Representing the figure, whether human or animal, has been a fertile source of investigation and debate throughout the history of visual culture. With the advent of new surgical procedures, belief systems, and the vanishing line between the natural and artificial, body image continues to be a hot-button topic today. Selected from the Kemper Museum’s collection, Transfigure charts how in recent years artists have considered the physical form of humans and animals, subtly revealing how its myriad manipulations and reinventions reflect the values of contemporary society.
Above, left: Jill Greenberg, Untitled (Ursine), 2006; pigment print, edition 2/7, 80 x 43 inches; Bebe and Crosby Kemper Collection, Museum Purchase with funds from the Enid and Crosby Kemper Foundation |
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