New Images of Humans

New Images of HUMANS

March 13th - May 1st, 2021

German-American existentialist philosopher Paul Tillich wrote in the introduction for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City's 1959 landmark figurative exhibition, New Images of Man, "Whenever a new period is conceived in the womb of the preceding period, a new image of man pushes towards the surface and finally breaks through to find its artists and philosophers." The idea for the show, curated by Peter Selz, begins with the premise that the visual arts reflect the particular concerns and anxieties of the contemporary era.  And though Selz related the artwork created by the 23 participating artists to art historical precedents like Goya, Bosch and other "angry exponents of their own ages," 22 out of the 23 participating artists were men; and all of them white.   What would a New Image for Humans show look like, if blacks, women and trans gendered folks were included in the story?

New Images of HUMANS is the beginning of a response to that question.  Because we are living through a time of reexamining of what agency in representation can look like, this show is only a starting point for a larger conversation around why the figure remains a relevant form for contemporary art practice. 

New Images of Humans is dedicated to the memory of Carl Solway, funded by the generous donations made in his name.