Leaded: The Materiality and Metamorphosis of Graphite

The exhibition features 35-40 artworks by approximately 15 contemporary artists who utilize the physical nature and characteristics of graphite and pencils as content in their two-and three-dimensional work. The art in Leaded ..., while employing a fundamental drawing media, stands outside of the generalized history of modem drawing. The role of mark-making is subsumed or completely absent from many of the pieces. Likewise, representation is a secondary motivation. The title Leaded refers to the inaccurate yet still-used term "lead pencil" and its symbiotic relationship between object and material. The fact that the material is popularly misnamed parallels the transformative and metaphorical role of graphite in art. The exhibition presents artwork grouped into three overlapping themes.