Exhibit | Come as You Are: Art of the 1990s

Nikki S. Lee, “Punk Project (1)”, 1997, Fujiflex print, edition 5 of 5. Ann and Mel Schaffer Family Collection Images are courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York © Nikki S. Lee.

When Nirvana dropped “Nevermind” on September 24, 1991, I was on the hallowed hall of Hampshire College’s infamous F2 dorm. It was the exact time and place for flannel overload. Bong hits, tequila slammers, and MTV’s 120 Minutes were de rigeur, as was Public Enemy, Newports, and dropped tabs on “Trip or Treat.” All things considered, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” was right on time, letting us know the ‘80s was over and the ‘90s had arrived.

Janine Antoni, “Lick and Lather”, 1993. Two self-­‐portrait busts: one chocolate and one soap. Photographed by John Bessler Courtesy of the artist and Luhring Augustine, New York © Janine Antoni.

In celebration of the decade, the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, presents “Come as You Are: Art of the 1990s”, now through January 31, 2016. Featuring over 64 works by 46 artists including Doug Aitken, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Glenn Ligon, Julie Mehretu, Prema Murthy, Shirin Neshat, Catherine Opie, Gabriel Orozco, Diana Thater, Rirkrit Tiravanija, and Kara Walker, “Come as You Are” is the first major museum survey to examine the art of this pivotal decade in its historical context.

Aziz + Cucher, “Man with a Computer”, 1992. From the series Faith, Honor and Beauty, C­‐Print Courtesy of the artists © Aziz + Cucher.

The 1990s began during a period of trial and turbulence. Crack violence had reached epidemic highs; ACT UP had taken to the streets; Mapplethorpe was persecuted for his art; Bret Easton Ellis’s American Psycho was catching heat. Debates about identity politics were sweeping college campuses, as the academia advocated for a new approach to truth through the teachings of Postmodernism.

As the culture wars continued to rage the art world struggled with issues of artistic freedom and censorship. At the same time, new media created new opportunities for exploration and discover, as the emergence of video, sound, and digital art changed the landscape of the museum and gallery. It was also in the 1990s that the global art market expanded radically, with the explosion of art fairs and biennials. “Come as You Are” looks at the dramatic changes in the art world itself, investigating its increasing heterogeneity as artists of color, women artists, and LGBT artists attained increased prominence.

Alex Bag, “Untitled, Fall ’95”, 1995, 57 min, color, sound Courtesy of Team Gallery and Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI), New York © Alex Bag

Featuring a wide range of works including installations, paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photography, video, and digital art, “Come as You Are: Art of the 1990s” brings us back to an earlier era with fresh eyes. Among the highlights is Nikki S. Lee’s photograph from “Punk Project (1)” from 1997. Begun while still in high school, Lee immerses herself in an American subculture and assumes the identity of various ethnic and social groups, from drag queens, punks, and swing dancers to skateboarders, lesbians, and Hip-Hop fans. Using a simple-point-and-shoot camera, Lee takes a group photo, recording her time with the group, using photography as a way to explore the construction of identity and its means as a social adhesive for new and old members of the group.

Laylah Ali, “Untitled”, 2000 Gouache and pencil on paper. Collection of A.G. Rosen Image courtesy of the artist © Laylah Ali 2014

Lee’s work finds itself well situated in the exhibition, which explores as myriad of themes, each itself a manifestation of the spirit of the era. It was an unusual time, the last decade of the millennium, where Cobain promised us, over and over again, “No I don’t have a gun.”

“Come as You Are: Art of the 1990s” is running at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, MI now through January 31, 2016.

Miss Rosen is a New York-based writer, curator, and brand strategist. There is nothing she adores so much as photography and books. A small part of her wishes she had a proper library, like in the game of Clue. Then she could blaze and write soliloquies to her in and out of print loves.