Video
 Walker ChannelArtist Chris Larson talks
about Unnamed, his site-specific installation built for the
exhibition. more >>
Photos
 Flickr GroupSee Spectacular of
Vernacular installation views (and more) more >>
Articles & Reviews "There
are several Minnesota artists in the show, but nothing so cornball as P.B.
and the Babe. Instead there is a distinctively Midwestern closet-sculpture
by Siah Armajani and three massive bas-relief tableaux by Aaron Spangler,
beautifully carved with farm equipment, patriotic symbols and muscular
WPA-style motifs."-- Star Tribune more >>"Taken together, the
exhibit is a thoughtful meditation on ideas of home, love, comfort,
tradition, simplicity, and rustic, uncomplicated
pleasure."-- Mpls.St.Paul Magazine more >>"The show isn't
kidding when it uses the word 'spectacular' in its title... Many of the
pieces have the capacity to astonish."-- MinnPost more >>
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"...A cheerful, poignant, sometimes humorous and occasionally
sharp-edged reflection of contemporary life"--Star
Tribune
Embracing the rustic and humbly homemade as well as
street spectacle and commercial culture, this new exhibition examines the
role of vernacular forms in works that incorporate--and often revel
in--craft, folklore, and roadside kitsch. |
 The
Spectacular of Vernacular
On view through May
8
Inspired by artist Mike Kelley's observation that "the
mass art of today is the folk art of tomorrow," The Spectacular of
Vernacular features some 40 works by more than two dozen contemporary
artists, which run the aesthetic gamut: the hand-crafted work of Aaron
Spangler juxtaposes with Lari Pittman's carnivalesque day-glo paintings;
Marc Swanson's glittering trophy heads with Rachel Harrison's urban relics.
Also on view are photographs from William Eggleston and Shannon Ebner, who
both revel in the signage and other elements of roadside
culture.
Focusing on pieces made since the 1970s, the exhibition
shows how the vernacular, in its very ubiquity--its integration into home
life, social rituals, and sense of place--is an ongoing fascination for
artists. With artworks that draw from such diverse sources as local
architecture, amateur photographs, and handmade domestic items, it's
suggestive of a long, meandering road trip through the emblems and eyesores
of everyday culture, replete with tourist destinations and outmoded hotels.
read more >>
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Related
Events
 March
13: Jim Shaw
Mack Lecture
Join artist Jim Shaw and chief
curator Darsie Alexander for a lively discussion about kitsch and art,
thrift stores, music, and the Midwest. read more >>
|
 April
9: MN Made
Special Event
Try your hand at seed art or get
the basic knitting lesson you've always wanted at this all-day showcase of
Minnesotan creativity. Shop the MN Made Artist Mart, get crafty during
hourly, hands-on workshops, and learn about building a creative business.
read more >>
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Exhibition
Catalogue
Text by
Darsie Alexander, Andy Sturdevant, John Brinckerhoff Jackson
This
fully-illustrated catalogue includes an essay by exhibition curator Darsie
Alexander exploring artists' interest in the vernacular as a means to
address aspects of folk ritual, amateur craft and sense of place in their
work; a reprint of John Brinckerhoff Jackson's "Vernacular" from his
seminal 1984 reader Discovering the Vernacular Landscape; and a reflection
by artist and curator Andy Sturdevant on the evolution of roadside
vernacular, and attendant histories of heartland America where it is so
abundant. Also included is a reading list gathered from a cross section of
art criticism and cultural studies.
Available from the Walker Shop.
read more >>
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The Spectacular of Vernacular is made possible by generous
support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Helen and
Peter Warwick, and the Margaret and Angus Wurtele Family Foundation.
Sponsor
Additional support is provided by Accenture and Briggs
and Morgan, P.A. Media partner Mpls.St.Paul
Magazine.
Hotel partners
 
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Walker Art Center Premier
Partners
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