New WAM exhibition highlights Worcester artist James Dye, winner of the Sally R. Bishop Prize for Best in Show at 2017 ArtsWorcester Biennial
Temple-of-the-Burdened-By James Dye
Worcester, MA???Works by Worcester artist James Dye???winner of the Sally R. Bishop Prize for Best in Show at the 2017 ArtsWorcester Biennial???are the focus of a new exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum. Opening on April 7, Exploring the Myths of James Dye features 21 dip pen, India ink drawings by the artist, whose meticulously rendered works blend themes from ancient myths with iconography that refers to alchemy, cosmology and the Apocalypse.?? Organized in collaboration with ArtsWorcester, the exhibition remains on view through September 2, 2018.?? A reception with the artist takes place on Thursday, April 19 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. ??
James Dye trained as a printmaker but turned to ink drawings after earning a BFA in 2005 from the Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University. An avid reader all of his life, Dye draws heavily on his rich knowledge of oral and written mythologies???from Fenrir, the Norse wolf, to the Greek demigod Hercules, to the land-beast Behemoth in the Old Testament.?? While Dye???s references to literary myth and fable are broad, his iconography shows a distinct tendency toward dystopic visions and fantastic beasts.??
Over 25 prints from the Museum???s collection will be exhibited alongside Dye???s drawings, chosen in concert with the artist. These prints often refer to myths or fables and favor printmakers with a strong narrative, such as William Blake and Francisco Goya. Though Dye rarely quotes directly from other artists, in The Hanging Tree, he nods to Jacques Callot???s 1633 anti-war etching series The Miseries and Misfortunes of War. This pairing explores Dye???s broader interest in the spectacle of death. Another pairing, Dirck Volckertsz Coornhaert???s Triumph of Time and Dye???s Musica Univeralis, delves into the artist???s fascination with natural philosophy, notably how past scholars attempted to understand the shape of the earth and heavens.??
Exploring the Myths of James Dye is co-curated by Nancy Kathryn Burns, the Worcester Art Museum???s associate curator of prints, drawings, and photographs, and Rachael Kane, Moggio Fellow for Diversity in Fine Arts. The exhibition furthers the Museum???s commitment to presenting local artists while connecting to one of the main contemporary art organizations in the region, ArtsWorcester. Every artist who submitted work to the 2017 ArtsWorcester Biennial received a Worcester Art Museum membership, regardless of whether or not their work was accepted for exhibition. Some one hundred artists have redeemed their membership gift certificate and are now visiting the galleries to integrate over 50,000 years of art into their own studio practices.
???James Dye???s drawings speak to universal themes, such as birth, death, and creation. Accessible to visitors of all ages and backgrounds, his works invite viewers to create their own stories using these intricate and timeless images,??? said Matthias Waschek, C. Jean and Miles McDonough Director of the Worcester Art Museum. ???We are proud to partner with ArtsWorcester to introduce WAM audiences to this exceptional emerging artist. This is an important expression of our mission to connect people, communities, and culture through the experience of art.?????
???ArtsWorcester and WAM have long sought a way to further their missions together,??? said ArtsWorcester Executive Director Juliet Feibel. ???This opportunity???unlike any other in the area–will significantly advance the career of a regional artist and exhibit entirely new artwork at the Museum.??? ??
Exploring the Myths of James Dye is organized in collaboration with ArtsWorcester and supported in part by the Worcester Arts Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. Media Partners are Artscope and Worcester Magazine