A provocative new exhibit at the University of Arizona Museum of Art (UAMA) invites visitors to explore the multifaceted world of renowned artist Hank Willis Thomas in an exhibit called "LOVERULES," showcasing 90 works from the collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer and his Family Foundation.
This striking display of conceptual art — including photography, sculptures, textiles and more — explores themes of love, identity and power, offering a narrative on contemporary culture through Thomas’ lens.
"LOVERULES" — read as "Love Over Rules" — showcases mixed media and mass-produced imagery to bring together themes that include social history and the battle for equality in platforms like journalism, photography, advertising and popular culture, Olivia Miller, UAMA’s director, said in a press release.
"In this show, Thomas is asking what the role of art is in civic life," Miller said. "How does visual culture like advertising create narratives that shape our notion of what is valuable in society? How does advertising affect the way we see each other?"
“LOVERULES” runs through June 21.
In the exhibit are several of Thomas’ series, including "Branded" and "Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America." In the former, Thomas uses sport iconography to explore brand advertising. In the latter, he removes slogans and logos to “highlight how corporate media impacts and shapes notions of African American identity,” the press release says.
The work comes from the collection of Jordan Schnitzer, who the museum previously worked with for "The Art of Food," which was displayed at UAMA from 2021 to 2022.
"The first time I saw Hank Willis Thomas' art, I was overwhelmed by his creative genius," Schnitzer said in a press release. "His themes, one image after another, force us to deal with issues that far too long have plagued society by not respecting or accepting each other irrespective of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion. I started collecting his work almost six years ago and I am so excited to share our collection with all of you at the University of Arizona Museum of Art."
"This is the largest exhibition of Thomas' work in the Southwest, and so many people who live here have not had the opportunity to see his work, certainly at this scale," Miller said. "So it's introducing a new artist to the area, and part of our mission is to bring in artists that people might not be able to see otherwise."
“LOVERULES” runs through June 21.
The University of Arizona Museum of Art is open Tuesday-Saturday.
Schnitzer and Thomas will visit the University of Arizona at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 15 for a conversation held in the Center for Creative Photography auditorium, across from UAMA. From 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. that day at UAMA, see a pop-up curated by UA students of the museum’s permanent exhibits that respond to “LOVERULES.”
The UAMA, located at 1031 N. Olive Road, aims to advance the “academic and research mission of the University,” while inspiring “critical dialogue among campus and community audiences,” according to their website, which adds that the museum “celebrates art as essential to our lives.”
The museum is most known for the Women Ochre’s journey, a famous painting painted by Willem de Kooning that was donated to the UAMA in 1958 and stolen in 1985. It was recovered in 2017 at an estate sale in the small town of Cliff, New Mexico and re-displayed after 32 years of being missing.
The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. General admission is $8.
