Alluding To….Selections from the Collection

On view in the Upper Gallery and Mezzanine through September 18, 2022

The Art Museum of South Texas’s Permanent Collection has legs. This is to say the collection has a foundation that began with gifts, which provided the art museum art and the opportunity to acquire art for the permanent collection. Over the years these gifts from people, foundations, corporations, businesses and from the artists themselves, have provided the framework for a collection that is always on view, in one form or another. Over time and through the mission we start to see the development of a body of art that tells the story of the institution where the work is housed.

By examining what we see in a work of art, we can discern what the work is, what it can say, and perhaps even what it means. By first examining what there is to see, what is it made of and by whom there is a great deal to be gleaned from the art and the instructive label.

Who made it?

Where is the artist from?

What is the title if there is a title?

What is the work made from and when?

How did the museum come to own it?

The works of art in the Upper Gallery and the Mezzanine are works that came into the collection as early as 1977 and as recently as 2021. These works coming into the collection are the result of people who understood the Art Museum of South Texas began collecting art in its early days, beginning with works on paper, until that time when larger works were offered and acquired. The museum label tells us all of these details, such as who is the artist, when it was completed, what is it called (or not called) , and from who did the artwork come from. Labels give context for historical reference and how the work of art came to be here.

Each artist is represented by one or in a few cases two works from a series. Each has a story or experience to relay. Consider the material, how would it be described to someone who has not seen it, what makes the adjectives come to mind? All of this alludes to meaning and why a work of art is created.

As one example: It is 1970 and an artist has used their source material to pool and layer polyurethane foam creating a floor dependent series. This work has limited color range and its appearance belies what it is. It appears soft and oozing, and yet it is solid, it looks weighty and yet it is light, the overall appearance suggests an organic quality buy the material is synthetic.  Lynda Benglis pushed the medium in this free-form approach to create this work for which she is perhaps best known.

Accessibility Information

Photo Restriction: Photography allowed in the exhibition (no flash, no tripods)
Touch Restriction: Non-touch exhibition
Exhibition Language(s): English
Potential Challenges for Visitors With:

• Young Children – Artwork includes nudity
• Dyslexia – Artwork includes cursive handwriting

Other Notes:
Exhibition galleries are accessible by stairs and elevator.

For questions or more information, please contact: clayton.reuter@tamucc.edu