Synopsis
For the past decade, Providence, RI, has been the site of a radical underground art scene, giving rise to a multi-faceted, unbridled aesthetic that is as distinct as it is influential. As a celebration of the movement, The Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design is presenting the exhibition Wunderground. The companion publication, Wunderground- Providence, 1995 to the Present features a foreword by celebrated artist and designer Gary Panter, 128 pages of full color illustrations and 4 fold-out gatefolds. Artists, musicians, writers and students who created and witnessed the rise of the movement offer shorter texts providing a kaleidoscopic portrait of a time and place., For the past decade, Providence has been the site of a radical underground art scene, giving rise to a multi-faceted, unbridled aesthetic that is as distinct as it is influential. The work earns international press ranging from music and fine art to comic and shelter publications, yet the artists maintain their underground life-as-art practices. This fall, the Museum presents Wunderground: Providence, 1995 to the present, an exhibition celebrating Providence's intersection of art and music. Wunderground will be accompanied by a full-colour, illustrated catalogue with a foreword by celebrated artist and designer Gary Panter. Two major texts, written by Judith Tannenbaum and Providence gallerist Sara Agniel, will contextualize Providence's unique art scene. Artists, musicians, writers, and students who created and witnessed it offer shorter texts-reminiscences, anecdotes, and personal perspectives providing a kaleidoscopic portrait of a time and place. The catalogue is being produced in collaboration with the award-winning art director Dan Nadel of PictureBox, Inc.