Chrysler Museum Acquires Three Works by Idelle Weber

NORFOLK, Va. – (September 30, 2013) – The Chrysler Museum of Art today announced the acquisition of Munchkins I, II, & III (1964), a major Pop art painting by Idelle Weber. More than 17 feet in length, this monumental three-panel painting is a keynote work by Weber, a leading female figure of the American Pop art movement. The Museum has also acquired two other important works by Weber that reference the gender politics and “Mad Men” mentalities of the mid-20th century: High Ceiling—You Won’t Get This (1964) and Mr. Chrysler (1970).

Though her male counterparts in Pop art enjoyed more regular exhibition opportunities in the 1950s and ’60s, Weber has since undergone a significant critical reevaluation in recent years, reflecting an increased recognition of female artists’ contributions to the Pop art canon. Munchkins I, II, & III, in particular, will be featured this fall in Pop Art, the latest in Prestel Publishing’s “50 Works of Art You Should Know” series, along with paintings by other Pop giants including Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, David Hockney, and Robert Rauschenberg.

Munchkins I, II, & III, named after the anonymous, interchangeable little people of The Wizard of Oz, portrays nameless workers in the urban “rat race.” The painting exemplifies Weber’s signature use of black silhouette figures overlaying monochromatic backgrounds. Weber employs a similar style in High Ceiling—You Won’t Get This and Mr. Chrysler, works on paper that draw upon the aesthetic conventions of Pop, Minimalism, and commercial advertising. High Ceiling depicts a pair of female secretaries, one young, one older, toiling in the shadow of New York’s Chrysler Building, while the faceless Mr. Chrysler alludes to the corporate successes of the family of Walter Chrysler, Jr. (1909–1988)—a noted art collector whose donations form the core of the Chrysler Museum’s nationally recognized collection.

“The Chrysler Museum’s Pop art holdings include many works that represent pivotal moments in the movement’s history, from Roy Lichtenstein’s first-ever depiction of war in Live Ammo (Ha! Ha! Ha!) to James Rosenquist’s aesthetically transitional painting Silver Skies,” said Amy Brandt, the Chrysler’s McKinnon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. “As the magnum opus of one of Pop art’s leading female practitioners, Munchkins I, II, & III is an ideal complement to these distinctive works. Similarly, Weber’s references to the Chrysler business dynasty in High Ceiling and Mr. Chrysler—both important works in their own right—make them especially appropriate additions to a collection that is itself part of the Chrysler legacy.”

 “The addition of these outstanding pieces strengthens the Chrysler Museum’s growing collection of works created in the 20th century,” said Museum Director William Hennessey. “We’re especially excited to display Munchkins I, II, & III in our newly expanded Modern and Contemporary galleries, which will provide the space and flexibility necessary to present a work of this size.”

The Chrysler Museum is currently undergoing a renovation and expansion project that will enable it to completely reinstall its collection and develop new exhibition and interpretive strategies. Opening in April 2014, the expanded facility will include significant enhancements to the Museum’s modern and contemporary galleries, reflecting the rapid growth of this area of the collection in recent years.

About the Chrysler Museum of Art

The core of the Chrysler’s collection was given to the Museum by Walter Chrysler, Jr., an avid art collector who donated thousands of objects from his private collection to the Museum. In the years since Chrysler’s death in 1988, the Museum has dramatically expanded its collection and extended its ties with the Norfolk community. The Museum now has rapidly growing collections, especially of contemporary glass and 21st-century works. In 2011, the Chrysler opened a state-of-the-art glass studio with a 560-pound capacity glass furnace, full hot shop, a flameworking studio, nine annealing ovens, and a coldworking area. In addition to its main building and Glass Studio, the Chrysler Museum of Art administers two historic houses in downtown Norfolk.
The Chrysler Museum of Art campus is located at One Memorial Place, in Norfolk, Va..

While the Museum is closed during construction, the Chrysler Museum Glass Studio and its two historic houses are open. The Glass Studio, located at 745 Duke St., Norfolk, is open Wednesday to Sunday with free glass demonstrations at noon. The Willoughby-Baylor House, 601 E. Freemason St., and the Moses Myers House, 323 E. Freemason St., Norfolk are open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. throughout 2013 Admission is free at these venues.

-30-