Contact:
Nicolette Woodburn
Richards/Gravelle
214.891.7765
nicolette_woodburn@richards.com
A New Exhibition organized by Meridian International Center, Washington, D.C. National sponsors: Anheuser Busch Foundation, FedEx Corporation, the Coca Cola Company and Scientific Atlanta
DALLAS, Dec.13, 2005 – Ancient Threads, Newly Woven: Recent Art from China’s Silk Road is an exhibit of more than 75 paintings by contemporary artists from China’s ancient Silk Road region. The 2,000-year-old caravan route linked East and West for centuries by facilitating the exchange of goods and ideas, and bringing profound changes to those living or passing along its path. The works in the exhibit depict the life and culture of various stops on this ancient passage. Ancient Threads is the largest installation of paintings presented by the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art since the museum’s inception in 1998.
“This exhibition is valuable on two levels,” explains Amy Hofland, director of the Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art. “The paintings call attention to the Silk Road, which played a tremendous role in the development of human cultures, while simultaneously providing an enlightening and provocative perspective of China’s modern far west. It is unique to have an exhibit speak so clearly to both the past and the present. We are pleased to welcome the works to Dallas and invite members and non-members to enjoy this breathtaking exhibition.”
From 500 BC to 1500 AD, the Silk Road was the major means for transporting goods and knowledge over the more than 5,000-mile expanse from China to the Mediterranean. The path originated in the ancient capital city of Chang’an (present day Xi’an) and wound over deserts and mountains passing through the provinces of Western China on to Constantinople, Turkey, Syria, Persia and concluding in Rome. The name “Silk Road” is derived from the initial purpose of transporting silk.
As the merchandise became more sophisticated, items such as gold, gems, metal work, porcelain, paper, spices, teas and livestock traveled the route. The merchants peddling these products were equally diverse, ranging from monks, Buddhist missionaries, nomads, pilgrims, ambassadors, soldiers, scholars, musicians and performers. The influence of these various cultures, ideas, and religions left a clear impact in Western China, where the mixed population and different customs have melded together.
The artwork in Ancient Threads captures the multi-cultural aspect of the Silk Road. Areas explored by this exhibit include the cities of Xi’an, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi and Kashgar. However, the works from Dunhuang are particularly notable. In the late 19th century, tremendous grottoes were discovered filled with art and sculpture dating over 500 years. This discovery sparked a keen interest in the region for both scholars and artists and, in response, the Dunhuang Art Institute was established to protect and study the ancient frescoes.
The scholars and anthropologists of the Dunhuang Art Institute made a ten-year commitment to study the grottoes and their treasures. Some of the students of the Institute have created their own works using the same mineral pigments used in the Dunhuang caves more than 500 years ago. Ten of these paintings are included in Ancient Threads; they are modern depictions of contemporary Dunhuang completed in the same medium of ancient times. These paintings are examples of how precisely Ancient Threads connects the past to present day.
The exhibit begins on February 3 and runs through March 24, 2006. The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art is free to the public. It is located at 2010 Flora Street, Dallas and open Tuesdays – Sundays from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. with extended hours on Thursdays until 9 p.m. For more information, visit www.crowcollection.org or call 214-979-6440.
The Trammell & Margaret Crow Collection of Asian Art contains more than 600 paintings, objects of metal and stone, and large architectural pieces from China, Japan, India, and Southeast Asia. Over 300 works are on display in the galleries including precious jade ornaments from China, delicate Japanese scrolls and a rarely seen 28-foot by 12-foot sandstone facade of an 18th century Indian residence.
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