can earn free admission: 

 

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