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Birth of the Cool:

California Art, Design, and

Culture at Midcentury

Blanton Art Museum

February 22nd through May 17th

Birth of the Cool, organized by the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, California, comes to the Blanton for the fifth and final stop of a successful tour of both the West and East Coasts. One of the most ambitious exhibitions ever organized on the seminal 1950s period, the exhibit encompasses the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film, and music that launched midcentury modernism in the United States and established Los Angeles as a major American cultural center.

The influence of these modernist practices on contemporary art and culture has been widespread, and today the styles associated with this period have become shorthand for beauty, sophistication, and confident urbanity. In sync with the interdisciplinary nature of the project, the Birth of the Cool installation features iconic examples of Eames chairs and Noguchi sculpture; a jazz lounge; film, animation, and television programming; Van Keppel Green furniture and architectural pottery; hard-edge abstract paintings; and selections of art, architectural, and documentary photography.

“This is a perfect show for Austin,” says Blanton Interim Director Ann Wilson. “The ‘cool’ aesthetic that the exhibition celebrates is very much evident in the lifestyle of our city.”

Music is a major factor of the exhibit. Miles Davis, whose 1949-50 recordings for Capitol Records were released in 1957 under the title Birth of the Cool, helped define “cool” for a national and global audience and was an important influence on the West Coast scene in the 1950s. Chet Baker and other superb jazz artists of the time - including Dave Brubeck, June Christy, Shelly Manne, Gerald Mulligan, Art Pepper, and Sonny Rollins - are also featured in the exhibition, along with William Claxton’s striking photographic portraits and record covers.

“Birth of the Cool is inspired by musical experimentation, but also examines the inter-connectedness of many visual art forms - painting, graphic design, film, architecture and design, and photography, among them - which feels very much like Austin’s creative energy at this moment,” said Annette Dimeo Carlozzi, curator of American and Contemporary Art for the Blanton. “Austin has always had a great affinity for California, and since mid-century modernism is so fashionable, the show will be a marvelous opportunity to see where some of these signature styles emerged from.”

Austin is the sole venue in the Southwest United States, and the Blanton appearance will be the only opportunity to see the show in this part of the country. In celebration of “all things cool,” the Blanton will host a wide range of programs with other university departments and community venues and organizations. Film screenings, music performances and other events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition.

Birth of the Cool runs through May 17th. The Blanton Museum of Art is open daily at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Congress Avenue on the south edge of the University of Texas campus.

Admission $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for college student with valid ID, and $3 for youth (ages 13-21). Admission is free to members, all current UT ID-holders, and children under 12. For more information, call (512) 471-7324

or visit www.BlantonMuseum.org.




Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design, and Culture at Midcentury Blanton Art Museum February 22nd through May 17th Birth of the Cool, organized by the Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, California, comes to the Blanton for the fifth and final stop of a successful tour of both the West and East Coasts. One of the most ambitious exhibitions ever organized on the seminal 1950s period, the exhibit encompasses the painting, architecture, furniture design, decorative and graphic arts, film, and music that launched midcentury modernism in the United States and established Los Angeles as a major American cultural center. The influence of these modernist practices on contemporary art and culture has been widespread, and today the styles associated with this period have become shorthand for beauty, sophistication, and confident urbanity. In sync with the interdisciplinary nature of the project, the Birth of the Cool installation features iconic examples of Eames chairs and Noguchi sculpture; a jazz lounge; film, animation, and television programming; Van Keppel Green furniture and architectural pottery; hard-edge abstract paintings; and selections of art, architectural, and documentary photography. “This is a perfect show for Austin,” says Blanton Interim Director Ann Wilson. “The ‘cool’ aesthetic that the exhibition celebrates is very much evident in the lifestyle of our city.” Music is a major factor of the exhibit. Miles Davis, whose 1949-50 recordings for Capitol Records were released in 1957 under the title Birth of the Cool, helped define “cool” for a national and global audience and was an important influence on the West Coast scene in the 1950s. Chet Baker and other superb jazz artists of the time - including Dave Brubeck, June Christy, Shelly Manne, Gerald Mulligan, Art Pepper, and Sonny Rollins - are also featured in the exhibition, along with William Claxton’s striking photographic portraits and record covers. “Birth of the Cool is inspired by musical experimentation, but also examines the inter-connectedness of many visual art forms - painting, graphic design, film, architecture and design, and photography, among them - which feels very much like Austin’s creative energy at this moment,” said Annette Dimeo Carlozzi, curator of American and Contemporary Art for the Blanton. “Austin has always had a great affinity for California, and since mid-century modernism is so fashionable, the show will be a marvelous opportunity to see where some of these signature styles emerged from.” Austin is the sole venue in the Southwest United States, and the Blanton appearance will be the only opportunity to see the show in this part of the country. In celebration of “all things cool,” the Blanton will host a wide range of programs with other university departments and community venues and organizations. Film screenings, music performances and other events will be held in conjunction with the exhibition. Birth of the Cool runs through May 17th. The Blanton Museum of Art is open daily at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Congress Avenue on the south edge of the University of Texas campus. Admission $7 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for college student with valid ID, and $3 for youth (ages 13-21). Admission is free to members, all current UT ID-holders, and children under 12. For more information, call (512) 471-7324 or visit www.BlantonMuseum.org.
		Blanton Museum of Art University of Texas 200 East MLK (MLK at Congress) Austin, Texas 78701 (512) 471-7324 www.BlantonMuseum.org







		From top: Album cover for Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool (Capitol Records, 1957); Courtesy Blue Note Records Karl Benjamin Black Pillars, 1957 Oil on canvas 48 x 24 in. (121.9 x 61 cm) Private Collection © Karl Benjamin, courtesy of Louis Stern Fine Arts, West Hollywood Office of Charles and Ray Eames Archival photography, 1950s Courtesy Eames Office LLC, Santa Monica, California © 2007 Eames Office LLC


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