Fantastic Forms

Crystal Bridges explores namesake in unique new exhibition

One might be surprised to learn it’s taken eight years for a museum named Crystal Bridges to present an exhibition on crystals. But when the creative minds at the Bentonville Museum of American Art did decide to put together an exhibition around its namesake, they went all in.

“Crystals in Art: Ancient to Today” mines 5,000 years of crystal use and expands beyond Crystal Bridges’ usual American-made parameters to present a more complete narrative of the roles the material has played throughout history. Still, this innovative exhibition, like nothing that has been done before, only scratches the surface of the representations and uses of crystals.

“I think the idea of doing an exhibition and thinking about crystals has been in people’s minds since the museum started,” says Lauren Haynes, curator, contemporary art at Crystal Bridges and curator of visual arts for the Momentary. The process began, she reveals, by considering whether anything like this ever happened before.

“We’re also really thinking about what it means for us to create our own exhibitions — something we’ve been doing a lot of in the last few years. How are we contributing to this conversation and thinking about things that are very specific to our audience?”

That sense of place is certainly present in an exhibit that includes items from all over the globe. Arkansas being known as the Natural State and the quartz crystal capital of the world provided the opportunity to draw

connections to the museum’s home in much of the supplemental material and interpretive moments.

Of course, a few physical specimens from Arkansas are displayed in the exhibition as well, among them visitor favorite “The Holy Grail” — the monumental Arkansas-mined quartz crystal formerly on display in the corridor to the South Lobby. As the largest specimen in the exhibition, and one of the largest quartz specimens ever pulled out of the ground, “The Holy Grail” is one piece in “Crystals in Art” that required the museum staff to think about the boundaries and capabilities of the space.

“We used a mini fork lift” to place it, Haynes reveals. She notes that several pieces in the exhibition really forced organizers to consider inventive approaches to problem solving as they explored what the building can accommodate. Some of the arrangement considerations were also in response to the fact the exhibition will not be traveling when

its exposition at Crystal Bridges is completed.

“If we’re able, we like traveling shows so they can be out there longer. But some shows it’s just not possible given the variety of loans, the variety of objects, where they come from and a lot of logistics details behind it,” Haynes explains. “So it’s also really nice to think about how can we tailor something [to be] a little bit special knowing that it is only going to be here. What are some of the things we can do that might not be possible if the show was traveling?”

“Crystals in Art” divides 75 pieces — crystal specimens, sculptures, photos, etchings, mixed media and videos, as well as crystals as tools, jewelry and ritual objects — into five thematic sections. Each division begins with a key object that sets the stage for the rest of the section as the viewer is encouraged to ponder spiritual ties, extravagance, science and mysticism, form and how crystals can affect and alter one’s perception.

“This exhibition definitely requires a lot of close looking, for some of the smaller objects in particular, but then also the details of some of the larger things,” Haynes shares. “The conversations in the works are meant to also be seen all together. We’re really wanting people to take away this idea that the ways in which artists and artisans and makers have used crystals in art and in the world varies — this is only a small sampling that we were able to bring together.

“So we want people to leave with maybe even more questions in their mind. Like, what else is out there? What else have I not even thought about when I think about crystals and how they’re used? [We hope they] come away seeing things that they love and are very excited by, but also are being excited to learn more out in the world.”

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK “Crystal Swallow” by Marilyn Minter

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Anthony James’ “Portal Icosahedron” uses steel, glass and LED lights to present the illusion of infinite space within two 20-sided, three-dimensional structures gleaming in the center of the room in the “Crystal Universe” section of the exhibition.

Courtesy photo “This exhibition definitely requires a lot of close looking, for some of the smaller objects in particular,” explains Lauren Haynes, curator, contemporary art at Crystal Bridges and curator of visual arts for the Momentary. The intricate details of many of the pieces throughout the exhibit prompt the viewer to consider what the work means now versus what it meant at the time of its creation. The extravagance and craftsmanship of pieces like Jean-Valentin Morel’s “Standing Cup” elicit reflection on available resources and what it would have meant to own such a piece.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/DAVID GOTTSCHALK Museum organizers had to be inventive in exploring the boundaries of the exhibition space. Pieces like Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei’s massive chandelier created unique situations to work around as the 13-foot-tall structure reached within inches of the ceiling.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/JOCELYN MURPHY Artist Alexis Arnold created two works in her “Crystallized Books” series specifically for Crystal Bridges’ new exhibition. Arnold created a play between the exhibition themes and the objects by selecting “Smithsonian Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals,” and “Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Rocks and Minerals.”