Howardena Pindell (b. 1943) is an American painter and mixed-media artist whose work explores texture, color, and the art-making process. In the 1960s and 70s, abstract compositions and richly textured surfaces were Pindell’s focus.
In the late 1970s, a series of events prompted Pindell to take on a more activist role in her life and work. These events culminated in 1979, when she left her job at MoMA for a teaching position at Stony Brook and shortly thereafter suffered a car crash, leaving her with temporary amnesia. In the wake of these events, Pindell’s work shifts from pure abstraction to more personal and political themes, explicitly addressing history, class and race.
Her 2018 retrospective at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art is organized chronologically, with 1979 as its midpoint. Here, visitors encounter an interpretive space explaining Pindell’s personal journey and providing context for the disruptive events of the year.
This interpretive space tells the story of 1979 through global events, popular culture and music. Most importantly, it highlights key events in Pindell’s biography. In addition to these didactic requirements, the brief requested an immersive, disruptive, and confrontational space to create a strong contrast with Pindell’s understated canvases.
Our design solution, The Rupture, is a fifteen foot tall painted wood pavilion, interrupting the museum’s circulation path and providing an organizational framework for the room’s content.
The Rupture is a black-painted octagonal pavilion with tapered sides and a flared bottom. A single portal provides access to the blue-painted interior, illuminated by a single suspended light fixture. Formal inspiration for The Rupture was found in nature, architecture and engineering.
Global events of the period are highlighted on The Rupture’s exterior, forming a graphic belt that encircles the structure. The gallery’s side walls are papered over with pop culture imagery and a soundtrack features significant music of the era.
Inside, the tapered, sky-lit form is painted a soft blue and creates a contemplative mood for Pindell’s personal story. Photographs and other media fill each wall panel and provide a chronological journey through the significant events of the artist’s life.
