This summer, the Blanton Museum of Art at The University of Texas at Austin presents two exhibitions that examine methods and motivations for building art collections.
“The Human Touch: Selections from the RBC Wealth Management Art Collection” showcases 40 works from contemporary artists working in multiple media, and examines how corporate collections are assembled and the ways in which they serve multiple audiences. Conversely, “The Collecting Impulse: Fifty Works from Dorothy and Herbert Vogel,” tells the story of the personal collection of Herb and Dorothy Vogel, a New York couple of modest means whose love of art and artists resulted in a renowned collection that spans five decades. Both exhibitions are on view June 10 through Aug. 12.
“The Human Touch”
Representing a compelling look at the human condition, “The Human Touch” features representations of the human form in all its variety, ranging from whimsical to provocative, large scale to small scale, selected to represent the communities in which RBC Wealth Management does business. Featured artists include John Baldessari, Chuck Close, Roland Fischer, Nan Goldin, Elizabeth Peyton and Kehinde Wiley.
“We are delighted to bring this collection to Austin and are grateful to our friends at RBC Wealth Management for their ongoing support of the visual arts,” said Blanton Director Simone Wicha. “This exhibition will offer Blanton visitors the opportunity to explore concepts of self and identity as they experience a rich diversity of visual representations of the human figure by contemporary artists.”
Highlights include ethereal photographs from Nan Goldin and Lalla Essaydi, and a chocolate syrup painting that was created and later photographed by Vik Muniz. Prints from Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein and Elizabeth Peyton showcase a range of artistic approaches, and mixed media works from Kerry James Marshall, Hung Liu and Gajin Fujita explore topics such as social status and family lineage.
“The Collecting Impulse”
In 2008 The Blanton was selected by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and Dorothy and Herbert Vogel as the only museum in Texas to receive works from “The Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection: Fifty Works for Fifty States,” a gift program distributing 2,500 works from the Vogels’ collection of contemporary art throughout the nation.
This important collection features minimal and conceptual artworks from more than 170 contemporary artists. Of these, The Blanton received 50 works from artists such as Stephen Antonakos, Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Elizabeth Murray and Richard Tuttle, all of which will be exhibited in “The Collecting Impulse,” opening June 10 alongside “The Human Touch.”
The Vogels have a long history with The Blanton, showing a portion of their collection in 1997 at what was then the Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery.
“The Collecting Impulse” chronicles several decades of the New York art scene, with examples from many leading minimalist and conceptualist artists, but it also tells the story of the Vogels as collectors — examining the couple’s love affair with art and artists that led to the acquisition of more than 4,000 works over the past 50 years.
Herbert Vogel is a retired United States Postal Service employee, and Dorothy Vogel is a retired librarian. The Vogel Collection is unique, with no other private collection of similar work in Europe or America rivaling its range, complexity and quality.
High-resolution press images are available.
About the Blanton Museum of Art:
The Blanton is one of the foremost university art museums in the country and has the largest and most comprehensive collection of art in Central Texas. The museum is located at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and North Congress Avenue and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays are free admission days, and admission is always free with a UT ID. Visit the website for more information about The Blanton’s current exhibitions.
