News
University of Richmond Museums
Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art * Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center
Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature
Richmond, Virginia 23173
http://museums.richmond.edu

Contacts: Heather Campbell, Curator of Museum Programs, University Museums,
804-287-6324, hcampbel@richmond.edu or Brian Eckert, Director of Media and
Public Relations, 804-287-6659, beckert@richmond.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 7, 2010

THE UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND MUSEUMS OPENS TWO EXHIBITIONS
BY AMERICAN ARTIST TOMÁS LASANSKY
AT THE JOEL AND LILA HARNETT MUSEUM OF ART

Tomás Lasansky: Icons and Muses
October 3 to December 5, 2010

Lincoln 1861 - 1865: A Print Series by Tomás Lasansky
October 3, 2010 to June 26, 2011

Tomás Lasansky: Icons and Muses on view in the Harnett Museum of Art, October
3 to December 5, 2010, features the work of Tomás Lasansky (American, born
1957), a contemporary artist who lives and works in Iowa City.  In his
paintings, prints, and drawings, he creates large, expressive, and colorful
portraits of iconic figures from history and popular culture, such as Albert
Einstein, Geronimo, Abraham Lincoln, Pablo Picasso, and his own personal
muses.  Son of the renowned printmaker Mauricio Lasansky, the artist has been
profoundly influenced by his enthusiasm for history and for significant
figures of the past, in particular great leaders, Native Americans, artists,
and thinkers.

Tomás Lasansky, the youngest of six children, grew up in an artistic family. 
His father Mauricio (American, born Argentina 1914), the founder of the Iowa
Print Group at the University of Iowa and considered one of the greatest
printmakers and art educators of his generation, imparted the meticulous
skills and discipline of drawing and printmaking to his children.  Tomás
Lasansky earned his BFA, MA, and MFA from the University of Iowa.  His work
has been included in more than one hundred and twenty exhibitions; thirty of
which have been one-person exhibitions.  The artist has received more than
forty-five awards and his work is included in approximately forty public
collections internationally including the Lincoln Presidential Library and
Museum, Springfield, IL; New York Public Library, Prints Collection; Joel and
Lila Harnett Print Study Center, University of Richmond Museums; Virginia
Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VA; and the United States Embassy: Vienna,
Austria; Suva, Fiji; among others.

The exhibition features more than twenty works including drawings, acrylic
paintings, collage, etchings, and intaglio prints. Highlights include
portraits of Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Abraham Lincoln, Geronimo, and
Lasansky family members. Lasansky's first major work Portrait at Twenty-one,
1979, illustrates his skills with the traditional use of intaglio printmaking,
drawing, and painting that give depth and sensitivity to his work.  His
portraits have been described as "well-articulated, persuasive images.  They
are not only visually attractive, but they are also compelling psychological
portraits, intimating the inner life of the subject," according to Joseph S.
Czestochowski from his essay in the accompanying book, Tomás Lasansky: Icons
and Muses, published by 4 Peaks Press.

For more than a decade, Lasansky has been influenced by American history and
in particular the legacy of Native Americans.  He states, "Even as a youngster
I saw the American Indians as strong, fiercely independent, and loyal to their
beliefs and traditions."  He continues by saying, "Of course, when I learned
about their history, the greater my empathy and passion became for their way
of life. The insensitivity and injustice that have been perpetuated on these
people is a ghost that still lingers for me."

Also on view is Lincoln 1861 - 1865: A Print Series by Tomás Lasansky, October
3, 2010, to June 26, 2011, in the Booth Lobby Gallery of the Harnett Museum of
Art.  Starting in 2006, Lasansky created a series of prints featuring Abraham
Lincoln's profile as well as interpretations of other famous depictions of the
president at different stages of his life and career.  The large image of
Lincoln resembles the famous portrait of the president taken by American
photographer Mathew Brady in 1864. The photograph was later used by American
sculptor Victor David Brenner as the model for the profile he designed for the
obverse side of the penny, first minted with Lincoln's image in 1909.

For his Lincoln prints, Lasansky employed four copper sheets featuring
Lincoln's profile in each piece, using different colors, orders, and
backgrounds with hand additions of painting and drawing. With these
manipulations, the artist explored the conventions of portraiture and iconic
imagery, as well as the role that color and texture play in providing
intensity and sentiment.

Both exhibitions were organized by the University of Richmond Museums and
curated by Richard Waller, Executive Director, University Museums, in
collaboration with the artist.  The accompanying book, Tomás Lasansky: Icons
and Muses, published by 4 Peaks Press, is available for purchase at the
University Museums.

Programming

Sunday, October 3, 2010, 1-3 p.m.
Artist's reception and preview of Tomás Lasansky: Icons and Muses and
Lincoln 1861 - 1865: A Print Series by Tomás Lasansky
Harnett Museum of Art, Modlin Center for the Arts

All programs are free and open to the public.

Note: Images for press are available by contacting Heather Campbell,
804-287-6324 or hcampbel@richmond.edu

University of Richmond Museums comprises the Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of
Art, the Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center, and the Lora Robins Gallery
of Design from Nature. Admission to all museums is free and open to the
public. For group visits and tours, please call 804-287-6424 at least two
weeks prior to your visit for reservations. Call 804-289-8276 for information
and directions or visit our website at museums.richmond.edu

The Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art is located in the George M. Modlin
Center for the Arts. Museum hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 1 to 5 pm. Closed
Fall Break (10/9-12), Football Gamedays (10/23, 11/6, 11/13, and 12/4),
Thanksgiving Week (11/20-29), Semester Break (12/6-1/10/11), and Spring Break
(3/5-14/11) .

The Joel and Lila Harnett Print Study Center is also located in the George M.
Modlin Center for the Arts. Museum hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 1 to 3
pm., and by appointment (804-287-6424). Closed same schedule as above.

The Lora Robins Gallery of Design from Nature is located in a separate wing of
the Boatwright Memorial Library with its entrance on Richmond Way. Museum
hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11am to 5pm; Saturday and Sunday, 1 to 5 pm.
Closed Fall Break (10/9-12), Football Gamedays (10/23, 11/6, 11/13, and 12/4),
Thanksgiving Week (11/20-29), Semester Break (12/13/10-1/3/11), and Spring
Break (3/5-14/11).