Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Media Contact:
Casey Ihde | OSU Museum of Art Marketing and Communications | 405-744-2783 | casey.pankey@okstate.edu

Get ready to explore the visual side of math in “Unusual Geometries,” Oklahoma State
University Museum of Art’s newest exhibition. 

Running from Oct. 17 to Dec. 16, 2023, “Unusual Geometries” invites guests to rediscover
the hidden beauty and playfulness found within the world of geometry.

“The full breadth of geometry encompasses everything from the shape of coral to the
behavior of fractals and tells us not just how to measure objects and their spatial
relationships, but how to view them,” said Dr. Jay Schweig, department head and associate
professor of mathematics.

Schweig, in partnership with fellow OSU faculty including Drs. Henry Segerman, David
J. Wright and Lisa Mantini, contributed artworks exploring such topics as geometry,
fractals, optical illusions, hyperbolic planes, stereographic projections and more.

Complimenting the faculty’s artistic research are works from the museum’s collection. 

“Blending art from the museum’s collection with projects from mathematics professors
and their students provides an interesting opportunity to experience the many dimensions
of artistic expression,” said Vicky Berry, director of OSUMA.

Brightly colored paper strips fold and intertwine in origami structures by Mantini.
A man’s profile spins around a central axis, translating a two-dimensional shape into
three-dimensional form in Renato Giuseppe Bertelli’s “Profilo continuo di Mussolini”
(Continuous Profile of Mussolini). This work inspired Segerman’s students to experiment
with positive and negative space, modeling and 3D printing. Mesmerizing circles expand
and repeat in never-ending patterns in Wright’s explorations into the work of Felix
Klein. Crocheted frills twist and curl into a hyperbolic plane, a concept modeled
after mathematician Daina Taimina’s creations.

Viewing math in such a way offers the intellectually curious opportunities to strengthen
observational skills and foster creative problem-solving.

“Coming at a problem from different perspectives can often be helpful,” said Segerman,
associate professor. “It might be a rare mathematical problem that benefits from an
artistic perspective, and a rare artistic problem that benefits from a mathematical
perspective. However, if you do know about both fields then you might be able to spot
the crossovers that do exist. … If you know about other, apparently distant fields,
more possibilities are open to you.”

Guests are invited to continue their cross-curricular curiosity in the artLAB by learning
basic origami techniques and contributing a paper cube to a growing community art
installation. ArtLAB activities are drop-in and available throughout the exhibition
run.

“Unusual Geometries” is on view Oct. 17–Dec. 16, 2023, at the OSU Museum of Art in
downtown Stillwater. A reception will be held from 5–7 p.m. on Nov. 8. Learn more
at https://museum.okstate.edu/art/unusual-geometries.html.

Beastly jugs and vessels with legs comprise the latest in illustrator Vorja Sánchez’s eclectic and uncanny menagerie (previously). A new print titled “Ancient Pottery” draws inspiration from a wide variety of stoneware urns, bowls, and statuettes from prehistoric cultures around the world, imbuing each of them with the lively features of animals or mythological beings. Produced from an original piece made with pencil, ink, and watercolor on cotton paper, the artist emphasizes the appearance of age, as if a patina has formed over time across the entire composition.

“I am fascinated by the simple and imperfect but pure and free forms of ancient ceramics,” Sánchez tells Colossal. He continues:

When I started to study them—my cousin is an archaeologist specialized in ceramics and gave me a lot of information—I realized that they shared a common essence regardless of their origin. The older they are, the more universal the language is. I found that very interesting. That’s why I decided, sharing the same space, to make an accumulation.

Sánchez is currently working on new pieces that focus on individual pots. You can purchase prints in the artist’s shop, and find more on his website and Instagram.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Vorja Sánchez Brings the Past to Life in a Series of Uncanny ‘Ancient Pottery’ Illustrations appeared first on Colossal.

The brand will display art on SunChips bags in stores this month and champion artists through a $100,000 donation and partnership with nonprofit arts organization YoungArts

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — SunChips celebrates individuality and believes different perspectives fuel a one-of-a-kind world. As part of that mission, its “Art Seen” program has put a spotlight on originality among artists to help more art be seen. Today, the brand has unveiled the “Art Seen” 2023 winning artists and their original artwork which will take over millions of SunChips bags at retailers across the country.

