FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Rachel L. Flint, acting director, Gallery of Art, (319) 273-6134
James O'Connor, Office of Public Relations, (319) 273-2761
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — Two decades of public sculpture is the theme of an upcoming exhibition at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Gallery of Art featuring works by American artist Dennis Oppenheim. The exhibit, “Dennis Oppenheim: 20 Years in the Public Eye,” will be on view exclusively at UNI from Sept. 21 through Oct. 22.
The exhibition documents 29 of Oppenheim's public outdoor sculptures from around the world, along with a series of large-scale blueprints on linen, representing plans from several installations.
“This is a special opportunity to showcase wonderful works of art from one of the most important sculptors of the past 30 years,” said Mary Frisbee Johnson, head of the UNI Department of Art. “This exhibit complements the recent installation of Oppenheim's Stage Set for a Film, #1 on our campus. We want to introduce the artist and many significant public art works to a broad new audience, and offer others the chance to reacquaint themselves with Oppenheim's work.”
Oppenheim's sculptures have been shown in more than 600 national and international exhibitions. His work is displayed in most of the world's major museums of contemporary art, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Art Institute of Chicago; MOCA and the LA County Museum in Los Angeles; the National Gallery, Washington, D.C.; the Bundesgarten, Berlin; the Rijksmuseum, Netherlands; and in hundreds of corporate and private collections.
Oppenheim was an early innovator in conceptual art, as well as one of the pioneers in earth art during the late '60s and early '70s. During the '70s, his artistic focus shifted into video, film and installation. In the early '80s he began building monumental installations, such as Launching Structure #1: An Armature For Projection, at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C.; and Station for Detaining and Blinding Radioactive Horses, in the sculpture garden at the Rijksmuseum Kroller-Muller, Otterlo, Netherlands.
During this same period, Oppenheim broke ground with the Fireworks series, which consisted of large-scale outdoor sculptures that erupted into fireworks. In 1988, he created the outdoor sculpture Impersonation Station for the Olympic Park in Seoul, South Korea. Since that time, he has focused on sculptural architectural works in public spaces. His permanent outdoor sculptures similar to Stage Set for a Film, #1 can be found in the United States, Germany, Italy, Australia, South Korea, the Netherlands, Israel and France. Oppenheim currently is working on projects in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Portland, Oregon.
The opening reception for the UNI exhibition coincides with the 40th anniversary of the university's Percent for Art program, instituted in 1960 by former UNI President William Maucker, to promote the arts and emphasize the liberal arts focus of general education programs. The Percent for Art program was so successful, it became state law in 1979, and requires that one-half of 1 percent of the budget for new or significantly renovated state buildings is spent on artwork. For the past 40 years, UNI has built its 34-piece public collection by commissioning artworks by local, regional and nationally known artists through its UNI Art and Architecture Committee.
Special events surrounding the Oppenheim exhibition include a lecture by Dr. Craig Adcock, University of Iowa contemporary art historian. Adcock will present “Dennis Oppenheim: Theatricality” at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 20 in the Kamerick Art Building auditorium.
At 2 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 21, Oppenheim will present a public lecture discussing his work, specifically Stage Set for a Film, #1, in the Great Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. At 4 p.m., Stage Set for a Film, #1 will be dedicated at the sculpture site on the east side of the Wellness/Recreation Center. The opening reception will immediately follow the dedication in the Gallery of Art.
The UNI exhibition of Oppenheim's work is funded by a Department of Art Program Support endowment from Florence Hartwig, a retired teacher and former UNI art major (Iowa State Teachers College, 1929). This endowment supports art programs, guest lectures, scholarships, faculty development, student travel and Gallery of Art exhibits.
“Dennis Oppenheim: Twenty Years in the Public Eye,” at the UNI Gallery of Art is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday; Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The Gallery is located at the corner of Hudson Road and West 27th street in Cedar Falls on the main floor of the Kamerick Art Building. For more information, call (319) 273-3095, or visit .
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