California 101: Art from the Collection

CALIFORNIA 101: Art from the Collection features artists that studied or lived for a significant period of time in the Golden State. For many years, the art world dismissed the West Coast as a creative backwater. In critical seclusion, post-war artists used California’s art schools and universities, including UCSB, to build a network of artist collectives and social movements that spurred innovation and fostered the rise of conceptual art. This exhibition focuses on work from the Museum’s collection created during this critical period through to the present day. Including works tied to the Feminist and Black Arts movements, postmodern photography, painting, sculpture, and video art. CALIFORNIA 101 has been mounted in conjunction with Prof. Jenni Sorkin’s class, Art in California, 1940-2016, who will use the works on view for teaching and research purposes.

The exhibition features work by John Arvanites, John Baldessari, Nancy Barton, Uta Barth, Lawrie Brown, Chris Burden, Judy Chicago, Robbie Conal, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Connor Everts, Sam Francis, Charles Gaines, Betty Gold, Maren Hassinger, Ed Kienholz, Mary Miss, Ed Moses, Bruce Nauman, Catherine Opie, Lari Pittman, Ed Ruscha, Alison Saar, Richard Serra, Robert Therrien, and Carrie Mae Weems among others.