“Authority Figures” is an exhibition-as-pretext for research and documentation. Its binding premise is direct, yet open-ended—what does it mean to make a picture of the forces that subordinate subjects, willingly or not? The artwork appears to answer this question, to figure forth authority as masculinist, nationalist, capitalism, abstract, cultural, religious, etc. In fact, the project consists of students’ answers to this question, which they articulate through their encounter with an artwork.

Featuring the work of Berenice Abbott, John Albok, John Baldessari, Romare Bearden, Bruce High Quality Foundation, Renée Cox, Rachel Harrison, Alfredo Jaar, Rita Katz, Zoe Leonard, James Luna, Marjetica Potrc, Norman Rockwell, Daniela Rossell, Robert Ryman and Sandy Skoglund.

This exhibition is sponsored by the Visual Studies program at Eugene Lang College. It is co-curated by the students of Practicing Curating: Tamara Breugelmans, Juliana Echavarria, Natasha Hoskins, Jacqueline Jakab, Kunsu Kim, Austin Klein, Esther Levy, Aliyaa Nunez, Isabella Pinheiro, Bethany Pittman, Aristea Rellou, Danielle Reuben, Azzah Sultan, Brenna Tuel, and Victoria Walker with Natasha Marie Llorens.

All works are courtesy of The New School Art Collection.

For more information: www.authorityfigures.net