Future Retrieval: Close Parallel opens at the Cincinnati Art Museum on February 26 and features contemporary reimaginings of works from the Museum’s extensive permanent collection.
Future Retrieval is the name of the studio collaboration of artists Katie Parker and Guy Michael Davis, who are both former University of Cincinnati DAAP faculty members. While they primarily work in porcelain, in Close Parallel, they have also incorporated other media, like intricately designed cut-paper pieces, fabric, wood, and metal.
The works pulse with energy and challenge the viewer to see old things in new ways. Parker and Davis selected an eclectic array of objects from the CAM’s decorative arts collection, and juxtaposed these with startlingly fresh pieces of newly-created art. Vibrant color enlivens the works. At first glance, you might think a piece is a print, only to look more closely and see that it is really made up of layers of hand-cut paper; mushrooms, animals, and flowers are presented in unique and sometimes perplexing ways, making the viewer think less of dusty parlors and antique curio cabinets, and more of urban landscapes, climate change, and humans’ complicated relationships to the environment and technology all around them.
One of the most striking pieces in the exhibit, Us, combines an original mixed media sculpture by Parker and Davis, Rhesus Monkey, with a piece from 1927, Mirror, by designer Paul Frankl. The artists have created a truly exciting exhibit that makes visitors appreciate the depth and breadth of the CAM’s classic permanent collection while also allowing them to see and appreciate fine contemporary art.
In tandem with the special exhibition, Parker and Davis have curated a fascinating display of ceramics from the CAM’s permanent collection, called For Now or Future Retrieval, on display January 30–August 22, 2021. These works span 400 years of art history, with pieces by creators from around the globe.
Make sure you visit the CAM to take in this innovative exhibit soon. Get a preview in the gallery.
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Future Retrieval: Close Parallel is on display at the Cincinnati Art Museum February 26–August 29, 2021. For more information and to plan your visit, check out the Cincinnati Art Museum’s website.