A Century of Portraiture at The Ringling Museum
The figure is one of the oldest records of our existence as a storytelling species. Depictions of the human body constitute some of the oldest subjects in art. From Marcel Duchamp to William Villalongo, EMBODIED: Highlights from The Ringling Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art expands classical notions of the figure and portraiture by bringing together diverse representations.
Works recently added to The Ringling’s collection will be in conversation with earlier acquisitions to explore our relationship to difference and universality. Tropes from European and Dutch still life paintings merge with elements from Black identity and popular culture in William Villalongo’s mixed media work. The first painting by a contemporary Native American artist acquired by the museum will be on view: Tony Tiger’s abstract in acrylics reverberates with themes of forced removal, (in)visibility, and ancestral lands. Cauleen Smith’s film draws from the Afrofuturism movement “to critique not only the present-day dilemmas of people of color, but also to revise, interrogate, and re-examine historical events and investigate trauma very explicitly.” The film pays homage to Florida’s ancient Indigenous peoples.
Works by Benny Andrews, Marisol, Jessica Osceola, Mickalene Thomas, and Jake Troyli return the viewer’s gaze through self-portraiture or representation to reveal the rich internal life of the subject. Also on display are examples of the powerful surfaces of non-objective art—a type of abstract art that does not represent specific objects or people. These works ground personal experiences, gender expression, and trauma in works by Natasha Mazurka, William Pachner, Linda Stein, and Yuriko Yamaguchi.
Figuration also foregrounds spiritual subjects with explorations of the body as transcendent and celestial in works by Thomas Chimes, Marcel Duchamp, William Edmondson, and vanessa german. Universality breaks through here as well. As vanessa german states, “…we are all connected. We are tied in an inescapable garment of mutuality.”
EMBODIED will be on view through September 21, 2025.
Other Events at The Ringling Throughout March:
Film & Performance
March 1; 6:30 p.m.
This documentary film traces the origin and evolution of the traditional Indian classical dance form of Mohiniyattam, in the land of its birth - Kerala, south India.
Music
March 7; 8 p.m.
Enjoy live music, art, and atmosphere in the Museum of Art Courtyard featuring the bands House of I, TREEDOMM, and Wolves of Glendale.
Music
BélO (Haiti)
March 8 & 9; 7:30 p.m.
Hailed as Haiti's musical ambassador to the world, BélO galvanizes the pride, cultural identity, and resilience of the Haitian people.
Dance/Theater Performance
March 21; 11 a.m.
March 22-24; 7:30 p.m.
This performance by Rosie Herrera (Miami) and Leah Verier-Dunn (Sarasota) interrogates the aesthetic beauty of Florida as a bastion for all things wild and hopeful.
Salon
March 21; 6 p.m.
This interactive program—hosted by Dr. Sarah Cartwright, Chief Curator, and Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections—is based on the work of Shinique Smith’s exhibition Parade. In traditional salon style, participants will actively weave new meaning in the European galleries, considering them through the framework of contemporary art. For a glimpse of the exhibition.
Dinner Party
March 25; 6 p.m.
A moonlit, rose-scented evening celebrating Mable Ringling's birthday. This elegant dinner party will feature a lavish multi-course meal with expert wine pairings, a champagne toast, and live music under a full moon.