Louise Nevelson (American, 1899-1988)
Reflections IV, 1983
Color etching, aquatint, and screenprint
49.25 x 40.25 in in
Gift of Carol Quillen, Davidson College President, and George McLendon
I first learned about Louise Nevelson’s works in Dr. Shaw Smith’s “Contemporary Art History” course. In the course, we focused on Nevelson’s assemblage sculptures, which place random items into grids, exploring order vs. chaos. We unpacked a lot of ideas when studying Nevelson’s monochrome sculptures, including synecdoche, a priori thinking, and oculesics. When viewing these works on the floor to ceiling projection in the Katherine and Tom Belk Visual Arts Center, what struck me the most, however, was Nevelson’s ability to divert from the individual object, instead focusing on the sculptural environments as a whole.
In addition to her large body of sculptural works, Nevelson also produced an equally impressive collection of etchings and works on paper. These works offer a greater glimpse into the artist’s career. Though different in medium, Reflections IV acts in a similar manner as her sculptures. Like her assemblages, combining different shapes and textures, Nevelson creates order out of what could be perceived as chaos, producing new and unexpected compositions on paper. The various colors and textures combine to create a piece that, indeed, invites pause for reflection and contemplation.
Nevelson is a world-renowned artist known for her massive, monochromatic sculptures. Born in Russia, she moved to the United States at an early age. She attended the Arts Student League in New York City before studying with abstract expressionist, Hans Hoffmann, and prominent 20th century artist, Diego Rivera. Her first solo show was at the Nierendorf Gallery in New York City in 1941, and since, her work has been shown across the world and is held in the collections of many institutions.
Emilie Hoke ‘21