This exhibition brings together objects from the Currier’s collection that are united by their defining use of red—from subtle all-over washes of ruddy tints to selectively placed pops of the primary hue. Red was the first color used by artists (in prehistoric cave paintings) and in many early cultures the word for red was often synonymous with “colorful” or “beautiful”. The color has since been used to identify everything from religious and political groups to emotions like love or wrath. This exhibition spans centuries of art making from the Renaissance to the present, and includes work by Alexander Calder, Robert Indiana, and Mark Rothko, among others.
Mark Rothko, Untitled (Red over Brown), 1967. Oil on paper, mounted on canvas, 31 x 23 in. Gift of Dr. Albert W. Grokoest, 1998.17.