The Animals We Are: A Reflection of the Maier Museum's 103rd Annual Exhibition "A Menagerie of Metaphors"

Written by Phuong Tran ’15

Published October 2014

“Children see the world as things and animals, they don’t see the world as people,” asserts a line from the catalog of the Maier’s 103rd annual exhibition, “A Menagerie of Metaphors.” It succinctly captures how I felt at the opening of the exhibition on September 12: entering the Maier was like entering a whole new universe, as if I were a little child again, seeing the world afresh.  

I was greeted by a collection of stark and soulful life-size portraits of elephants by Nick Brandt, a British photographer who works exclusively in Africa and who is the founder of Big Life Foundation, an anti-poaching organization. The elephants evoke the utmost lightness of being, walking with elegance and simplicity around the African plain, whole and complete within their natural habitat. 

A visitor stops to appriciate the "stark and soulful" elephant portraits by Nick Brandt.
Photo Courtesy of Phuong Tran

Then came the haunting hybrid humanimal photomontages of Jane Alexander, an artist working in Johannesburg who seeks to send a political message about apartheid and colonialism, and the protean rabbits of Jenny Lynn McNutt, whose animal imagery speaks volumes of humanity in an intertwining relationship with nature. At the far end of the main exhibition room proudly and elegantly stood the bird sculptures of Jason Rose, with their all-knowing gaze like that of those ancient pharaohs. Made out of pigmented glass, marble, and limestone, they exuded an air of pure and astounding beauty.   

One of the tapestries by Kiki Smith stretched
from floor to ceiling and pictured a majestic wolf.
Photo courtesy of Phuong Tran.

Anyone who has some interest in contemporary art knows about Kiki Smith, and I was thrilled to find her works at the exhibition: “The Cathedral” and “The Guide,” two mythically beautiful jacquard tapestries that would enthrall any viewer who should step into the smaller exhibition room. In the same space, Walton Ford’s watercolor paintings and Louise Bourgeois’s drypoint etchings stand facing each other, telling stories of humans through the animals with a subtle touch of humor. “What I did not want was just illustration of animals, I wanted examples of art that incorporated animals that could open up a story within the viewer, or a metaphor,” said Kathy Muehlemann, the curator as well as a professor of art and chair of the Art Department at the College, explaining her intention and motivation for a show she has been working diligently to put together since June. Her research dates back to much further than that, to her travels to Bostwana during her sabbatical in 2009.  “It wasn’t just a depiction of an animal in its environment, but it’s about metaphors—that the more you look at these works, you start to have questions or develop a storyline and think about yourself in relation to the animals.”
  
The exhibition celebrated its opening with a surprisingly high number in attendance—253 people, including students, faculty, staff, and others from Lynchburg—and is the sixth show that professor Muehlemann has curated since beginning her tenure at Randolph 20 years ago. The opening also marks the 103rd year the Maier has held an annual exhibition for contemporary art, a feat no other college in the U.S. has matched, according to Prof. Muehlemann.
   
Attendees of the opening had their own thoughts on the exhibit: Mandy Boucher, an English major senior, thinks that all the work was amazing, but Nick Brandt’s photographs hit her the hardest. “I think art in general depends on the person looking at it. Personally, I felt more in-tune with the elephant photography than the puppet photography, and closer to the rabbit sculptures than the rabbit paintings. When an image has a recognizable ‘something’ to it, it really depends on you. With the elephants, the eyes said something to me. With the rabbit sculptures, I felt pain from them. In relation to animals in general, I feel like the human race as a whole ignore and really deny any connection with other species,” she said.
   
Emily Hood, another English major senior, had a different perspective: “Two of my favorite pieces in the show were the rabbit sculptures. When I walked into the gallery, I saw a group of people looking down at the floor. When I went over to see what they were looking at, I saw the sculpture of the rabbit curled beneath me. The placement of the sculpture made me feel as though I was looking down on an actual rabbit that had just been killed. I began to feel something for this figure that had never even drawn a breath.” 

Her sentiment is also shared by a first year, Harrison Pippin. “I felt like the pieces were taking symbols we all know from nature and putting a civilized twist on them. It looked like the artist were making the artwork about our interpretation of nature and what these animals mean to us rather than depicting them realistically. Over all, I think they made me feel more aware of my connection to the outside environment by showing us how we can change things and reflect ourselves onto the world,” shared Pippin. 

Two Randolph students examine a colorful piece from the Maier Museum show,
 "A Menagerie of Metaphors" curated by Kathy Muehlemann.
Photo courtesy of Phuong Tran.

The artworks at the Maier turn our eyes around, showing us how we have been busy living our lives without being fully aware of our own existence in relation with other creatures. Commenting on Walton Ford’s painting of a blue bird who has acquired an excessive number of fish, Prof. Muehlemann said: “Maybe it’s a parable of greed, don’t you just see an animal kills more than it can eat?”

Walking around the less crowded gallery and talking with Prof. Muehlemann about all the artworks, I learnt so much more than I could have done by just reading the catalog or looking at the pieces myself. When we conversed, our interpretations of the work had a chance to meet and interact. Our ideas were mingled and woven together, creating in me an understanding much more revealing and profound than my original impressions. For anyone who won’t have a chance to talk with Prof. Muehlemann in person, come to the 23rd Berlind Symposium on October 3 and 4. The symposium is designed to enhance our students’ art appreciation of the annual exhibition by hosting scholars and artists to discuss issues relevant to each show. This year’s symposium includes a poetry reading session by art critic and poet Tom Sleigh, an artist talk by Jenny Lynn McNutt, and a panel discussion (moderated by Prof. Muehlemann) with Prof. Schwartz, McNutt, and Sleigh. “So many students, faculty and staff have already visited ‘A Menagerie of Metaphors,’ and the Berlind Symposium offers an opportunity for even more meaningful understanding as we all continue to relate to the artwork and what the artists are communicating. It begins new conversations and offers unique perspectives on the themes within the exhibition.

 The exhibition is open until December 14, after which the Maier will have to return the artworks to their respective galleries. However, the museum intends to purchase a piece for our collection, and students’ opinion will be taken into consideration. At the entrance area near the reception, on the right there is a blue vase and a row of cards with the artist’s name on them. All you have to do is pick the artist you like, write down the artwork that impresses you the most, and put the card into the vase. The survey does not guarantee that the most favorite piece will be purchased, but it helps the museum in finding the one enjoyed by most people that they can afford.