Defining Beauty
Third Annual International Juried Art Exhibition
For as long as the concept of beauty has existed, it has been championed and idealized, challenged and questioned. Beauty as a concept — in art, culture and society — is ever-changing. It is also increasingly complex, as viewers and artists alike drive for deeper discussion around beauty in contemporary art.
Defining Beauty, CMATO’s third annual international juried exhibition, features painting, mixed-media and video works by Zara Monet Feeney, Francene Levinson and Sungjae Lee. The artists were selected from nearly 1,000 submissions in all visual media as part of the museum’s open call.
Through this exhibition, artists embrace the beautiful with a contemporary perspective that brings depth, delight and dialogue for the viewer.
Defining Beauty is now on view at CMATO. You can also learn more about “The Memory Project,” created by artist Christine Shannon Aaron. This unique, experiential installation aims to show people the elements that unite us through the sharing of memories. Learn more here.
Virtual Tour
BY RICHARD REITZELL
In 1878, Margaret Wolff Hungerford first penned this simple phrase in her book Molly Bawn and captured an incredibly complicated, deeply nuanced thought: the idea that beauty is subjective and open to multiple meanings and a variety of interpretations. One commonality may be the idea that beauty impacts us in a manner that captivates, catches our eye, makes a connection, and intrigues us in profound ways, both emotionally and analytically. It entices us to take another look, yet also compels us to linger for a moment longer, absorb what we are seeing and feeling, and enjoy the full experience. Arguably, there is no more fertile field for beauty than in the world of art.
Franz Bischoff, Cool Drifting Fog, The Gardena High School Collection