Forms of Appropriation

This exhibition presents the multitudinous possibilities of appropriation.  It explores the themes of commercialism, consumerism, and nationalism through the recontextualization of images from mass media and consumer culture. Some of these artists challenge notions of authenticity and reproducibility. Others raise questions about the disappearance of individuality and the excesses of consumption. Still others confront the sources of patriotism and national identity in both Pax Americana and Communist China. Though these works span nearly a century and across cultures, the value of their social criticism, constructed from familiar, everyday images, resonates deeply with current artistic practice.