Museum Of Contemporary Art Announces Openings Of Jim Nutt And Adrian Piper Projects

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA), Chicago, opens two new exhibitions featuring internationally renowned painter Jim Nutt, and pioneer of Conceptual and Performance art Adrian Piper. Both run from March 27 through May 31, 1999.

"The Jim Nutt exhibition offers the first opportunity in a decade to view this artist's output in real depth. Nutt's jewel-like paintings with their sharp edges and hard surfaces and subtle, shifting colors demand extraordinary attention from the viewer yet will also give extraordinary reward," said Lynne Warren, MCA curator of special projects. "Adrian Piper's work Cornered, on the other hand, is well-known to our audiences, as it has been a centerpiece of our Permanent Collection since its acquisition in 1990."

Jim Nutt: Portraits presents 12 paintings from a series begun by the artist at the beginning of this decade. Reminiscent of Colonial America portraiture with their stiff poses, stony expressions, and stylized painting technique, the works are not portraits in a traditional sense. They are instead anonymous female subjects whose titles Slip, Twinge, Pug, or Bowl, add to their calm, enigmatic presence. Nutt, an internationally known artist who originally emerged as part of the "Hairy Who" group of Chicago Imagists, works with tiny brushes to build multicolored layers of paint to create subtle, luminous surfaces. This exhibition is the first to feature a group of these works in Chicago, and will be accompanied by a fully-illustrated catalogue. The project will take place in the Museum's fourth floor Cohen Gallery. Jim Nutt: Portraits is generously supported by Ruth Horwich.

MEDI(t)Ations: Adrian Piper's Videos. Installations. Performances, and Soundworks 1968-1992, offers a rare opportunity to view this seminal contemporary artist's contribution to the history of media and time-based art. In the twenty-five year period featured in the exhibition, Piper-a pioneer of Conceptual and Performance art-has gained a reputation as one of America's premier artists. Known for her politically-charged viewpoint, Piper deals with difficult matters of racism, racial stereotyping, and xenophobia.

Cornered, a piece from the MCA's Collection that address racial and sexual stereotypes will be included in the installation.

Trained as a philosopher, the artist applies her analytical approach to create artworks that attempt to restructure the viewer's perceptions. Piper has stated, "MEDI(t)Ations plays on this dual way in which my work functions: both meditatively-in drawing the listener's or viewer's attention to what is occurring in the immediate present, and interactively as a mediation between oppositional voices and stances." The audio and video works will be featured in the Museum's third floor Sternberg Family Electronic Gallery, the video gallery and the Susman lounge.

Jim Nutt: Portraits is organized by MCA Curator of Special Projects Lynne Warren. MEDI(t)Ations: Adrian Piper's Videos. Installations. Performances, and Soundworks 1968-1992 is organized by independent curator Dara Meyers-Kingsley and is distributed by the Video Data Bank. Tape restoration courtesy VidiPax(TM), New York. The MCA presentation is coordinated by MCA Curator of Special Projects Lynne Warren.

The Museum of Contemporary Art is a non-profit tax-exempt organization. The MCA's exhibitions, programming and operations are member supported and privately funded through contributions from individuals, corporations, and foundations. Additional support is provided through the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and by American Airlines, the official airline of the Museum of Contemporary Art. The MCA is located at 220 E. Chicago Avenue. one block east of Michigan Avenue. The MCA's new building and sculpture garden began regular public hours in July 1996. Effective January I, 1999, the museum is open on Tuesday, Thursday. Friday. Saturday and Sunday from 10a.m. to 5p.m. and Wednesday from 10a.m. to 8p.m. The museum is closed Monday. Suggested general admission $6.50, and $4.00 for students and seniors. Members and children 12 years of age and under are admitted free. Admission is free on the first Tuesday of the month. Information about MCA exhibitions, programs, and special events is available on the MCA website at http://www.mcachicago.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Sheila O'Neil: 312-397-3833
Sally Blanks: 312-397-3834