USC Fisher Museum of Art

On December 3, 2020, author and curator Elizabeth Ferrer gave a talk for the Fisher Museum which discussed the museum's holdings of Mexcian and Latinx photography as well as her soon-to-be published book, "Latinx Photography in the United States." *Due to some technical difficulties, this video begins a few minutes into the program.

Today is #MusMeme Day! This is an annual museum social media day where museums all over the world make funny memes using art/artifacts/topics from their collections! Slide over to twitter where most the action is happening and use the #musmeme hashtag to explore the fun! Here is our contribution. 2020 Zoom Mullet Business on the top... Still in bed on the bottom _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ top artwork by Nicolaes Maes bottom artwork (detail) by Demian Flores See more

How it started... How it's going . . . .... . In the photographic diptych, "En Circulo I," Spanish artist Mira Bernabeu redevelops the idea of formal family portraiture. Here she unveils two representations of vulnerable idiosyncratic family, by juxtaposing the original image with the exact same pose of the family, this time in their undergarments and seemingly covered in blood. The artist maintains that "the two images are family portraits; the first expresses the outward image of the family and the second represents the hidden violence within." (text taken from the Andrew James Wulf essay in the catalogue for "Insatiable Desires" USC Fisher Gallery, 2005.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Mira Bernabeu "En Circulo I," Mise en Scene Series 1996 Vertical diptych 54 3/8 x 40 inches Purchase Fund Mira Bernabeu

This is an AMAZING story!

We have been enjoying these Hue's Hue explorations of color from The Paris Review. This one focuses on periwinkle!

Monday Week 2 Lockdown 2 in Los Angeles When you live alone Things are getting... . . . . WEIRD _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Robert D'Alessandro Untitled (Nude and Mannequin in Bed) 1971 8 3/8 x 12 3/8 in. Black and white photograph Gift of Andrew Schwartz Robert D'Alessandro, Image reproduced with permission of the artist #USCFisherMuseum #RobertDAlessandro #Photography #BlackAndWhite #Nudes #Mannequin #SaferAtHome See more

#FBF to Robert Graham: Body of Work" which was on exhibit at the museum in the winter of 2007/2008. Artist Robert Graham (b. 1938, Mexico City, died December 2008, Los Angeles) explored the female figure in drawings, photographs, videos, and, especially, sculpture for the entirety of his career. This exhibition "Body of Work" revealed a new phase in this exploration, pushing the depiction of movement to its most abstract form. These nudes, like virtuosic three-dimensional sk...etches, simultaneously embody the vigorous gesture of both the sculptor and his model. Installation views from "Body of Work." All work Robert Graham estate. Exhibition curated by Peggy Fogelman. #USCFisherMuseum #RobertGraham #sculpture #nudes #Abstract #BodyOfWork #MuseumFromHome #FemaleForm #flashbackfriday

We are so excited for this artist talk with Laura Barbata! Join us next Thursday, Oct. 29th at 4 PM (PT) to learn more about the artist's transdisciplinary practice! Get your (virtual) tickets ... (Image credit: Barbata, "Intervention: Ocean Blues," 2017-2018. Synthetic raffia, various textiles, rope, yarn paper, reed, and palm. Total dimensions variable. Image courtesy of the artist.)

How NOT to mask! . . . .... . . . . . These face coverings may have worked for a Verdi opera about murder at a masked ball, but they fail the 2020 health requirements! . #uscfishermuseum #GeorgeTooker #UnBalloinMaschera #masks #Verdi #facemask #maskup #MuseumFromHome #socialrealism _ _ _ _ _ _ George Tooker "Un Ballo in Maschera" 1983 Color lithograph on paper Dr. Eugene Rogolsky Collection The Estate of George Tooker. Courtesy of DC Moore Gallery, New York See more

#FlashbackFriday to Friday, March 13th. That morning we had sent out the email and posted to social media that we would be closing due to COVID-19 concerns. It was understandably quiet that day, dreary with a little bit of rain (remember rain? ) We had 16 visitors, but two specifically stand out. One was an undergraduate student who has seen the current exhibition and wanted to show a few friends before we closed. The other was a gentleman from Orange County who upon he...aring that we were closing, asked his boss for a few hours, got on the train to LA, and visited us to see the works of @chuckarnoldi because he is a huge fan. We think about those two guests often even now so many months later and are heartened to know that they were able to see and share the epic works of Charles Arnoldi while they were on view. The exhibition will be deinstalled this fall and returned to Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation. We are working on upcoming exhibitions and look forward to welcoming guests back to the museum for some art magic.

Last year our Associate Director Kay celebrated 40 years at USC! Check out her story (and her fantastic 80s denim skirt!)

Sometimes when looking at artworks digitally, you can lose the scale of the piece. Paintings or prints you imagine as being small are actually 6 feet square and works that seem like they might be the size of modern paper (i.e. 8 1/2 by 11 inches or larger) are actually the size of a small greeting card. This high-resolution image of "The Strolling Musicians," an etching by Rembrandt is so beautifully detailed that you might not realize it is only...5 3/8 by 4 1/2 inches! (S...ee the second image for a photo of it in its classy frame.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn The Strolling Musicians 1635 Etching 5 3/8 x 4 1/2 in. Gift of Robert B. Young See more

Excited to have a work in our permanent collection, Jenny Holzer's "Blacklist," included in this article. How many of these public artworks have you seen in person?

This looks like a great project that could be very useful to museum professionals all around the world. The examples given are in science museums but we could see this being adapted for art museums too! "If we can determine how long people will spend at an exhibit, or when an exhibit begins to lose their attention, we can use that information to develop and implement adaptive exhibits that respond to user behavior in order to keep visitors engaged," says Andrew Emerson, first author of the study and a Ph.D. student at NC State.

October is #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth! Earlier this year, the Fisher Museum had planned to host an exhibition of works by USC Roski School of Art and Design Professor Emerita Margaret Lazzari. The exhibition, entitled "Drawing on Strength," focused on a series of works the artist created during and after her treatment for breast cancer. From her artist statement:... "These works deal with the body under assault, vulnerable, or in a weakened condition. They stem from my own recent struggle with cancer, but I see them as relating to anyone undergoing great change, profound emotions, major transitions, or a deep loss." (Anyone else feel this statement strongly in 2020?) While the exhibition was postponed, we look forward to rescheduling the show once we are able to return to the museum! _ _ _ _ _ _ Margaret Lazzari Scream 2004 Red and brown conté on paper 30 x 44 in. Image courtesy of the artist Margaret Lazzari

Aerial view of Jenny Holzer's Blacklist