LANDSCAPES OF EXTRACTION | HELEN KATHARINE FORBES
EXPERIENCE THE ART of our region and beyond
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hroughout the 2021–22 season, art lovers of every age and interest will enjoy a diverse lineup of dynamic exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum. Beginning November 7, the Museum will present Landscapes of Extraction, which examines the evolution of the art of mining in the western United States. With more than 65 works created over a century, the original exhibition showcases a range of paintings and prints that depict regional landscapes of enterprise, while illuminating how mining has altered the natural environment on a spectacular scale. Landscapes of Extraction begins with works from the early- to mid-20th century, when artists such as Lew Davis, Philip C. Curtis, Paul Sample, and Louise Emerson Ronnebeck portrayed regional themes and industries in their work, inspired, in part, by New Deal programs during the 1930s and early 1940s. Contemporary works created into the 58
2010s by artists such as Edward Burtynsky, David Emitt Adams, Martin Stupich, and Cara Romero instead demonstrate how artists have, over time, become more attuned to the monumental impact that humans, technology, mining, and other industries have had on the natural world. Visitors will also discover the evocative work of renowned Colombian artist Oscar Muñoz beginning this September. Co-organized by Phoenix Art Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art, Oscar Muñoz: Invisibilia is the first U.S. retrospective of the artist’s work and features approximately 50 works that combine photography, drawing, printmaking, installation, video, sculpture, and interactive elements to explore themes of time, history, and knowledge. Rather than presenting works chronologically, Invisibilia is organized into four thematic and overlapping sections that ask viewers to contemplate topics like
