Show as slideshow

To introduce the Pizzuti Collection to the public, we have organized a small exhibition, ‘Teasers: Selected Works from the Pizzuti Collection by Women Artists’. The show is designed to give a taste of what’s to come in the new building and to demonstrate the breadth of the collecting vision of Ron Pizzuti. The exhibition will be on view at two Miranova Place, Suite 150, downtown Columbus, through Summer 2012. The gallery is open Wednesdays, noon to 6 and by appointment. There will be an opening reception on Friday, October 28, 5-8 pm.

Selecting women artists from the collection was a way to demonstrate the wide range of art work in the collection, yet still maintain a focus. The exhibition consists of works from various media in fine art and design. Ron does not discriminate; he finds beauty in design objects and furniture, glass and silver objects, as well as in the fine arts. His keen eye and sense of wonder take him from our back yard in Ohio to the countryside in India, responding to individual voices around the globe.

While Ron has been collecting art for the past thirty years, he is increasingly drawn to work by younger artists. Half of the artists represented in this exhibition are under 40 years of age, an age considered as ‘emerging’ in the art world. Yet some of the most recent acquisitions are by mature artists including 79 year-old Joan Semmel and 81 year-old Maria Pergay. The art pieces in the collection are mature even when the artists are young; and, simultaneously, the work itself is very current, even when the artists are older.

All of the artists represented here are living, contemporary artists from Ohio, around the US and abroad. As our culture grows and expands and intermixes, it is not always possible to identify an artist by a country of origin or single nationality. For example, Janine Tschäpe is Brazilian/German and lives in New York. The global diversity found in the art world is mirrored in Ron’s collection.  Geographic distinctions rarely define a style or particular artist. In the same way, there is no primary style that defines the Pizzuti Collection. Rather, the artists share a vitality, a sense of wonder. They push boundaries, provoke, and take risks, all with an aesthetic consideration and intrinsic beauty.

While Ron collects art works that appeal to him on a variety of levels, he does not shy away from politics. Much of the work here expresses issues of 21st century feminism. Each artist has a strong, individual, and recognizable voice, questioning the role of women, beyond the idea of being female. Joan Semmel is an icon of Feminist Art, and continues to push the boundaries of what that means. She talks about painting the nude female (using herself as a model), without consideration of “the male gaze.” A constant narrative in Shirin Neshat’s work is the questioning of the role of women in contemporary Islamic cultures. Even the abstract painters boldly elbow their way onto the stage of what was once a boy’s club art world, thereby demolishing any notion of a woman’s place in regards to a certain demure subject domain. Regardless of artistic politics or gender bias, Ron has always sought out artists based on merit. On a similar note, he counts women art dealers among his most trusted and reliable resources.

Many works were purchased from gallery exhibitions or art fairs, while others are not. Ron typically follows an artist long enough to find the best available piece, regardless of whether it is straight from the studio or hiding in the gallery’s back room. Each work is important within the context of the artist’s oeuvre, marking a high point in the artist’s career. Ron is a remarkable collector with a sophisticated eye striving to find the strongest and best pieces of a new generation of artists. His long-standing dedication and passion has developed into an important collection of contemporary art and we look forward to sharing it with the public.

Rebecca Ibel

August 2011