Crowded

What is it about the crowd — the mob, mass, multitude, horde, swarm — that captivates people? Crowds have fascinated writers, artists, and social theorists for decades. Every day we see crowding — people gathering for an event, traffic on our way to work or school, too many bodies crammed into one place. Crowded brings together an array of images to suggest the variety of ways that crowds permeate our lives, as well as the divergent effects crowds have on us.

A crowd is defined by a large quantity of people or objects gathered together causing a shortage of space. The artworks in this exhibition depict crowded objects, figures, and picture planes to reveal the emotional and psychological consequences of crowding, and at times a combination of contrasting effects. Crowds can cause claustrophobia, loss of individual identity, loneliness, and a feeling of being overwhelmed; they can also prompt jubilation and a sense of community. The artworks in Crowded capture these effects by representing crowds of people that range from seemingly joyful to violent, as well as packed compositions and objects ranging from heaps of trash to indistinct forms.

With the onset of industrialization and urbanization, crowds emerged as a common urban phenomenon and a new subject of inquiry. Several artists in this exhibition display bustling metropolises and their physical effects: a traffic jam, debris, slums.