THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART RECEIVES MAJOR GIFT OF CONTEMPORARY ART FROM ELAINE DANNHEISSER
Donation Includes 75 Works by 28 Artists Representing One of the Largest
and Most Significant Gifts of Art in the Museum's History
April 16, 1996. . . . .Agnes Gund, President of The Museum of Modern Art,
announced today that the Museum has received a gift of 75 major contemporary
works from Elaine Dannheisser and the Dannheisser Foundation. Comprising
paintings, sculptures, prints, installations, and video by 28 different
artists, the donation represents one of the largest and most significant gifts
of contemporary art the Museum has ever received. The gift includes major
works by a wide range of American and European artists, including Carl Andre,
Joseph Beuys, Brice Marden, Bruce Nauman, Sigmar Polke, Robert Ryman, Richard
Serra, and Cindy Sherman.
Agnes Gund states, "This gift represents a good marriage between a private
collector and a museum, reflecting the history of how this museum was founded.
I've long admired Elaine Dannheisser's interest and courage in pursuing the
sometimes challenging work of younger artists. In her collecting, Elaine has
not followed the whims of fashion or the dictates of critics but her own spirit
and interest. In making this gift, Elaine follows in the tradition of the
Museum's greatest benefactors."
Ronald S. Lauder, Chairman of the Board of The Museum of Modern Art and
Chairman of the Committee on Painting and Sculpture, comments, "The importance
of private patronage like Elaine Dannheisser's in recognizing and supporting
new artists as well as art institutions cannot be emphasized enough. The
Museum of Modern Art is a vital and vibrant institution which, as we move
toward the next century, will greatly benefit from Mrs. Dannheisser's
commitment and enthusiasm."
Elaine Dannheisser has had a long association with The Museum of Modern Art,
and she was recently named a Trustee. She has also served as a member of the
Museum's Committee on Painting and Sculpture and the International Council
since 1990. Mrs. Dannheisser began collecting art with her late husband,
Werner, and has been a collector of important modern works for 37 years. Her
collection is distinguished by its holdings of work in virtually every media by
both established modern artists and some of the most radical and provocative
young artists of the past decade. The collection has also been noted for its
balance between American and European artists, which draws connections between
parallel activities on the two continents over the last quarter century.
Glenn D. Lowry, Director of The Museum of Modern Art, states, "Every
collection is an act of passion and construction, serendipity and taste.
Elaine Dannheisser has created one of the most important collections of
contemporary art in the world with a vision that is particularly rich in the
works of some of the most engaging younger artists of the last ten years. Now
this remarkable collection becomes part of the fabric and history of The Museum
of Modern Art, building on the Museum's strengths and bolstering areas that are
currently in development. The Board and staff of the Museum join me in
thanking Mrs. Dannheisser and the Dannheisser Foundation on behalf of the
public, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of her generosity."
Kirk Varnedoe, Chief Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, comments,
"As a valued member of our painting and sculpture acquisitions committee,
Elaine Dannheisser has been a vital part of the Museum's efforts to assemble a
superior collection of contemporary art. This donation advances those efforts
tremendously, and we are profoundly grateful. Her extraordinary gift
strengthens our collection in a way that would have been impossible through the
marketplace."
Adds Robert Storr, Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, "With daring
and a sharp eye for the best of the new, Elaine Dannheisser has gathered a
collection of works by some of the most important artists of our generation.
The gift significantly expands our holdings of a number of the most influential
artists as the last quarter century, and increases the representation and
diversity of works of the last decade by such important artists as Robert
Gober, Jeff Koons, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, and Mathew Barney."
Highlights of the gift to MoMA include :
Bruce Nauman Drawings, sculptures, installations, neons, and videos
Sigmar Polke Works on paper and canvas from the early 1970s to
1992, including a primary example of his double-sided transparent paintings of
the late 1980s
Joseph Beuys An important example of his reliquary vitrines
Brice Marden A 1971 encaustic diptych and Vine (1991–93),
the Museum's first major acquisition of a web-work painting
Richard Serra Melnikov (1987), a massive steel
corner-prop-piece (1987); a paint-stick work; and two drawings
Tony Cragg A major floor sculpture and a wall sculpture
Robert Gober Eight works by Gober and a collaborative work with
Christopher Wool, which make MoMA the largest repository of Gober's work in the
world
Felix Gonzalez-Torres Six works including the billboard he created
for his MoMA Projects exhibition in 1992
An exhibition of works from Mrs. Dannheisser's gift is being planned for
next year.
Artists included in Mrs. Dannheisser's gift:
Carl Andre
Richard Artschwager
Mathew Barney
Bernd and Hilla Becher
Joseph Beuys
Louise Bourgeois
Francesco Clemente
Tony Cragg
Gilbert and George
Robert Gober
Felix Gonzalez-Torres
Dan Graham
Andreas Gursky
Georg Herold
Jenny Holzer
On Kawara
Anselm Kiefer
Jeff Koons
Richard Long
Brice Marden
Bruce Nauman
Sigmar Polke
Richard Prince
Robert Ryman
Richard Serra
Cindy Sherman
Thomas Struth
Michelle Stuart
For more information, contact Alexandra Partow, Assistant Director of
Communications, 212/708–9756.
