Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown brings the imaginative design, consummate draftsmanship, and dreamy visions of the renowned M.C. Escher to Upstate New York with the exhibition M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations, on view May 27-September 4, 2023. This monumental show from the private collection of Paul and Belinda Firos of Athens, Greece features more than 160 works and spans Escher’s entire career, from his early training in Italy and Spain to his final years in the Netherlands. Visitors will see nearly every iconic image he produced.
“This exhibition has attracted record crowds in cities across the country and Fenimore is pleased to share it with everyone in Upstate New York throughout the summer,” said Dr. Paul S. D’Ambrosio, Fenimore Art Museum President and CEO. “Escher’s work is complex yet easy to enjoy. Even if you are familiar with his work, you will certainly find plenty of new and inspiring details in this impressive collection.”
Initially inspired by nature, Escher’s later works became submerged in what he referred to as “mental imagery,” a host of subjects influenced by Moorish architecture, mathematical equations, alchemy, and the concept of metamorphosis.
It was in 1937 that Escher stepped through what he called the “open gate of mathematics.” He used his imagination and his technical expertise as a graphic artist to invent new visual constructions, challenging conventional perceptions of space, perspective, the “impossible,” and the “infinite.”
By the 1950s, Escher had developed a following among mathematicians and scientists who were intrigued by his tessellations and “impossible buildings.” In the 1960s, his work was embraced as part of the pop-art and psychedelic movements. Escher’s artwork was used, often without his permission, on everything from album covers to dorm room posters. His work has since become a symbolic bridge between science and art.
The exhibition displays some of Escher’s most iconic works, including Day and Night, Ascending and Descending, and the fourteen-foot-long Metamorphosis. The collection also features numerous, seldom-displayed prints including the entire set of his mezzotints and one of the earliest, large format drawings done by the artist.
This exhibition was provided by PAN Art Connections.
M.C. Escher: Infinite Variations is sponsored in part by Robert and Esther Black Family Foundation, The Clark Foundation, Nellie and Robert Gipson, Joseph and Carol Mahon, Mr. Tom Morgan and Ms. Erna J. Morgan McReynolds, NYCM Insurance, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas O. Putnam, and Richland County Foundation.
Related Programming:
Virtual Symposium
M.C. Escher: Where Art, Math, and the Sciences Converge – STEAM-Based Virtual Symposium Tuesday, August 1 • 6:00-9:00 PM. Free. Pre-registration required.
