WASHINGTON, DC.- The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has announced the acquisition of 30 major new works, including a significant gift from the former Corcoran Gallery of Art. The collection of works from the Corcoran represents a number of seminal figures in contemporary art, including Sam Gilliam, Robert Gober, Petah Coyne and Harvey Quaytman, among others. Additionally, after overwhelmingly successful exhibitions in 2018, works by artists Charline von Heyl and Georg Baselitz will also enter the collection, rounding out the museums holdings in contemporary German and American painting.
The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., was founded in 1869 as one of the first fine art galleries in the country; upon its closing in 2014, the Gallerys collection of 17,000 works was placed under the care of the National Gallery of Art, with the intention that the majority of its holdings would be distributed among peer institutions. As part of this initiative, the Hirshhorn will inherit a grouping of 10 works of key significance throughout the latter part of the 20th century, which will build upon the existing strengths of the museums collection in postwar abstract painting, print-making, conceptual photography and sculpture.
Were so pleased to begin the year by welcoming 30 incredible works into the Hirshhorns collection, said Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu. The gift from the Corcoran is particularly special, allowing the museum to continue the legacy of the former institution, building upon our current holdings of some of the foremost artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
As part of the Corcoran gift, two major works by the pioneering Color Field painter Gilliam will join the Hirshhorns current holdings of the artists work. Light Depth (1969), which has particular significance in Washington, D.C., was commissioned by the Corcoran on the occasion of the gallerys 1969 exhibition. The piece responded directly to the buildings architecture, bridging two connected walls with a gentle curve in between. The second work entering the collection, Level One (1994) is a later work from Gilliams Rake series and features a dynamic and richly textured surface of thickly layered paint.
American sculptor Coyne, best known for her dense, material-rich oeuvre that demonstrate an almost baroque sensibility of form, creates works that are infused with personal histories, such as film and literary references in addition to everyday life. Untitled #785 (1994) was created during a period when Coyne worked with a specially-formulated white wax. Greek-born, American artist Chryssa was a pioneer in the field of light sculpture. Her work Clytemnestra (1967) consists of eight concentric neon forms, intended to evoke several performances by other artists that the Chryssa had experienced herself. Additionally, Liz Deschenes photograph Beppu (1996-1997) is part of an early series of images produced in the Japanese resort town of Beppu, on the island of Kyushi. The work demonstrates the artists unique investigation of a traditional artistic formats, such as landscape.
Other acquisitions from the Corcoran include Quaytmans Blue Butter (1969-70), an imposing early work that incorporates a painted, wing-shaped canvas and a wall-mounted brace comprising two L-shaped brackets installed back-to-back. The piece remains loyal to Quaytmans practice of modernist abstraction, creating a large arrangement that overwhelms viewers both in stature and presence. Jill Sanborns Lux, Lux, Lux (1990) connects several interweaving themes of the Washington-based artists oeuvre, including light projection, code and the natural world. In this work, a ceiling-mounted light projector casts text over the surface of a small, upright block of petrified wood, combining the artists interest in nature and artifice.
Lastly, three lithographs by the iconic American artist Gober, all entitled Untitled (2000), will be acquired from the Corcorans collection. Working across various media, including sculpture, photography, drawing and printmaking, his works often focus on overlooked objects of the everyday. These works include a number of longstanding motifs Gober has returned to again and again throughout his career: the drain, text and the prison window, a small window set high on a wall with bars at the front and a blue sky visible below.
Additional works entering the collection include Moath Alofis, Mihlaiel (2018) and The Last Tashahhub (2017); Dana Awartanis I went away and forgot you. A while ago I remembered. I remembered Id forgotten you. I was dreaming. (2017) and Listen to My Words (2018); Georg Baselitzs Zero Ende (Zero End) (2013) and Untitled (2018); Zhang Dalis 2001 41A (2001); Jessica Diamonds T.V. Telepathy (Black and White Version) (1989); Zhang Huans Untitled (2006); Yayoi Kusamas Pumpkin (2016); Tony Lewis Anthology 2014-2016 (2014-2016); Helen Martens Evian Disease (2012); Ahmed Maters The Empty Land (2012); Donald Moffetts He Kills Me (1987); Jill Mulleadys Mother Sucker (2017); Shirin Neshats Untitled from the series Rapture (1999); José Santos IIIs The Order of Things (no. 3) (2017); Avery Singers Untitled (2016); Charline von Heyls Mana Hatta (2018); and Tsuruko Yamazakis Work (1957).
This series of acquisitions represents an important moment for the Hirshhorn. With works that both demonstrate and reflect upon the artists contributions to the discourse of contemporary art, to works that provide opportunities to further build upon pivotal moments in art history, these acquisitions within the context of the Hirshhorns collection will continue to examine and shape the ways in which art can speak to the greatest issues of our time.