April 25, 2004
Summit — THE exhibition ''Unveiling the Image: Multicultural Women Artists,'' at the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts here, is part of Transcultural New Jersey, the yearlong, statewide initiative promoting the work of artists of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Organized by Nancy Cohen and Denise Call, the center's staff curators, this fine, gutsy little show pairs artwork by emerging multicultural women artists with those who have achieved wider recognition.
The exhibition has its roots in a disquieting truism: Sexism, like racism, continues to cast a pall over our society. This is especially true in the art world, where women artists are under-represented in most commercial galleries, museum collections, and group exhibitions -- regardless of subject matter or the period under review. Not surprisingly, women artists of diverse cultural backgrounds have a doubly difficult time getting their work recognized.
To counter this tide of neglect, ''Unveiling the Image'' celebrates the achievements of nine talented women artists with various cultural backgrounds who have lived or worked in New Jersey over the years. Prominent among them is the African-American sculptor Chakaia Booker, 50, who cuts, rips and folds old rubber car tires into graceful yet mysterious sculptures. So well known and regarded are Ms. Booker's sculptures that she was recently honored with a mid-career retrospective at the Jersey City Museum.
...By contrast, Maria Lau and Soyoo Hyunjoo Park use their roots as a direct point of departure for their artworks. Ms. Lau, also 33, is presenting haunting photographs exploring her Chinese-Cuban ancestry, while Ms. Park, 49, has stitched and painted colorful quilts depicting the interior of her childhood home in Korea. Both artists work with memories, creating touching, sometimes even mournful images of loss, longing and displacement.
To read the full review go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/nyregion/art-review-through-a-global-prism.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm
April 25, 2004
Summit — THE exhibition ''Unveiling the Image: Multicultural Women Artists,'' at the New Jersey Center for Visual Arts here, is part of Transcultural New Jersey, the yearlong, statewide initiative promoting the work of artists of diverse ethnic backgrounds. Organized by Nancy Cohen and Denise Call, the center's staff curators, this fine, gutsy little show pairs artwork by emerging multicultural women artists with those who have achieved wider recognition.
The exhibition has its roots in a disquieting truism: Sexism, like racism, continues to cast a pall over our society. This is especially true in the art world, where women artists are under-represented in most commercial galleries, museum collections, and group exhibitions -- regardless of subject matter or the period under review. Not surprisingly, women artists of diverse cultural backgrounds have a doubly difficult time getting their work recognized.
To counter this tide of neglect, ''Unveiling the Image'' celebrates the achievements of nine talented women artists with various cultural backgrounds who have lived or worked in New Jersey over the years. Prominent among them is the African-American sculptor Chakaia Booker, 50, who cuts, rips and folds old rubber car tires into graceful yet mysterious sculptures. So well known and regarded are Ms. Booker's sculptures that she was recently honored with a mid-career retrospective at the Jersey City Museum.
...By contrast, Maria Lau and Soyoo Hyunjoo Park use their roots as a direct point of departure for their artworks. Ms. Lau, also 33, is presenting haunting photographs exploring her Chinese-Cuban ancestry, while Ms. Park, 49, has stitched and painted colorful quilts depicting the interior of her childhood home in Korea. Both artists work with memories, creating touching, sometimes even mournful images of loss, longing and displacement.
To read the full review go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/nyregion/art-review-through-a-global-prism.html?pagewanted=2&src=pm