Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection-in-Residence

The Ackland is fortunate to have American paintings on long-term loan from the Terra Foundation for American Art. These paintings are the centerpieces of the three sections of Triple Take: Dialogues with the Terra Collection-in-Residence. Each section of about twenty objects has different curators, who have gathered works from the Ackland that that connect in often unexpected ways with the Terra Foundation loans.

This three-part exhibition begins with Lyonel Feininger’s Denstedt (1917), a powerful and expressionistic view of a German village. This painting serves as the starting point for an exploration of the artist’s achievements across his career, curated by Peter Nisbet. Dana Cowen explores themes of looking, the mirror, and privacy through Archibald Motley’s Between Acts (1935). Ammi Phillips’s Girl in a Red Dress (c. 1835) and Robert Henri’s Sylvester (1914) anchor a selection of representations of children chosen by Lauren Turner and Carolyn Allmendinger. This final part of the exhibition explores how knowing or not knowing the names and biographical details of the people depicted can affect our experience of the artworks.

Cumulatively, Triple Take invites the visitor to experience the Terra Foundation loans in a  new way. The three contrasting curatorial approaches show how the Ackland’s rich and deep collection can create a space for reinterpreting works of art.

This exhibition is supported in part by the Terra Foundation for American Art and organized by Peter Nisbet, deputy director for curatorial affairs; Dana Cowen, Sheldon Peck curator for European and American art before 1950; Lauren Turner, associate curator for contemporary art and special projects; and Carolyn Allmendinger, interim director and director of education and interpretation.

Image credits:

Slideshow image #1: Ammi Phillips, Girl in a Red Dress, c. 1835, oil on canvas, 32 3/8 x 27 3/8 in. (82.2 x 69.5 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1992.57.

Main image and slideshow image #2: Robert Henri, Sylvester, 1914, oil on canvas, 32 x 26 in. (81.2 x 66.0 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2017.2.

Slideshow image #3: Lyonel Feininger, Denstedt, 1917, oil on canvas, 34 3/8 x 46 5/8 in. (87.3 x 118.4 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Collection, 1988.27.

Slideshow image #4: Archibald J. Motley, Jr., Between Acts, 1935, oil on canvas, 39 1/2 x 32 in. (100.3 x 81.3 cm). Terra Foundation for American Art, Daniel J. Terra Art Acquisition Endowment Fund, 2009.1.