May, 21st - August 28th 2021
Cover: “Artemisa”, oil on canvas, 1978
Co-curated by LCAG Executive Director, Bartholomew F. Bland, and LCAG Curatorial Assistant, Laura J.A. De Riggi, the survey exhibition, THE EYES HAVE IT (08/28/2021-11/13/2021), will be presented in both of Lehman College Art Gallery’s main spaces: the Edith Altschul Lehman and Robert Lehman wings at LCAG. It will feature over 30 contemporary artists who explore the continued importance of the literal and symbolic eye in art. The human eye as a symbol of power, protection and rebirth dates back to ancient civilizations. Even now, in an age drenched in imagery, the eye holds artists enthralled with its mystic and captivating gaze. The eye is the physical representation of the primal human need to see and be seen — the central pillar of the visual arts.
Proposed artists for the project include: Humaira Abid, Rodolfo Abularach, Derrick Adams, Carlos Aires, Janine Antoni, Firelei Baez, Gina Beavers, Angelica Bergamini, Huma Bhabha, Francesco Clemente, Julie Cockburn, Peter Combe, Esperanza Cortes, Timothy Cummings, Salvador Dali, Art Donovan, Bruna Esposito, Shepard Fairey, Lauren Fensterstock, Nancy Fouts, Carla Gannis, Laurent Grasso, Lysiane Grooms, Gregory Halili, HoruX, Gary Hovey, Laura Karetzky, Margaret Keane, Eg Keller, Katherine Knauer, Caroline Larsen, Ted Lawson, Marilyn Minter, Feleksan Onar, Tony Oursler, Arianna Papademetropoulus, Irving Penn, Alex Prager, Jamel Robinson, Betye Saar, Graciella Sacco, Sima Schloss, Keith Smith, Cammie Statos, Ismini Teligioridou, Devin Troy, Lava Thomas, William Villalongo, Didier William, and Mie Yokouchi.
THE EYES HAVE IT will explore the historical symbolism and religious iconography of the eye in art while contrasting various contemporary adaptations of our societal ocular obsession. Classical mythological themes are reinterpreted by contemporary artists, making those ideas accessible to today’s audience. Various media, including sculpture, photography, collage, video and a site-specific installation in the Gallery’s rotunda, will allow for a wide breadth of interconnected work. This exhibition continues LCAG’s long term commitment to group thematic exhibitions combining a wide spectrum of artists of varying, as well as showing well-known artists and established mid-career artists with emerging Bronx talents.
The eye proves a symbol for more than just the physical ability to see but also represents the perception or ability to truly understand something. One of the hallmarks of the ability to truly “see” and to resolve that sight, to process information, is to concentrate, to contemplate, away from the constant distraction of a fast-paced culture. The current societal climate provides an extensive backdrop to artists demanding that we truly look at ourselves and examine the impact we as humans have on the world around us.
Surrealist work by Salvador Dali showcasing the eye as meaning and metaphor will act as a modern catalyst for the contemporary works in the exhibition, emphasizing the fantastic beauty and significance of the eye.
Each of the works chosen for the exhibition are integral to the project and explore the eye through a human, animal or technological context. Some of the works blend various concepts and symbols seamlessly, allowing for layers of interpretation. THE EYES HAVE IT will be organized into 3 main categories: The Human Eye: examines renditions of the human eye and its symbolism, contrasting historical examples with the work of contemporary artists; The Animal Eye: explores themes of predator and prey across the eyes of the animal kingdom, and how artists have responded visually to the metaphorical life and death themes of nature; The Digital Eye: delves into today’s constant and growing surveillance culture, rapidly emerging as one of our era’s urgent political issues, juxtaposed with the contemporary societal obsession to be seen—the watchful eye granting, as Andy Warhol predicted, “15 minutes of fame.”
From antiquity through contemporary art movements, artists have tapped into the human vein of obsession with the eye. Ancient mythologies explored the eye as a representation of knowledge and power, and many religions have used variations of the eye as both symbols for protection against negative energies and the “evil-eye,” to smite ones enemies. These ancient desires and fears translate into our current societal concern for both the promise of its protection and the inescapability of its constant surveillance. With our daily compulsive use of monitoring technology, the ephemeral concept of privacy, and the ability to escape the all-seeing, magisterial eye, becomes more elusive. Diana Vreeland famously said, “the eye has to travel.” The works in THE EYES HAVE IT will link this compulsion of exploration to connect to our audience’s everyday lives and activities, inviting conversation and contemplation about our constant need to see and to be seen.