Sculptor Donald Lipski to Speak at UK
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 14, 2016) — The University of Kentucky Art Museum will welcome to campus celebrated sculptor Donald Lipski 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 17, at the Singletary Center for the Arts Recital Hall. As part of this free public talk, Lipski will discuss his sculpture and large-scale installations, including "Pieces of String Too Short to Save" on display now at the museum.
"Pieces of String Too Short to Save" is comprised of industrial mesh cages filled with found objects. Since 1979, Lipski’s work has been defined by his ingenious manipulation of common materials in small and large sculptures and installations. Drinking straws, bits of wire, bottles, cigarettes, flags, musical instruments and countless other everyday items have been assembled into precise formal studies.
Lipski's sculpture is often a two-part acknowledgment — seeing a recognizable object and then appreciating the artist’s engagement with it. This can involve isolating a single item for contemplation, presenting vast quantities of things brought together for maximum impact, or altering materials through processes of slicing, weaving, wrapping, piercing and stacking.
In his steadfast use of commercial objects, Lipski continues the legacy of 20th-century artists, including Arman, Joseph Cornell and Marcel Duchamp. His ongoing investigations into conditions of materiality, composition and site specificity affirm a connection to the Dada, Surrealism, Pop and Minimalism art movements. Lipski was born in Chicago in 1947. His work is in the collections of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; and the Menil Collection, Houston.
The mission of the UK Art Museum, part of the UK College of Fine Arts, is to promote the understanding and appreciation of art to enhance the quality of life for people of Kentucky through collecting, exhibiting, preserving and interpreting outstanding works of visual art from all cultures. Home to a collection of more than 4,800 objects including American and European paintings, drawings, photographs, prints and sculpture, the UK Art Museum presents both special exhibitions and shows of work from its permanent collection.
The UK Art Museum, located in the Singletary Center at Rose Street and Euclid Avenue, is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free but donations are encouraged. For more information on membership, contact Lyndi VanDeursen at 859-257-8164 or lyndi.vandeursen@uky.edu.
UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue
MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Hale, 859-257-8716; whitney.hale@uky.edu