Spanning from the late 19th century to the present, the Menil Collection’s modern and contemporary holdings highlight a vast array of movements, materials, and styles. Displayed in the galleries are more than forty photographs, sculptures, paintings, and drawings from the collection alongside important loans. Recent acquisitions on view include works by Dawoud Bey, Sam Gilliam, Christina Quarles, Winfred Rembert, and Deborah Roberts.
This installation includes two commissions by the de Menils, both created for exhibitions at Rice University in the 1970s. Niki de Saint Phalle’s painted polyester sculptures of Cat and Camel, 1966-67, are presented for the first time after recent restoration. Created for the 1971 exhibition For Children, the whimsical creatures embody the French American artist’s defiantly joyous and colorful approach to sculpture.
Joe Overstreet’s The New Jemima, 1964, 1970, is a satirical, Pop art–inflected take on the racist “Mammy” stereotype personified by Aunt Jemima that was made for the 1971 show Some American History. On this oversized, three-dimensional structure, Overstreet reimagines the character as a symbol of agency and empowerment. Concluding the presentation is John Chamberlain’s monumental American Tableau, 1984. First installed outside at Seagram Plaza in New York City, the structure is comprised of fourteen components, made from the sculptor’s signature material of scrap-metal auto parts. When the Menil opened its doors in 1987, American Tableau was among the twenty-three sculptures by Chamberlain on display in an inaugural exhibition.
John and Dominique de Menil first became interested in art through the work of modern and contemporary artists, and many of the works in the collection reflect the couple’s dedication to cultivating close relationships with those artists, including Andy Warhol, Niki de Saint Phalle, Robert Rauschenberg, and Joe Overstreet.
