New York Times reviews new ISAW exhibition

New York Times art critic Ken Johnson reviewed ISAW's new exhibition in today's paper. A first for ISAW, the exhibition combines ancient objects with modern works of art. Johnson writes of the exhibition's duality, that it "tells a fascinating tale about 20th century discovery and interpretation of some extraordinary objects made by Sumerian artisans about 4,500 years ago. Neatly compacted into two small galleries, the exhibition focuses on about 50 artifacts from about 3000 to 2300 B.C. that were unearthed in the 1920s and ’30s in what was once Mesopotamia and now is part of Iraq. The artifacts include gypsum statuettes, lavish jewelry made of gold and colored stone beads that adorned the entombed body of Queen Puabi, and pottery decorated with geometric patterns."
In his article, Johnson describes the process of how modern and contemporary artists came to be inspired by the aesthetic and form of ancient objects. Modern artists displayed in the exhibition, both de Kooning and Giacometti, responded to ancient objects as they were found in museums across Europe and the United States. De Kooning's series was probably inspired by a Sumerian statuette seen at the Met, a figure that Johnson calls "one of the most impressive pieces in the present show." Johnson also notes how exhibited contemporary artists Jananne al-Ani and Michael Rakowitz "reframe these antiquities in personal and political terms." You can read the full article on the New York Times website here.