Paradigm Shift

Art and science are frequently treated as distinctly different bodies of thought, but when we consider them closely, connections are perpetually revealed. This exhibition from the Burchfield Penney collection is inspired by the idea that human exploration over millennia, in both science and art, has culminated in discoveries that have completely altered the way we look at our world, the universe, and our place within it. These paradigm shifts fundamentally change our conceptual, scientific, and mental frameworks. After a paradigm shift, it is not easy to go back to old ways of thinking about or conducting our lives.

The first use of fire; the discovery that the sun, not the earth, was the center of our solar system; the development of agriculture and industry; and the inventions of the printing press and the world wide web have all affected our collective minds’ perspective on the shape of our reality. In the same way, the manufacture of portable paint tubes, the use of photography and video, and the invention of plastic are some discoveries that have changed the ways artists make art and the way we perceive it. We chose to highlight works in the collection of the Burchfield Penney Art Center that address massive shifts in our history and highlight that perpetual change is the inevitability we must constantly acknowledge.

The exhibition is curated by Mary Boehm, Nancy Spector, and Kate Soudant, volunteer docents who have collectively served the Burchfield Penney Art Center for over thirty years. It brings together works acquired by the museum over a period spanning more than fifty years, offering a glimpse into the breadth and evolution of the collection through generations of thoughtful stewardship.