Accidental Mysteries

Earlier this week, on September 27, was the opening of my exhibition Art Without Artists at the Gregg Museum of Art & Design at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Almost a year of curatorial planning went into this wide-ranging exhibit, which includes 19th-century firefighting respirator masks, handmade game boards, signage, scientific devices, anonymous snapshots, quilts, and natural objects such as minerals and rocks. The exhibit’s focus includes objects never originally intended to be art — objects that today hold mystery and extraordinary design. Roger Manley, Director of the Gregg Museum is co-curator. The exhibition will be up through December 16, 2012.

Anonymous painting of Abraham Lincoln, c. 1930s, United States, oil on canvas, (fire damaged), 26″ x 18″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

John F. Kennedy paint-by-number board, 1964, United States, ink printed on canvas board, 18″ x 12″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Anonymous death mask l’inconnue de la seine, c. 1920s, France, hard rubber, 12″ x 8″ x 6″, collection of Steve Erenberg

Ceremonial mask, 20th century, Mexico, fashioned from found soccer ball, paper, twine, 7 1/2″ x 8 1/4″ x 8″, collection of Shari Cavin and Randall Morris

Firefighter’s respirator mask, 19th century, England, brass, leather, mica, 16″ x 8″ x 11″, collection of Steve Erenberg

 
Firefighter’s respirator mask, 1918, France, brass, leather, mica, rubber, 12″ x 9″ x 10″, collection of Steve Erenberg

(Left) Anonymous plaster head, c. 1950, United States, rain-damaged plaster, 14″ x 8″ x 12″; (Right) Missouri river rock, United States, found natural stone, 12″ x 11″ x 8″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Fireplace bellows, 19th century, United States, painted wood, leather, metal, 23″ x 9″, collection of American Primitive Gallery, New York

Bottle rack, c. 1910, France, galvanized metal, 20″ x 18″ diameter, private collection

Store display of children’s spats, c. 1920, England, leather, buttons, 12″ x 17″, collection of Steve Erenberg

Carousel Hell Ride, c. 1955, American, anonymous silver gelatin snapshot, 3 1/2″ x 3 1/2″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Homemade game board, c. 1950s, United States, counter top linoleum, aluminum frame, 12″ x 12″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Letter blotter sheet, 19th century, United States, ink on heavy cotton paper, 10 1/2″ x 8″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Make-do Backpack, c. 1945, United States, wood chair back, wool shirt, axe, sleeping bag, rope, 36″ x 17″ x 8″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Boro (futon cover), before 1945, Japan, indigo dye, cotton, 56″ x 56″, collection of Shari Cavin and Randall Morris

Hot water bottle, c. 1930, United States, rubber, 12″ x 8″, collection of Steve Erenberg

House ballerina (detail), c. 1930, Germany, anonymous silver gelatin snapshot, 5″ x 3″, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Navajun fool’s gold, Spain, natural object, iron pyrite crystals, 5 1/2″ x 7 1/4″ x 7″, collection of Jim Goodnight

Crazy quilt, c. 1920–50, United States, cotton batting, pieced cotton and wool top, 62″ x 72″, Gregg Museum collection, gift of A. Everette James Jr. and Dr. Nancy J. Farmer

Animal horn clipper, 19th century, United States, iron, 37″ x 8″ x 1″, collection of American Primitive Gallery, New York

Spool of drugstore prescriptions, 1951, United States, paper prescriptions on wire, wood, 24″ x 7″ diameter, collection of John and Teenuh Foster

Improvised chimney cleaning device, c. 1940s, United States, galvanized bucket, wood, iron bolts, 13″ x 10″ diameter, collection of Rick Ege

Art Without Artists catalog, 2012, 64-pages, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2”; designed by TOKY Branding + Design