Rona Pondick: The Metamorphosis of an Object

Since achieving international prominence in the early 1990s, Rona Pondick has become one of the most accomplished sculptors of her generation. Over the past decade, she has combined both ancient sculptural methods and the latest computer technologies to produce a powerful group of hybrid sculptures that fuse human and animal bodies or human and flora forms. Unlike other considerations of her sculpture, this exhibition presents Pondick's art as the lens for looking at centuries of world sculpture from the collection of the Worcester Art Museum that she feels resonate with her own creative process. Provocative juxtapositions of Pondick's hybrids with a personal selection of historic sculptures illustrate her connections to the past and her understanding of the effects of artistic cross-fertilization. The exhibition features 14 examples of Pondick's sculptures from the past decade and focuses on her particular interest in three aspects of sculpture—the communicative capacity of gesture and posture, the treatment of hair, and the effects of repetition.

Exhibition Catalogue

A catalogue for this exhibition, written by WAM Curator of Contemporary Art, Susan A. Stoops, with contributions from George Fifield, Dakin Hart, and Nancy Princenthal is available in The Museum Shop (508.799.4406 x3053). Richly illustrated, this publication addresses Pondick's pioneering forays into digital prototyping and discusses her hybrids in detail, while illuminating their historical relation to art's originating impulses and offering an alternative model for understanding art.

About the Artist

Rona Pondick was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1952. After studying at Queens College, she received a Masters of Fine Arts degree at Yale University School of Art in 1977. Pondick gained public recognition in the mid-1980s, and since that time her sculpture and site-specific installations have been shown in important individual and group exhibitions throughout the world. Her work is included in major museum and private collections internationally. Pondick is represented by Sonnabend Gallery, New York and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Paris/Salzburg and exhibits regularly at Howard Yezerski Gallery, Boston.

This exhibition is supported by the Don and Mary Melville Contemporary Art Fund, the Barbara Lee Family Foundation Fund at the Boston Foundation, and the Art Mentor Foundation Lucerne. Generous additional support is provided by Worcester Magazine.

Related Events

Opening Reception for the Artist Saturday, April 18, 5:30-8pm

May 3rd Thursday Tour of Rona Pondick: The Metamorphosis of an Object and LIVE Music by Jubilee Gardens Thursday, May 21, 5:30-8pm Free with Museum admission

The Museum is open late the third Thursday of every month until 8pm. In May, enjoy a tour of our exhibition Rona Pondick: The Metamorphosis of an Object and listen to Jubilee Gardens outside in the Stoddard Garden Court. Always great company, wine tastings and a cash bar.

Artist Talk: Rona Pondick Wednesday, September 23, 6:30pm Contemporary Gallery Free with Museum admission but space is limited. Reserve by calling 508.793.4333 or 508.793.4334.

Rona Pondick:
The Metamorphosis of an Object