MADISON MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART / RELIQUARY

August 18 – November 11, 2018
 
An immersive installation, William J. O’Brien: Reliquary showcases the artist’s wide range of material experimentation and reflects his continued interest in challenging the traditional boundaries separating fine art from functional craft. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a tent made from muslin and covered with O’Brien’s expressive ink drawings. As suggested by the exhibition’s title, this structure is the artist’s contemporary version of a reliquary, a container for holy relics. The work includes two life-size ceramic totems that guard the tent’s main entrance. Inside, a pedestal displays heavily textured bronze vessels and glazed ceramic sculptures.
 
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
Madison, WI