The Impact of African Arts, Anthropology, and Photography on the Works of Alberto Giacometti — By Kristen Windmuller-Luna, Curator of African Arts Sometimes when I walk through the CMA’s galleries, I see someone with a sketchbook drawing a sculpture. What is lost — and what is gained — as they translate its three dimensions into two, moving the work from pedestal to paper? I’ve also…

By Amanda Mikolic, Curatorial Assistant — By Amanda Mikolic, Curatorial Assistant New in gallery 231 is Devil Fish, a stonecut print by Alec (Peter) Aliknak Banksland (1928–1998); Aliknak, who preferred to be called by his Inuit name, spent most of his life in Ulukhaktok (previously Holman), a village north of the Arctic Circle in Canada’s Northwest…

A Close Reading of a Japanese Painting — By Sinéad Vilbar, CMA Curator of Japanese Art Literature was a major component of entertainment in Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868). In the new rotation of the CMA’s Japanese art galleries, many of the works relate to poetry, novels, and theatrical performances. Literature provided people with a common culture for conversations…

Unearthing Natural Pigments in the CMA’s Collection — By Katie Rovito, third Year Graduate Intern in Paintings Conservation, and Elena Mars, Samuel H. Kress Fellow in Objects Conservation at the CMA Throughout history, artists have used earth’s natural resources to create works of art. These can come from a variety of sources including rocks, minerals, clays, and even…

By Susan Bergh, Curator of Pre-Columbian and Native North American Art and Amanda Mikolic, Curatorial Assistant — By Susan Bergh, Curator of Pre-Columbian and Native North American Art and Amanda Mikolic, Curatorial Assistant In 2012, Dr. Paúl Velazco, a Peruvian mammologist who serves as a visiting assistant professor at Arcadia University and research associate at New York’s American Museum of Natural History, collected two bats of a…

By Sydney Slacas, Curatorial Intern in Contemporary Art — By Sydney Slacas, Curatorial Intern in Contemporary Art The contemporary art galleries at the CMA host a rich body of work that challenges viewers to conceptualize diverse ways of representing the figure, visualizing the world around us, and exploring the vast possibilities of abstraction. The collection will continue to spark…

By Adrienne Gendron, Gradutate Intern in Objects Conservation at the CMA — By Adrienne Gendron, Gradutate Intern in Objects Conservation at the CMA Few materials embody luxury more completely than mother-of-pearl and gold. This mother-of-pearl fan is composed of 19 slats with gold-colored inlay and cutout designs featuring butterflies and flowers (fig. 1). The fan was made by René Lalique, a French…

Alberto Giacometti’s Inspiration from the Swiss Alps — By William H. Robinson, CMA Senior Curator of Modern Art Although Alberto Giacometti is widely associated with avant-garde culture in France, his early life and ties to his native Switzerland also had an enduring impact on his art. He was born in Borgonovo, Switzerland, and grew up in nearby Stampa…

A Spotlight on Beads Creating the “Black Pixel” — By CMA Curator Key Jo Lee with Artist Felandus Thames Currents & Constellations: Black Art in Focus features 25 unique works created by 19 artists of the Black diaspora who are brought together to broaden a sense of Black artistic production, place Black art and artists at the center of…