The Magical World of M.C Escher at Boca Museum

His complex puzzles appear on coffee mugs, calendars and neckties, yet M.C. Escher never strove for – nor would he necessarily have welcomed – the commercial success his fascinating works have achieved. A prolific creator who infused his works with scientific and mathematical precision while maintaining an astonishing level of aesthetic integrity, Escher was truly an artist apart.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art is pleased to announce the presentation of the most comprehensive collection of Escher’s most rare and important works in the new exhibition, The Magical World of M.C. Escher, debuting January 20, 2010. Culled from the private inventory of long-time Escher collector, Rock J. Walker, this special exhibition will feature a mix of woodcuts along with original blocks and exceptionally rare preparatory drawings, sculpture, object d’art, correspondence and documents and original furnishings from his studio.

M.C. Escher (Dutch, 1898-1972) was a graphic artist who excelled at creating visual puzzles that explored impossible worlds, refined architectural vistas and fascinating tessellations. This draftsman specialized in woodcuts and lithographs, athough he also worked with mezzotint and watercolor. The Magical World of M.C. Escher will include examples of each of the mediums for which Escher was known. The show also will highlight the various phases of Escher’s work, demonstrating  the artist’s range beyond the “endless stairways” and visionary constructions for which he is so well-known.

The Magical World of M.C. Escher will take Museum guests on an exciting educational journey through the creative mind of one of the most celebrated artists of the 20^th century. Among the hundreds of pieces included in the show, visitors will have an opportunity to see, for the first time, the preliminary working drawings for some of the most iconic Escher pieces, such as Drawing Hands, Three Worlds, Other World and Fish and Scales. Also included in this state-of-the-art exhibition:

• Exhibited for the first time, two additional sections that complete the transformation from Metamorphosis II to Metamorphosis III
• The pastel drawing of his famous lithograph, Between St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel
• Six lithographs of Escher’s views of Calabria, Italy accompanied by maps and photographs
• Preparatory drawing and actual stamp of Casas Colgadas, bank notes, puzzles and a rare watercolor study for the ceramic plate that features a unique indoor/outdoor scene of Escher’s studio with his self-portrait
• The proof and colored woodcut for Sphere Surface With Fish
• Palm prints accompanied by variants of original woodblocks
• A specially constructed darkroom, showcasing vintage blacklight posters created from Escher’s work
• A film about Escher’s life and art
• A fully illustrated catalogue

The elements of science and math that are inherent in Escher’s work provide a curriculum resource for complimentary educational programming at the Museum. The Museum’s Education Department, utilizing Florida’s Sunshine State Standards, has developed lesson plans to explore geometry and symmetry as well as other mathematical and scientific observations contained in Escher’s work. In addition, various Escher related educational programs are planned to run concurrently with the exhibition.

About Rock J. Walker

This special exhibition, selected by the Guest Curator, Rock J. Walker, has been organized by the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Mr. Walker is an art dealer, entrepreneur  and art collector who has spent 30 years carefully amassing an outstanding collection of M.C. Escher’s  work. He coordinated a record-breaking Escher exhibition at the Seattle Art Museum and expects The Magical World of M.C. Escher to similarly shatter records for the Boca Raton Museum of Art, attracting both regional and national visitors.

In his efforts to better understand the complex creations and persona of Escher, Mr. Walker has conducted extensive research on Escher and travelled the world – most notably the regions of Southern Italy of which Escher created many notable landscapes – to gain a firsthand understanding of Escher’s inspiration. Mr. Walker is available for press interviews.

About The Boca Raton Museum of Art

Special exhibition hours for The Boca Raton Museum of Art are Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 10am – 5pm; Wednesdays 10am-9 pm and Saturday and Sunday 12pm – 5pm. Admission is $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens (65 and older), $6 for students and $10 per person for group tours. For more information call 561.392.2500 or visit www.bocamuseum.org.

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