Master Class

As a bound edition of 260 plus pages including full color images and installation views of exhibited artworks along side of Master artworks from the Art Institute of Chicago selected by the artists, this expansive volume extends the ideas behind this landmark exhibition which links the last 25 years of SAIC Alumni to the Last American Museum School's rich 160-year history.

 

In addition to documenting the exhibition, this volume delves into the valuable asset the Art Institute of Chicago has been for SAIC graduates during their studies, opening with essays by exhibition co-curator Lisa Wainwright and SAIC professor Michelle Grabner.

As part of the curatorial framework of Master Class, each artist was asked to identify an artwork from the museum’s permanent collection that served as an initial and enduring inspiration. The catalogue provides context around the lasting impact of the ‘Last American Museum School' through archival materials, side-by-side pairings of exhibited artworks and the artist’s selection from the permanent collection, and essays written by art historians, curators, and the artists themselves expanding on the impact of these Master works on their contemporary practice—visually, conceptually, and thematically.