“Since 2021, the SunChips ‘Art Seen’ program has shined a light on artists whose diverse viewpoints make the world a brighter place,” said Rhasheda Boyd, vice president of marketing at Frito-Lay. “With less than 15% of art in permanent collections in the U.S. created by women and people of color, SunChips was inspired to drive a greater impact in the art community. Featuring these artists’ work on our packaging in retailers nationwide allows us to do our part to offer more exposure for these talented individuals in unexpected ways.”

The work of three selected artists will be featured on millions of SunChips bags across the country as well as local mural installations in the artists’ hometowns and on SunChips social media channels.

These artists include:

• Maruja Panti, Catanduanes, Philippines: Maruja is a self-made artist. She believes, “No one colors the world and reflects the light exactly the way you can,” and that her art goes beyond its form. Her work explores topics of feminism, beauty and contemporary struggles of peoples, especially women, today. Her commissioned artwork for the SunChips Original flavor tells a story of embracing individuality by following your passions.
• Darnell “Solo” Kirkwood, Los Angeles, California: Darnell believes art has empowered his appreciation to creatively shift narratives, allowing him to be more present and one with the universe. The energy of each piece, including his commissioned artwork for the SunChips Garden Salsa flavor, derives from and is dedicated to the journeys traveled through the perseverance of both dreamers and visionaries – against all odds.
• Megan Lewis, Baltimore, Maryland: Megan’s work allows her to communicate meaningfully and think outside the intellectual and artistic “holding” patterns. Her paintings depict Black men and women usually existing in a resting position, focusing on their facial features and accented by swings of color and thick paint strokes. Her commissioned artwork for the SunChips Harvest Cheddar flavor celebrates a season of harvest with vibrant plants and colors.

To further champion the next generation of emerging artists, SunChips is donating $100,000 to YoungArts, an organization that identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. The donation will fund artistic needs such as studio space and art supplies, as well as professional development, impacting more than 30 artists.

“At YoungArts, we value the creative expression that comes from a multitude of lived experiences,” said Angela Goding, senior director, strategic partnerships at YoungArts. “We’re grateful to join SunChips in celebrating how artists connect us through their uniquely personal work.”

Fans can also get involved in the support of underrepresented artists through an interactive branded lens experience on SnapChat that will feature the work of artist Glenn Espinosa from YoungArts. To access the interactive lens and amplify the work, fans can scan the code on the back of specially-marked “Art Seen” SunChips packaging, snap and share with their friends. Fans can also access the interactive lens on www.SunChipsArtSeen.com or by exploring the SnapChat app.

SunChips will donate an additional $1 to YoungArts for each Snap shared between 10/9/23 and 11/5/23, up to $40,000. To learn more about the program, head to www.SunChipsArtSeen.com.

About Frito-Lay North America
Frito-Lay North America is the $23 billion convenient foods division of PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Frito-Lay snacks include Lay’s and Ruffles potato chips, Doritos and Tostitos tortilla chips and branded dips, Cheetos snacks, Stacy’s pita chips, PopCorners popped-corn snacks, SunChips multigrain snacks and Fritos corn chips. The company operates 30+ manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and Canada, more than 200 distribution centers and services 315,000 retail customers per week through its direct-store-delivery model. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate website, www.fritolay.com, on Twitter (@fritolay), on Instagram (@fritolay) and on Facebook (Frito-Lay).

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $86 billion in net revenue in 2022, driven by a complementary beverage and convenient foods portfolio that includes Lay’s^®, Doritos^®, Cheetos^®, Gatorade^®, Pepsi-Cola^®, Mountain Dew^®, Quaker^®, and SodaStream^®. PepsiCo’s product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including many iconic brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales. 

Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to Be the Global Leader in Beverages and Convenient Foods by Winning with pep+ (PepsiCo Positive). pep+ is our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability and human capital at the center of how we will create value and growth by operating within planetary boundaries and inspiring positive change for planet and people. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com, and follow on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn @PepsiCo.   

About YoungArts
Established in 1981 by Lin and Ted Arison, YoungArts identifies exceptional young artists, amplifies their potential, and invests in their lifelong creative freedom. YoungArts provides space, funding, mentorship, professional development and community throughout artists’ careers. Entrance into this prestigious organization starts with a highly competitive application for talented artists ages 15–18, or grades 10– 12, in the United States that is judged by esteemed discipline-specific panels of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. For more information, visit youngarts.org, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook or Twitter.

SOURCE Frito-Lay North America

Christopher Rothko, Mark Rothko’s son, says that his late father would have been “upset” by the astronomical market value of his works today and unsettled by the tumultuous state of the world. Christopher Rothko was speaking at the launch of a vast show of works opening at the Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris this week (Mark Rothko, 18 October-2 April 2024).

