TheMenil Drawing Instituteis pleased to announceWhat Drawing Can Be: Four Responses, an exhibition opening March 21, 2025. The show will feature site-specific installations by four visionary artists:Jillian Conrad,Teresita Fernández,Tony Lewis, andConstantin Luser. Each artist will interpret the prompt 'What drawing can be' in an individual gallery space.
The exhibition continues a rich history of drawing that extends beyond traditional paper, embracing new forms and materials. In the 20th century, artists likeAlexander Calderwith his wire sculptures, andDorothea RockburneandSol LeWittwith their text-based and wall drawings, pushed the boundaries of drawing to include new materials, scales, and even conceptual approaches.What Drawing Can Becontinues this legacy, revealing how drawing remains a dynamic and vital form of artistic expression. The artists in the exhibition will break away from traditional labels, creating works that challenge limitations of material, scale, and even ephemerality.
The works on view will include both existing pieces and new, site-specific creations, engaging with the architecture of theJohnston Marklee-designed building, itself a testament to innovative design. Each artist will transform their gallery space to explore their unique interpretation of what a drawing can be.
Leading the exploration isTeresita Fernández, an acclaimed artist known for her monumental public works that challenge traditional notions of landscape and perception. Her installation may challenge how drawing, in its expanded form, can engage with and reshape space.
Tony Lewis’s work—created with graphite powder and torn paper—examines themes of power, identity, and resistance, drawing upon the visual language of protest. His work challenges the limits of drawing as a medium for political expression.
Jillian Conrad’s work explores the interplay between materiality and abstraction, challenging the very concept of drawing. By blurring the lines between physical and conceptual space, she pushes the boundaries of both the medium and the landscape.
Constantin Luserfurther redefines the medium through his kinetic wire sculptures, which cast intricate shadows that create a dynamic relationship between two- and three-dimensional space. His work blurs the lines between drawing, sculpture, and installation, transforming the gallery into a dynamic composition of form and light.
Together, these four artists respond to the legacy of experimental drawing, echoing the innovations of pioneers likeCalderandLeWitt. Their work offers fresh perspectives on how drawing remains a relevant, agile, and evolving medium in contemporary art.
Curated byEdouard KoppandKelly Montana,What Drawing Can Beexemplifies theMenil Drawing Institute’scommitment to exploring the medium’s role in today’s artistic landscape. This thought-provoking exhibition will be on view through August 10, 2025, continuing theMenil Collection’stradition of providing transformative, free artistic experiences for all visitors.
For more information about the exhibition and theMenil Collection, visitmenil.org.