‘Elephants’ among works in ‘Animal Meet Human’
Photo Courtesy ArtPrize/Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
“Elephants” by Adonna Khare, detail from the 2012 carbon pencil on paper, 89 feet, 7/8 inches by 32 feet, 3 inches. “Elephants” is now part of the Crystal Bridges permanent collection and is on show for the first time there in “Animal Meet Human.”
“It’s massive. It towers over you.”
That’s the first thing viewers will notice about “Elephants,” Adonna Khare’s massive 40-foot-long pencil drawing. On show at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art for the first time in a temporary exhibit, “Animal Meet Human,” the 2012 work is a new addition to the museum’s permanent collection, says Alejo Benedetti, assistant curator. It was a gift from ArtPrize, an international art competition in Grand Rapids, Mich., where it was winner of the Public Vote Grand Prize, but Khare is no stranger to the museum. She was one of the artists featured in Crystal Bridges’ 2014 “State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now” exhibition and will return Aug. 11 for a gallery conversation about her work.
“‘Elephants’ is really exciting because of the scale of it,” Benedetti enthuses. “It’s by far and away the largest drawing we have in our collection, and it’s a very important work in her career.”
A center wall was removed in the gallery to allow an unobstructed view of the drawing, he adds, but that doesn’t mean it’s meant to be viewed only from a distance.
“You can stand at the other side and try to take it all in, but it’s also the sort of work that pulls you in because she has so many small details in there,” he says. “Once you start to engage with the work, it’s a fascinating line she walks.”
Also on display through Oct. 30 are Andy Warhol’s colorful “Endangered Species” (1983), a print series that includes 10 images of various animals; a rare collection of sketches by modern dance choreographer and innovator Merce Cunningham, “Untitled Assorted Animals” (1980); and Helen Frankenthaler’s “The Bullfight” (1958), all part of the permanent collection and being exhibited for the first time.
FAQ
‘Animal Meet Human’
WHEN — Through Oct. 30
WHERE — Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville
COST — Free
INFO — 657-2335 or crystalbridges.org
