Taking advantage of our rotating exhibits, FWMoA staff from all departments are interacting with captivating art. With galleries full of glass, paintings, bronzes, and more, we’ve posed the challenging question, “What’s your favorite artwork currently on display?”
From the Curatorial Department, intern Larry Festa takes us to his favorite work on display, Slow Melt (Polar Bear Resting on Ice Float), by artist Ezra Tucker.
Q: What is the first thing you noticed about this artwork? What drew you to this particular piece?
A: I immediately observed that Slow Melt is a quieter work than other pieces produced by Tucker currently on display. Its depiction of a low sun and polar bear dealing with the changes in its environment reflects a patience not seen in other compositions of Tuckers on display. His use of light shades of blue, white, and yellow also create a composition of colors that is less immediately diverse to the naked eye, practicing a temperance not seen in other pieces close by.
Q: Would you display this artwork in your home? Why or why not?
A: Absolutely. It would look especially excellent when its lighter color palette contrasts against the surface its displayed on. For example, the piece would look better in my bedroom, which has dark grey walls, than it would in my kitchen, which has lighter yellow walls. This contrast would make Slow Melt pop out against its background. I, selfishly, would also just like more beautiful art to hang in my bedroom.
Q: What does this artwork mean to you?
A: To me, it speaks to the coming challenge that is climate change. For the polar bear, increased temperatures have led to the collapse of ice and other dangerous effects, which seriously jeopardize its capacity to survive in the wild. Here, the bear, staring into the warming waters in hopes of seeing the air bubbles of its prey, is also making an adaptation; adjusting its hunting style in accordance with the changes to its environment. It is also – if humans are not careful – staring into its own doom. We, like the polar bear, will be forced to adapt how we live, in ways both big and small, to reduce our effects on the environment, and prevent famine, disease, the extinction of countless species, and other disasters.
Q: Why did you choose to work in an art museum?
A: I chose not only to work in an art museum, but the FWMoA in particular, because I wanted to give back to my community while engaging with something I’ve always loved. I’ve had the immense privilege of being able to experience incredible art museums around the United States – and even abroad – over the years, and I know what they can provide educationally for the communities they are a part of. The Fort Wayne Museum of Art is the hub for providing those kinds of educational benefits to the city I’ve always called home, so being able to work here and collaborate on providing fellow Hoosiers with the same kinds of experiences I’ve been lucky to have is very fulfilling.
Q: What kind of art do you have in your home?
A: There is a large variety of art in my home, ranging from Mesoamerican pottery to traditional oil on canvas paintings. One notable piece is titled “Trial II”, an abstract print by American studio glass art pioneer Harvey Littleton, which currently hangs in my bedroom. Another is a piece of embroidered cloth from a piece of Chinese attire dated back to the Qing dynasty, which my father acquired while traveling in China.
Q: What has been your favorite exhibition at FWMoA during your employment? What exhibition are you most looking forward to in the next year or two?
A: A tough question, and I’d say that my feelings are split somewhere between The Art of Ezra Tucker and its neighboring exhibition, The Fashion of Art Deco. On one hand, Ezra Tucker’s wildlife paintings never fail to catch my eye when out and about in the galleries, but on the other, being able to directly help lead tours of The Fashion of Art Deco exhibition provided me with a perspective I’ve never had on the work that goes in to educating the public about art and what orbits it. More concretely, the exhibit I am most looking forward to in the near future is Habatat International Glass’ 54th Invitational, which is sure to bring lots of beautiful glass art along with it.
The Art of Ezra Tucker leaves the museum this weekend! To see it in person, visit FWMoA before June 28.