The Secret, Alachua, FL by Photographer Michael Bühler-Rose
How The Secret, Alachua, FL by photographer Michael Bühler-Rose helps expand our sense of what cultural exchange might mean.
Alfond Collection
Work of the Week: Juan Travieso, “Lonesome George”
Travieso’s work is ripe with environmental concerns and a call for action. The jarring effect ofhis spliced paintings serves as commentary regarding the negative impact of humaninterference in natural ecosystems, frequently referencing species’ endangerment andextinction. These themes reflect a compassion for the vulnerable and under resourced, alikely byproduct of growing up in communist Cuba. He also credits his use of bright andexpansive color palettes to the lack of art materials available to him on the island at the startof his artistic career. Lonesome George raises important questions regarding the ties between man and nature, asking for careful consideration as we inch closer to the pointwhere humans become victims of their own circumstances and reflecting on the ripple effectsof even the smallest actions.
Work of the Week: Danh Vo, “We The People”
Danh Vo’s We The People sheds light on the fragility and malleability of the concepts of freedom and democracy. Created as a series of 250 pieces, it recreates a full-scale replica of the Statue of Liberty, originally constructed by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi. Vo intentionally broke up the replica, its many pieces entering the permanent collections of museums worldwide. The fragments’ diasporic trajectory recall the multiplicity of individual journeys that made their way at the foot of Lady Liberty as they reached Ellis Island. Inherently woven into its many segments is the lingering symbolism of the immigrant dream. But the stakes of that dream have changed, revealing the intricate power systems controlling the arm of democracy.
Work of the Week: Marcus Jansen, “Plot #2”
Marcus Jansen (American, b. 1968) Plot #2, 2018, oil, enamels, mixed media on canvas, 60 x 48 in. Given by Barbara and Theodore Alfond in honor of Anca Giurescu, Ena Giurescu Heller, and Eliane Heller – three generations of courageous…
Work of the Week: David Hilliard, “Wiser than Despair”
David Hilliard(American, b. 1964), Wiser Than Despair, 2012, C-print, 24 in. x 80 in. The AlfondCollection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68Alfond, 2013.34.12. Image courtesy of the artist and Carroll and Sons, Boston.…
Work of the Week: Caitlin Keogh, “Renaissance Painting”
Caitlin Keogh (American, b. 1982), Renaissance Painting, 2016, Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 63 in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2016.3.15., Image courtesy of the artist and Bortolami, New York. If…
Work of the Week: Catherine Yass, “Lighthouse (North north west, distant)”
Catherine Yass (British, b. 1963), Lighthouse (North north west, distant), 2011, Photographic transparency, lightbox, 50 ¾ x 40 ¾ in., The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond. 2020.1.11 © Catherine Yass. Image courtesy Galerie Lelong…
Work of the Week: Becky Suss, “Houseboat on Dull Lake in the Valley of K”
Becky Suss (American, b. 1980), Houseboat on Dull Lake in the Valley of K, 2019, Oil on canvas, 84 x 144 in. The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art at Rollins College, Gift of Barbara ’68 and Theodore ’68 Alfond, 2019.2.22. Image courtesy of the artist…
Work of the Week: Cig Harvey, “Scout and the Clementines, Rockport Maine”
Cig Harvey describes that the series examines her relationship with life itself, and it began after a critical moment in her life. Harvey was in a car accident, and though physically unharmed, she did not speak for six weeks after the event. She was overwhelmed with thoughts of what could have happened if her daughter had been in the car with her. The idea that anyone’s life can change drastically in an instant altered Harvey’s perspective significantly, especially with her role as a mother.