Drawn primarily from deCordova’s permanent collection, Transcendental Modernism connects to the nearby exhibition Visionary New England, while focusing on artistic developments in Massachusetts from the 1940s through the 1990s. Veering away from dominant narratives of modern art as abstract, secular, and self-referential, Transcendental Modernism advances an understanding of vanguard art in Massachusetts based on intersectional social progress and interdisciplinary artistic pursuits. The exhibition examines the spiritual commitments of Boston Expressionists, the presence of Afrofuturism in Boston, and utopian collaborations between artists and scientists.
The exhibition was organized by Sam Adams, Curatorial Fellow.
