The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is proud and excited to present a special revolving exhibition, Wobble – Selections from the Permanent Collection, which will open September 15 and run through November 20, 2020.
Installation photos can be viewed on Flickr.com.
Contemporary art is not unlike planet earth in that it also survives opposing forces, resulting in a wobble effect, scientifically known as axial precession. Artists inherently produce differing “gravitational pulls” which manifest in diverse cultural aesthetics. This new exhibition of works from the SMGA Permanent Collection bears this out, as visitors will experience a broad range of expression and sensibilities in the featured works.
The Permanent Collection dates to the 1950s and currently numbers over 1,600 works of modern and contemporary works on paper, photography, prints, paintings and small sculptures by international, national and regional artists.
“Wobble is not about a particular work,” explained exhibitions coordinator Vicki Rial, “but refers to the diverse works in the SMGA Permanent Collection. Methodology, execution, thought processes, personal interests, all contribute to the works of art in this exhibition.”
Rial, whose close study of the Permanent Collection stretches back two decades, added that her new favorite piece in the exhibition is a print – aquatint etching and drypoint – by the Pop Art painter and printmaker Edward Ruscha, titled Clown Speedo.
“It’s familiar, yet unfamiliar,” she noted. “The title is kind of humorous to me, and the image is of an odometer and a speedometer of yesteryear. It reminds me of the one in my dad’s old truck. The color is really nice, too.”
Visit the gallery this semester to look at art, for a class or just a quiet, meditative respite from the outside world. The public is encouraged to return several times to the gallery, as the works on display will change throughout the semester. “If you come into the gallery every three weeks,” Rial said, “there will be something new to see.”
New hours beginning in September 2020 are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., and 1:00–4:30 p.m. For further information, contact the gallery at (205) 348-1891 or go to the website.
Visiting the SMGA During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The Sarah Moody Gallery of Art is an essential part of the education and development of UA students and our community. The gallery is open to the public with reduced capacity. Visitors must wear face coverings inside the gallery and maintain a minimum distance of six feet from others. The gallery is limited to fifteen (15) visitors at a time. Have questions or need assistance? Call (205) 348-1891.
Funding support for the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art comes from the department of art and art history and the College of Arts and Sciences. Additional support comes from the Farley Moody Galbraith Endowed Exhibition Fund. Admission to the gallery is free. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m., and 1:00–4:30 p.m., when school is in session. The gallery is located at 103 Garland Hall in the heart of UA campus on Woods Quad. Information about visitor parking is available on the UA Parking Services website. Parking is free on campus in a legal space after business hours. For further information, contact the gallery at 348-1891 or visit the gallery’s website.