BEGINNING MAY 9, 2008 Alexis Rockman, Orange Waterspout, 2007. Oil on paper, 18 x 24 inches. Collection of Steve and Tyra Abrams. Courtesy of Leo Koenig, Inc. New York, NY. Alexis Rockman: The Weight of Air The Lois Foster Wing Alexis Rockman is well known for his intricately crafted and often surreal depictions of the relationship between nature and human culture. In the past two years, he has been creating an extraordinary new body of works on paper that reveals a depth of experimental process resulting in a unique mix of beauty, feelings of wonder and encroaching catastrophe. “Alexis Rockman: The Weight of Air” represents Rockman’s debut of a looser, flowing style, more concentrated on artfulness than representational prowess. This will be Rockman’s first solo museum show of works on paper and the first museum display of the artist’s latest works. It will present approximately 50 new pieces, each of which addresses dramatic changes in the worldwide climate, as well as representative pieces from his early career that will contextualize his current paintings. A full color catalogue will complement the show with essays by Rush, curator of the exhibition, as well as Helen Molesworth, curator of contemporary art at the Harvard University Art Museums. read the press release Chesleyn Amato, Fabric Collage (Placemants, Napkins, & Deathcamps), 2004/07. Wall mural, dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Spertus Museum, Chicago. The New Authentics: Artists of the Post-Jewish Generation The Rose Building This exhibition will feature works by 16 American artists who are prominent in the global contemporary art world, and will serve as a platform for raising important questions about cultural, ethnic and religious identity in the United States today. The exhibition will examine how these artists are informed by their particular experiences as Jews and will address complex notions of Jewishness in American culture. Artists include: David Altmejd, Cheselyn Amato, Johanna Bresnick, Shoshana Dentz, Lilah Freedland, Matthew Girson, Karl Haendel, Laura Kina, Fawn Krieger, Jin Meyerson, Mindy Rose Schwartz, Collier Schorr, Ludwig Schwarz, Joel Tauber, Shoshanna Weinberger and Jennifer Zackin. The exhibition is curated by Staci Boris and organized by the Spertus Museum at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies in Chicago. read the press release Odili Donald Odita, Give Me Shelter, 2007. Acrylic latex wall paint, colored pigment on wall, 19.7 x 59 x 59 feet. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York; with support of The International Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Photo: Giovanni Pancino. Paper Trail II: Passing Through Clouds The Mildred S. Lee Gallery “Paper Trail II” is the second in a series of three exhibitions in which artists integrate their own work with pieces they select from the museum’s works on paper collection. The project offers the rare opportunity to showcase samples from more than 2,000 works on paper owned by The Rose Art Museum. For this, the second installment in the series, Odili Donald Odita will be the featured artist. Odita is a Nigerian-born artist best known for his abstract paintings. Critic Gregory Volk has written that “Odita has earned a reputation for his colorful acrylic abstract paintings, in which slightly irregular bands, elongated triangles, stretched-out trapezoids and other off-kilter geometric forms extend horizontally across the support. While Odita's works have roots in patterned geometric abstraction, their choppy contours suggest both turbulence and organic growth. They also pull in hints of big landscapes, big skies, textile decorations and ‘traditional’ clothing from Odita's native Nigeria.” Odita has exhibited widely, including at this year’s Venice Biennale. He is a professor at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and a critic who has written for such publications as Flash Art and Nka. read the press release	UPCOMING EVENTS INSIDE VIEW: The Weight of Air Saturday, May 31, 2 p.m. Join Michael Rush, Henry and Lois Foster Director, for a gallery tour of the Rose exhibition The Weight of Air, the first major museum solo show of Alexis Rockman's latest works. The Ruth Ann and Nathan Perlmutter Artist in Residency: Alexis Rockman Artist Talk and Award Ceremony Thursday, June 5, 5 p.m. Join painter Alexis Rockman for a special evening at the Rose that will include an artist talk and award ceremony followed by a reception. Rockman will discuss the historical influences and scientific aspects that inform his new body of works. Rockman will receive the Annual Perlmutter Artist in Residency Award. The Perlmutter Award confirms the Rose's role in introducing important emerging artists to cultural and educational communities. MORE EVENTS >>