The Paris show is co-curated by the younger Rothko and includes more than 115 works drawn from collections such as the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas, and the Fondation Beyeler in Basel. The exhibition is “displayed chronologically across all of the Fondation’s spaces”, tracing “the artist’s entire career from his earliest figurative paintings to the abstract works that he is most known for today”, a gallery statement says.

The market value of Mark Rothko is in the spotlight after Artnet News reported that Pace gallery is offering Olive over Red (1956) at the Paris + par Art Basel fair this week for $40m. “The primary way that it’s [the prices for Mark Rothko’s works] important to me is that it makes organising exhibitions very difficult—the cost of insurance and transport is astronomical. I’m grateful to do this show which is really on an enormous scale; not many institutions can afford to do this,” Christopher Rothko says.

So how would Mark Rothko have responded to his stratospheric market prices today? “He would be very upset because it’s a major distraction; they become a commodity and trophy, they become something other than the experiential relationship [for the viewer sparked by his works],” Christopher Rothko says.

Today’s difficult global political climate would also have left an impression on him, the younger Rothko says. “He certainly was born into a socialist family on the brink of the Russian revolution. They left in 1913…he lived through the Great Depression in New York. He was very concerned with his fellow common man. I cannot imagine he would be pleased with what he would see today.”

Asked how many works he had loaned to the show, Christopher Rothko said: “I’m always talking about my sister [Kate Rothko Prizel] and I; we always coordinate. Technically we’re two private collections but do everything together. We’ve loaned nearly 30 works. I wanted to bring paintings that Europeans would not have seen for the most part before and refresh [the selection].”

Crucially, Tate in London has loaned nine Seagram Murals by Mark Rothko—the gallery’s entire Rothko Room—to the exhibition. “It is powerful in the UK but certainly not lacking anything [by being] here,” Christopher Rothko says. Another important ensemble of four paintings (The Rothko Room) is on loan from the Phillips Collection in Washington DC.

Rothko committed suicide in 1970. The press statement says: “Even in the case of the 1969-1970 Black and Grey series, a simplistic interpretation of the work, associating grey and black with depression and suicide, is best avoided.” Christopher Rothko says that “this has been a reality of my life for 55 years. I try to cut out this direct connection of dark colours means depression and light colours don’t… there was no question he was very depressed at the end of his life but at that moment, he launches into a new style which was subtly different but a major step; he painted more paintings in those last two years than any other time in his life. It is never an easy formula… it’s always complicated.”

Suzanne Pagé, the artistic director of the Louis Vuitton Foundation, tells The Art Newspaper: “Rothko is completely apart [from other artists] and absolutely necessary for each of us today. He speaks about our fundamental emotions. It is paradoxical in a way—achieving profundity through abstract art.” Pagé adds in a statement: “At the heart of the exhibition are abstract works from the so-called ‘Classic’ period, from the late 1940s onwards, in which a unique colourist asserts himself in the radiant, mysterious brilliance of colour raised to incandescence.”

The artist’s only self-portrait dating from 1936, drawn from the collection of Christopher Rothko, opens the show. It is subsequently followed by paintings made in the 1930s depicting urban landscapes such as the New York subway. Later works from the 1940s reflect Rothko’s progression towards abstraction via his Multiform works.

“In his classic format, he is creating infinite possibilities. Each painting starts as a new experiment with a new set of feelings and ideas; at first blush, it might seem like there’s nothing there. He is completely suffused in the painting; he is bringing his beliefs at that moment to the painting. If you engage with the painting, you are essentially completing that process because the meaning for you is personal; you bring you own feelings and it’s an interaction,” Christopher Rothko says.

Rothko was especially reluctant to speak of his technique. “He did not want you thinking about him or the specifics of how he made the painting. If you’re preoccupied with those details, you’re taking yourself two steps away from the full impact of that interaction,” says Christopher Rothko. Dispensing with frames is also part of the experiential viewing process. “The painting through their borders have their own frames and the rectangles are moving as if they want to cross those borders; you don’t want to box them in,” he adds.

“Suzanne reminded me that it had been nearly 25 years since the last Rothko show in Paris [at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris in 1999]. France has only two works in public collections [at the Centre Pompidou],” Christopher Rothko says, adding he is collaborating on a major paintings on paper show due to open at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC next month (19 November-31 March 2024). The show is scheduled to travel to the National Museum in Oslo next summer.