http://www.palmermuseum.psu.edu/exhibitions.html

Archipenko: A Modern Legacy
September 22–December 13, 2015

Archipenko: A Modern Legacy is a major retrospective of the life and work of Alexander Archipenko, a pioneering figure in the history of modern sculpture. Born in the Ukraine and active in European avant-garde circles in the early decades of the twentieth century, Archipenko revolutionized and reinvigorated sculpture by reintroducing color, incorporating negative space, and integrating mixed media.

The exhibition spans Archipenko’s long career and will feature some fifty sculptures, mixed-media reliefs, and works on paper. Drawn from museum collections as well as private holdings, the exceptional objects chosen for this exhibition convey the richness of Archipenko’s vision.

Building on his rich experience in Europe, Archipenko immigrated to the United States in 1923 and pursued a lifelong affair with the figurative form during his forty-year career in this country, where he continued to use the abstracted figure as a carrier for sculptural innovation. Carefully selected works, made in America, will offer new insight into Archipenko’s practice: he explored lead casting, electroplating, and polychrome patina; refined ceramic as sculptural medium, finding complex ways of treating its surface; experimented with reflective and shiny materials, including mirrors and mother-of-pearl; and introduced non-traditional art materials such as Plexiglas and Bakelite, all the while engaging creative tools from the past and the present to foster artistic innovation.

Never-before-exhibited objects from the artist’s archives, including annotated photographs of sculptures, sketches, installation views, patent drawings for his “Archipentura” machine, and lecture transcripts, will offer an unprecedented view into the artist’s creative process and philosophy.

Archipenko: A Modern Legacy was organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Archipenko Foundation.

For more on events related to the exhibition, see here