All art is in dialogue with other art, says Wall Street Journal art critic Lance Esplund, who continues his lecture series on modern art on Thursday, Oct. 24 at the Darien Community Association.
— an announcement from the Darien Community Association
Esplund, author of The Art of Looking: How to Read Modern and Contemporary Art will start his lecture, “Navigating Contemporary Art” at 11 a.m.
“Artists might explore an ancient myth, the experience of a kiss, the disasters of war, unrequited love, or the tensions between two rectangles — but no matter what their subjects, they are all speaking with the same vocabulary and the same elements of art,” Esplund says.
What can be the conundrum of contemporary art is deconstructed under the framework that artists, whether working abstractly, representationally or conceptually—are in a constant process of revitalizing and extending the language and vocabulary of art to tell their story, and lived experience in the world.
Installation view of sculptures by Richard Serra at Dia:Beacon, New York. Richard Serra (American b. 1938)
Influenced by their intuitive absorption and direct engagement with the cultural moment in time that they live in, they create new stories for the rest of us to use as bridges to meaning and understanding in the maelstrom of confusion that can surround us.
Whether a shark floating in a glass tank of formaldehyde by Damien Hirst, or an Assyrian sculpture of a deity-king, both deal with the same elements — scale, weight, form, color, mass, texture, movement, buoyancy, contrast, energy, power, and humor. Join the conversation and ask the questions, to move yourself forward in your own understandings of art.
All lectures will be followed by a luncheon specially designed by Diane Browne Catering. The DCA’s 2019 Art Lecture Series Sponsor is DRBank, formerly Laurel Road Bank.
Single lecture with luncheon admission is $50 for DCA members, or $65 for public. Prepayment is required for all lunch reservations by noon on the Friday preceding each lecture. Lecture only (without luncheon) is $20 for DCA members, or $30 for public.
Walk-ins welcome for lecture only, however, it is recommended that reservations and payment be made 24 hours in advance to assure a seat. Register online through dariendca.org, or contact the DCA directly at info@dariendca.org or 203-655-9050 extension 10.
The DCA is located at 274 Middlesex Road in Darien. Please visit the DCA website for more info about the Art Lecture Series.