Smithsonian American Art Museum
Multiplicity
November 11, 2011 – March 11, 2012
This exhibition features 83 prints by such outstanding contemporary artists as John Baldessari, Vija Celmins, Chuck Close, Sol Lewitt, Martin Puryear, Susan Rothenberg, Kiki Smith, and Kara Walker. The concept of multiplicity has been integral to printmaking ever since the earliest prints were pulled from woodblocks and metal plates in the 15th century, with each impression considered to be an original work of art. Many of the artists in this exhibition have expanded the idea of multiplicity beyond editions of identical impressions by creating series, sequences, and images that comprise numerous parts. They explore repetition, pairing, and variations on a theme as artistic strategies.
