An Opening of the Field: Jess, Robert Duncan, and Their Circle

JUNE 9 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2013 

The artist Jess Collins, known simply as Jess, and his partner, the poet Robert Duncan, were one of the most fascinating artistic couples of the 20th century. Soon after they met in 1950, they merged their personal and artistic lives to explore their interest in cultural mythologies, transformative narrative, and the appropriation of images.

This is the first exhibition to explore the couple's artistic production and relationship. Through more than 100 individual and collaborative works of art and personal letters drawn from private and public collections, this exhibit also looks at their influence and unique position as precursors of Postmodernism. A companion catalogue includes essays by William Breazeale, Ph.D., curator at the Crocker Art Museum, as well as Michael Duncan and Christopher Wagstaff.

Image credit: Jess, Feignting Spell, 1954. Oil on canvas, 48 x 42 in. Crocker Art Museum, partial gift of the Jess Collins Trust with contributions from the George and Bea Gibson Fund, Marcy and Mort Friedman Acquisition Fund, Rose Huckins Memorial Fund, and the Michael Himovitz Fund.

This exhibition is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

Exhibition support also provided by

Roy Casentini
David Gibson and William Ishmael

Exhibition-related programs: