POV (point of view)

Opening Friday June 6, from 6-8 pm

Featuring a special screening of Carmen Herrera’s acclaimed 60 Minutes interview

Many have argued that the creation of art is an extension of the maker. Then came the era of  “Death of the Author”; where the artist’s identity was seen as irrelevant—meaning it belonged to the viewer. But what if art is made somewhere in between? Why should a creative practice be solely an act of self-expression—or completely divorced from the self?

There is no singular way to define the current exhibition, POV (point of view), except to say that all the work is made by women, reflecting one of the focuses of the collection used to create exhibitions at The Lobby. As the old joke goes: women always have a point of view.

This exhibition features several giants of contemporary art, including the late Carmen Herrera. Born in Cuba in 1915, Herrera trained in architecture before developing her signature style of bold, hard-edge abstractions influenced by Suprematism and De Stijl. For decades, she quietly created refined, minimalist compositions—often seen publicly only as a wife while privately producing deeply ordered paintings and works on paper. She did not sell her first artwork until her 80s, but by her 90s and 100s, she was celebrated with major museum retrospectives and collected by top institutions. Her works explore formal clarity and spatial tension, positioning her as a vital figure in the history of abstraction—and a reminder that dedication to one’s vision can transcend time and recognition.

Lynda Benglis, another groundbreaking figure, redefined sculpture at a time when the field was dominated by male artists. A pioneer in postminimalism and feminist art, she gained prominence in the 1960s with poured latex and polyurethane works that broke from the rigid forms of minimalism in favor of sensuality, spontaneity, and bodily expression. Her multidisciplinary practice—spanning sculpture, video, and installation—blurs the line between abstraction and figuration. In this exhibition, Enfield (1986) exemplifies her subversive approach: by casting traditionally feminine bows in copper, Benglis complicates notions of gendered aesthetics, transforming delicate symbols into weighty, assertive forms.

Jenny Holzer is a conceptual artist who uses language as her primary medium, placing provocative text in public spaces to confront viewers with social and political issues. Her Survival Series, particularly the iconic granite benches, blends the permanence of memorials with the urgency of protest. Stoic in form yet potent in message, these benches invite quiet reflection through etched phrases known as Truisms. In this exhibition, Holzer’s granite bench inscribed with, “THE SUM OF YOUR ACTIONS DETERMINES WHAT YOU ARE,” exemplifies her ability to make language both physical and profound.

Simone Leigh is a renowned American artist whose multidisciplinary practice centers on Black feminist thought and the lived experiences of Black women. Working across sculpture, video, installation, and social practice, her signature busts, such as the piece featured in the current exhibition, crafted from ceramics, bronze, and porcelain, highlight the strength, dignity, and interior lives of Black women. These works incorporate cultural signifiers such as cowrie shells, braiding, and elaborate hairstyles, drawing from African
traditions and domestic objects to merge fragility with resilience. In 2022, Leigh made history as the first Black woman to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale, providing an international platform to showcase her work under the United States banner. Through her art, Leigh challenges dominant historical narratives and reclaims space for Black women within the canon of contemporary art.

Rebecca Manson creates mixed-media works that explore the tension between natural and constructed environments, focusing on the fragility of human experience. Known for her rich textures and meticulous layering, she invites reflection on transformation, memory, and impermanence. In Blue Assortment, Manson uses fragile materials like porcelain to form a bouquet of flowers—embodying themes of renewal and transience.A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design’s ceramics department, she balances technical mastery with a drive to break artistic convention, drawing inspiration from the rural landscape near her home north of New York City.

Wendy Red Star, a recent recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Award—often called the “genius grant”—is a contemporary Native American artist whose work merges academic training with cultural heritage. A graduate of UCLA’s MFA program and raised within the creative traditions of the Crow Nation, Red Star explores history, identity, and representation through photography, installation, and drawing. Her parfleche drawings reinterpret traditional leather storage containers used by Native peoples, incorporating vibrant geometric patterns that honor both form and lineage. For this exhibition, Red
Star lent an original parfleche from her personal collection, offering a rare opportunity to see the authentic object alongside its abstracted counterpart. Her work reclaims and recontextualizes Indigenous narratives, opening vital conversations about memory, preservation, and the role of Native voices in both contemporary and historical art discourse.

Deborah Roberts is an African American artist whose powerful mixed-media portraits examine themes of identity, race, and beauty standards. Drawing from personal experience and cultural history, Roberts combines collage and painting to depict Black children and adults, often merging different facial features and expressions to challenge stereotypes. Her figures are both tender and confrontational, revealing the ways race and gender shape perception. Roberts’s work questions ideals, explores the fluidity of identity, and celebrates the resilience of Black communities—offering a deeply personal and socially critical voice.

Joan Snyder is known for her emotionally charged paintings that blend abstraction with personal and cultural symbolism. Her flower paintings, including the piece in this exhibition, explore life, growth, and transformation through bold brushwork and lush textures. Often incorporating encaustic, oil, and mixed media, Snyder’s tactile surfaces invite viewers to physically engage with the work. Her flowers become more than botanical forms; they are metaphors for emotional states, embodying both vitality and vulnerability. Though her work gained recognition later in life, recent efforts to spotlight
under-recognized voices have rightfully brought new attention to Snyder’s enduring contribution.

In 2013, Sarah Sze represented the United States at the 55th Venice Biennale, a
prestigious platform that affirmed her position as one of the leading conceptual artists ofher generation. Known for her innovative use of non-traditional materials—such as yarn, wires, and Q-tips—Sze creates intricate constructions that challenge our understanding of space, time, and perception. In Torn Sky, featured in this exhibition, she balances a fragmented image of the sky atop a silver slab that mimics rugged brick, merging notions of glamour and grit. The work continues her investigation into the tension between the natural and the constructed, rupture and cohesion. Through this dynamic composition, Sze transforms everyday materials into a meditation on fragility, resilience,
and the invisible forces that shape our environment.

Emmi Whitehorse is a Navajo (Diné) artist whose luminous, abstract paintings are rooted in the landscape, language, and philosophy of her heritage. Her layered, atmospheric compositions suggest natural forms—wind, light, water, and topography—without literal depiction. Using pastel hues and gestural marks, she creates visual fields that feel both intimate and expansive. Her process is intuitive, reflecting the Navajo worldview in which all elements of life are interconnected. Rather than narrate, her paintings evoke—offering a contemplative space shaped by memory, environment, and cultural continuity.