SCMAinsider
SCMAinsider offers dynamic perspectives on the diverse collections and visions that shape the
Smith College Museum of Art.
We welcome contributions from all members of our community and seek to cultivate a range of
voices and experiences. If you want to contribute to the blog, please contact us at scmacuratorial@smith.edu.
January at SCMA: Museums and Meditation at MacLeish
Anna Ziegler is a senior Art History major and works at the Cunningham Center at SCMA.
Figure and Image
The collection of Selma Erving is comprised of 540 drawings, 74 prints, and 100 illustrated books, the majority of which come from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Needless to say, picking less than twenty objects to hang was a Herculean task, especially for someone as interested in the time period and style that Ms. Erving seemed to favor as I am.
Building and Survival
Dr. Kurt Lang and Dr. Gladys Engel Lang, distinguished scholars
in the fields of communication,
media, and public opinion, and emeriti professors of sociology
at the University of Washington, Seattle, have promised their collection of prints, watercolors, and
drawings to SCMA.
Now You See Me
Portraiture, a seemingly biographical and documentary genre, is often more farce than fact.
A Discerning Eye
As is often the case when I am conducting research on works of art or individuals, I came across far too much fascinating information on Selma Erving to relegate to a label with a limited word count.
Camera Exotica
his month’s student curator and guest blogger Niyati Dave '15 discusses her show “Camera Exotica: Clichés, Counter-Narratives and Cultural Clashes” which will be on view FRIDAY, April 3 from 12-4 PM in the Cunningham Center.
Three Songs of Devotion
Qureshi’s choice to represent the male figure as a basic outline and the female figure in detail calls into question traditional gender roles in Mughal painting, a field typically dominated by men.
Hippolyte Arnoux
The French photographer Hippolyte Arnoux, who documented the construction of the Suez Canal in Egypt, is also known for his ‘ethnographic portraits’ of women often representing fake sultanas.
Kiss Cross
Ghada Amer and Reza Farkhondeh, artists of the Middle Eastern diaspora, create collaborative works that highlight the female figure through use of embroidery, paint and stenciling.
Student Picks: Clutter + Collage
The fun in creating this exhibition was largely in the diversity of interpretations that we can apply to collage. Across medium and aesthetic mood, these works on paper evoke stories and senses through layers, both visual and material.
An Old Man Mad About Art
The painter Hokasai was given the name Katsushika Hokusai, but repeatedly reinvented himself by taking on new names throughout his life. Each time, these rebirths were followed by a renewed artistic style and spirit.
Embracing the Enemy
Moore’s illustrations of Prometheus underscore the mythical character’s nobility and courage, rather than his suffering; he is not the tortured hero chained against the rock, but the strong hero.
On Display: Wings and Women
In nature, the animals with the brightest colors are often the most poisonous, and this is reflected in both pieces of art, as the more beautiful they are, the crueler they can be.
