Drawing the World: Masters to Hipsters opened at the Vancouver Art Gallery on June 28, with works that stretch the parameters of drawing from masters of the Italian Renaissance to new work by LA hipsters. This monumental project spans 500 years and explores the rich and diverse worlds of drawing, bringing to Vancouver over 400 works from diverse cultural traditions east to west, north to south.
Drawing the World: Masters to Hipsters incorporates four distinct historical collections and a contemporary exhibition:
· Italian Drawings from the National Gallery of Canada;
· Power and Desire: South Asian Paintings from the San Diego Museum of Art, Edwin Binney 3rd Collection
· Where the River Widens, Drawings by Baker Lake Artists;
· Nk’Mip Chronicles: Drawings from the Osoyoos Museum; and,
· For the Record: Drawing Contemporary Life.
“We are pleased to present for the first time in Vancouver works by major international artists including Raymond Pettibon’s installation from Documenta 2002,” said Kathleen Bartels, Director, Vancouver Art Gallery. “We will also present new works created specifically for this exhibition by Xu Bing, Dave Muller, Natasha McHardy and Elizabeth MacKenzie.”
While painting has dominated the visual arts for centuries, and photo-based art has become the rising star of recent decades, drawing has continued to be an essential art form in its own right. Not only is drawing the foundation of all visual arts, it continues to develop as a unique medium with a seemingly unlimited capacity to communicate and inspire. It is timely to consider the history and current practice of drawing, how it depicts diverse worlds, tells a story and communicates ideas.
IMAGE:
Bernardino Poccetti
Seated Angel, c1610
red chalk
National Gallery of Canada
Photo by National Gallery of Canada
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