With a Power Puff Girls piece on display and an up-and-coming artist prepped to discuss her works, the Institute of Contemporary Art had everything it needed to open a new exhibition two weeks ago.
"Sometimes you have to go back to go forward," said artist Polly Apfelbaum referring to a sign she saw in the New York Subway. She used the saying on Wednesday July 9 to describe the work that went into the exhibition that is currently in the galleries of the Institute for Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania.
Apfelbaum, a graduate of the Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia -- whose works have been shown in such prestigious galleries as the Whitney, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago -- gave a lecture accompanied by slides that detailed the last fifteen years of her work.
Apfelbaum's art consists of what she calls "fallen paintings." According to The Gallery Notes for the exhibition, these are "cut from fabric and arranged on the floor [and are] pulsing with color and with the energy of lines, drips, stains, pours, and other mark's of the artist's hand, they also have all the hallmarks of painting."
"I love the idea of just throwing things on the floor, the sensuality of painting," Apfelbaum said of her art. "I thought it was wonderful that color could be shocking."
According to John McInerney, manager of marketing and communications for the ICA, the museum has been wanting to bring Apfelbaum to the ICA for a long time. "It's great for us that it [the exhibition] is on both floors because it's such a large scale survey. It's often difficult to put so many pieces in one show," he said.
"The show took about two weeks to put together," said Apfelbaum.
Following the lecture was a showing of Michelangelo Antonioni's film, Zabriskie Point, which is the basis for many of Apfelbaum's works and titles.
"Antonioni is an incredible colorist," Apfelbaum said. "The film is about how Antonioni looked at America in the 1970's which was a highly confused time with a lot of vulnerability and taking of chances. There was a lot of tie-dye and flat color. Sometimes I think that art tries to behave itself too much and I love this crazy excess," she said.
Some of Apfelbaum's most notable pieces include the Power-Puff pieces, based on the modern day cartoon The Power Puff Girls. "They are clich‚s of color in animation and cartooning. I love the idea that you can be strong and cute and kick-ass," Apfelbaum said.
One hundred and four different colors of fabric surround each of the three Power Puff Girls, Bubbles, Blossom, and Buttercup. Blossom is currently on display in the gallery.
Max Nachman, a pre-college student at the University of Pennsylvania, found the Power Puff piece to be especially interesting, calling the work "an exciting interpretation of everyday events and objects."
Apfelbaum's art portrays many different themes. "When I wanted to bring in pop ideals, I was thinking a lot about other painters and sculptors. Over the years I've wanted to see how far and in how many different contexts I could be; how many different ways can you think about something?" she said.
Apfelbaum's work will remain on display until July 27.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
