2012 Graphite, Indianapolis Museum of Art , Indiana, USA
This exhibition presents a glimpse into recent and innovative uses of graphite. A form of crystallized carbon, graphite is a naturally occurring mineral as well as a synthetic, industrial product that can be processed and in multiple ways. It can be machined or carved, used as a powder or liquid, or handled as a lump, stick, or pencil. Graphite gathers together works that reveal the material’s potential to take a variety of forms and yield a wide range of visual effects.
Graphite is accompanied by a comprehensive digital catalogue, one of the first scholarly art publications of its kind. It is currently available on iTunes for $4.99 on tablet devices. The catalogue is divided into three major sections –Introduction & Essays, Artists, and Conversations. The Introduction features an essay by exhibition curator Sarah Urist Green on the metamorphosis of the material in contemporary art since the 1960s and an examination of the material properties of graphite by Dr. Gregory Dale Smith, the Otto N. Frenzel III Senior Conservation Scientist at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The Artists section provides information about each artist and contextualizes their work in the exhibition within their larger oeuvre. This highly interactive section offers readers an opportunity to experience the artwork and installation through multimedia-rich documentation. Readers will be able to watch video interviews of artists as they discuss their work in Graphite and their process. The Conversations section pairs artists within the exhibition and with scholars in expansive discussions that begin with each artist’s use of graphite. The results are substantive conversations that reveal the artists’ shared affinities and differences in their approaches to the material.