Culled from the remarkable collection of Susan and Lewis Manilow, this exhibition presents approximately 100 works on paper by 18 contemporary artists. The selected works, the majority from the 1990s, share a common motif—the figure. Continuing the historical exploration of this form, many of the artists have returned to more classical processes and representational modes, yet the character and subject matter of the works betray their contemporary sensibility. A number of the works freely manipulate and distort the organic shapes of the body, some using animals as human surrogates, to convey psychological states and probe forms of the subconscious; others reflect a more diaristic approach, addressing the artist’s personal concerns about aspects of contemporary culture; while others investigate notions of history and identity.

The exhibition is organized by MCA Associate Curator Staci Boris.