Sacred and Profane At Portsmouth MFA
New Hampshire Exhibition to April 24
By: Bob Fowler - Mar 03, 2010
Some of the work incorporates iconic imagery generally associated with traditional religions, while other pieces are of a more spiritual nature. However, the work exhibited moves beyond the bounds of religious and spiritual subject matter by inviting viewers to expand their notions and perceptions of what is sacred and what is profane by thinking about the world around us—the environment, war, politics, urban development, nature, and even the notoriously mundane aspects of everyday life—as well as provoking thought around concepts of the afterlife, disillusionment or transfiguration.
In many cases the artists' work is personal, sometimes contemplative while at other times the statement is blatant. Viewers' perceptions of what is sacred and what is profane may be interpreted in different ways based on each individual's personal frame of reference and life experience.
Co-curator of the show, artist Katherine Doyle of Newcastle, NH, says of the exhibition, "What is sacred? What is profane? Most of the 35 artists in this exhibition combine elements of both the sacred and the profane in their work; all present personal points of view within our culture's diversity –or its chaos. We feel the show offers rich content and an opportunity for dialogue and reflection; we intend it to be the first of many stimulating projects."
A wide range of viewpoints as well as media offers an eclectic mix of art and interpretations, but all around a cohesive theme. Some of the images in the show include 'Dissolving' by Odd Nerdrum. Nerdrum is a widely acclaimed Icelandic artist whose work examines the emotional state of man, as a group and as individual.
New Hampshire artist Keri Wiederspahn shares the healing and transformative powers of art as an iconographer. As a student of Russian/Byzantine Ksenia Pokrovsky and Father Andrew Tegubov, she is committed to writing icons with an adherence to the rubrics of the iconographic canon. Dotty Attie's picto-narratives use multiple images and text to make a single statement. Her 'Resistance and Refusal Mean Consent/Justice' comments on crime and justice.
The Portsmouth Museum of Fine Art is located at One Harbour Place in downtown Portsmouth. Winter hours of operation are Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00-4:00; it is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Guided group tours are available by appointment by contacting the museum at 603-436-0332 or by email at functions@portsmouthmfa.org.