Basic Matters: Substance in Contemporary Art

Columbus Museum of Art

February 24–May 21, 2023

Admission Information

Basic Matters: Substance in Contemporary Art is included with the cost of general admission.

Members get FREE admission.
Not a member? Join today!

You do not need to purchase tickets in advance. If you need help planning your visit, call 614.221.6801. Click here for information about ticket prices, parking, and additional visit information.

Exhibition Description

The artists of our time produce work that responds to a diverse range of issues while pushing the boundaries of both traditional and unconventional materials. Materials are often discussed in passing and rarely take center stage, though they are the very vehicles through which artists explore and communicate their ideas.

The selection of works in this gallery are recent CMA acquisitions of contemporary art, organized into seven media categories—metal, stone, found objects, painting, textiles, wood, and ceramics. While some fit neatly into a single section, others incorporate multi-media and resist categorization.

The inclusion of works by many Ohio-based artists speaks to an emphasis on collecting and supporting our local creative community. Others are from further afield, bringing a national and global perspective on contemporary issues to Columbus. Work by both emerging artists and those who have had decades-long careers also enter the collection. Most of these works were acquired within the past few years and are on display for the first time at the Museum.

By collecting work that is conceptually and materially diverse, CMA is building a collection for current and future generations of visitors to explore the creativity of our time.

Artists include: Richard Artschwager, Leilah Babirye, Dorothy Gill Barnes, Kevin Beasley, Aisha Tandiwe Bell, Mary Borkowski, Robert Buck, Sue Cavanaugh, Gianna Commito, Melvin Edwards, Beverly Fishman, Jenny Floch, Jess Fuller, Amber Groome, Whitfield Lovell, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Jene Highstein, Tamara Jaeger, Catalina Ouyang, Sarah Parke & Mark Barrow, Anthony Pearson, Jamaal Peterman, Zak Prekop, Alison Saar, Omar Shaheed, Akio Takamori, Jordan Tate, Alfred Tibor, and Tyrrell Winston.

 

Tyrrell Winston, A Panther Has No Stripes, 2022. Used basketballs, liquid plastic, steel, and epoxy. 36 x 39 x8 inches. Photo by PD Rearick, courtesy of the artist and Library Street Collective