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| Past Exhibition |
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February 26–June 19, 2010 Kemper at the Crossroads |
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 see current exhibition gallery |
 see upcoming exhibitions |
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In Ian Davis’s paintings, masses of men—all identically dressed—stand in ambiguous formations. These mysterious narratives painted on canvas place them variously beside a dam, waiting in a packed auditorium or milling about a gallery. The multitudes of human figures are dwarfed by their surroundings: mountains of audio speakers, art crates or chairs are precariously arranged in towers that seem just about to lose their balance. The viewers of Davis’s scenarios are left to wonder, "Do we wait in anticipation or have we come upon something that has just transpired?" This is the first solo museum exhibition for the New York-based artist. Listen to a Kemper ARTcast related to the exhibition. Above: Ian Davis, Comeuppance, 2009; acrylic on canvas, 60 x 65 inches; Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection; Museum Purchase made possible by a gift from the William T. Kemper Charitable Trust, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee T2009.3 |