Whitney Biennial exhibition opens in New York

March 25, 1997
Web posted at: 1:00 p.m. EST

From Correspondent Norma Quarles

NEW YORK (CNN) - The Whitney Biennial exhibition is considered by many to be America's premiere art event, showing what its curators consider to be the most significant American art created in the past two years.

The show's curators, longtime Whitney veteran Lisa Phillips and Louise Neri, selected a large number of younger, unknown artists who are appearing in the Biennial for the first time.

"It's not just for young artists but it is about new information and about showing the vitality of American culture today and I think it is a very, very strong time for American art now," said Phillips.

Psychedelic lights, shining on a collection of objects found in handyman mail order catalogues, was created by Jason Rhoades and is just one of the 200 works of art in the 1997 Whitney Biennial.

"During the course of eight hours the thing wakes up, stretches, turns into a disco, becomes a bathroom, talks, sings. And you never see any of this at the same time. It's a constant evolving process," observed Phillips.

Richard Phillips creates oversize paintings of beautiful women inspired by the fashions of the 60's.

The museum's founder, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, established the exhibition in 1931. Many of America's most important artists showed their work for the first time at Whitney Biennials, including Edward Hopper and Georgia O'Keeffe.

There are many kinds of photographs from around the world included in the show, an event held every two years to showcase the latest in contemporary art.

This year, the curators have chosen to include the work of at least 15 foreign-born artists who now reside in the United States.

The idea of the model is prevalent in the exhibition. "Pizza City" by Chris Burden gives us slices of American cities.

The curators hope the exhibition will force people to look at the world in a different way. Phillips also hopes, "that people will have the sense that American culture is very vital, very important and strong and something that should be celebrated and supported."

This new crop of artists will undoubtedly produce some of tomorrow's celebrated masters.

The show, which opened March 20, runs through June 1.

Terms under which this service is provided to you.