Fred Tomaselli's Psychedelic Maximalism at the Tang Museum
This past summer, Eric Gelber took a closer look at Fred Tomaselli's traveling show at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery located at Skidmore College, which was put together by the Aspen Art Museum. This exhibition will be in Saratoga Springs from February 6 to June 6, 2010, and will later shift to the Brooklyn Museum, running from October 8, 2010, until January 2, 2011. Tomaselli’s artwork incorporates real objects like hemp leaves, pills, and magic mushrooms, blending human anatomy with natural and industrial themes. Influenced by Alan Watts' notion of 'awareness of relativity' associated with psychedelic experiences, his pieces, including 'Expulsion' (2000), 'Fungi and Flowers' (2002), and 'Desert Bloom' (2000), feature intricate designs that evoke pin-striping and Hieronymus Bosch's style.
Key facts
- Exhibition organized by Aspen Art Museum and Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College.
- Eric Gelber reviewed the show at the Tang Museum.
- Exhibition dates at Tang: February 6 to June 6, 2010.
- Exhibition dates at Brooklyn Museum: October 8, 2010 to January 2, 2011.
- Tomaselli uses real objects: hemp leaves, pills, magic mushrooms, saccharine tablets, photographic material.
- Painting 'Expulsion' (2000) references Masaccio's fresco with a magic mushroom cap as godhead.
- Works like 'Fungi and Flowers' (2002) and 'Field Guides' (2003) show figures made of multiple body parts and flora.
- Tomaselli's technique involves tight, detailed brushwork and resin layers, confusing painted and collage forms.
Entities
Artists
- Fred Tomaselli
- Alan Watts
- Masaccio
- Hieronymus Bosch
Institutions
- Aspen Art Museum
- Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College
- Brooklyn Museum
Locations
- Saratoga Springs
- New York
- Brooklyn
- United States