Breaking the boundaries between art and sports, art exhibit “Hockey Seen: A Nightmare in Three Periods and Sudden Death” opens at the Haggerty Art Museum on Sept. 28. With well-known philosopher Nelson Goodman behind this unique display of media, the museum will be hosting a reception for the American Society for Aesthetics on Oct. 27 in conjunction with the exhibit.
Goodman used his ideas on aesthetics and epistemology as the heart of this exhibit’s essence. “Nelson felt that art was under-appreciated, but was just as important as a subject in school,” said Dan Herro, head preparatory at Haggerty.
As a result, Goodman established a program at the Harvard School of Education known as “Project Zero,” which linked the study of art and education.
Nelson first drew his inspiration for “Hockey Seen” from his wife and visual artist, Katherine Sturgis, who captured the liveliness and artistic movement in hockey, with drawings she saw on black and white television.
First recognized as a theater production, “Hockey Seen” toured the United States and even Belgium after making its debut in 1972. For the production, Sturgis’ drawings were turned into slides and projected onto the backdrop of the stage. In addition, composer John C. Adams, who is known for his work on the operas “Nixon in China” and “The Death of Klinghoffer,” created a unique and avant-garde soundtrack by combining the realistic sounds of whistles, crowd cheers and elements of early electronics. A team of dancers would authentically re-enact the liveliness and creative energy that runs through three periods of a hockey game, as well as a final showdown.
“Meeting the lines between art and sport, (“Hockey Seen”) is aesthetically pleasing,” said Lynne Shumow, Haggerty’s curator of education. “(Goodman) is trying to bring art to a wider audience.”
“Hockey Seen” is currently being showcased as an art exhibit and consists of several artistic elements which are neatly woven together. In addition to the movie component of the exhibit, the paper-mâché masks that were worn by the dancers are also on display, along with over 100 framed drawings by Sturgis and photos taken from the performances.
After Goodman died in 1998, Dr. Curtis Carter, director of Haggerty Art Museum and close friend with Goodman, was given the exhibit in 2000.
“He (Goodman) knew that this kind of artwork was kind of an unusual piece, but that I understood it and appreciated it,” said Carter.
With that in mind, Carter believes that “Hockey Seen” will be appreciated from a large array of Marquette students, ranging from the theater major to the typical athlete.
“I think we wanted to get students and others to see the types of art connected,” said Carter. “The university setting is an ideal place.”
“Hockey Seen” will be shown at Haggerty Art Museum until Jan. 14, 2007. Haggerty Art Museum is located on Marquette University’s campus on Clybourn and 13th streets. Admission to the museum is free.
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