Star Signs in the People’s Collection: Air Signs

In the leadup to Art in Bloom, presented by PNC, the NCMA has partnered with local cultural and scientific institutions to organize a series of astronomically appealing events related to the elements of the zodiac—this year’s Art in Bloom theme. That means multiple opportunities to celebrate the cosmically determined peculiarities of yourself and the ones you love.

Air signs (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius), we are sure to pique your natural curiosity with the final Art in Bloom activation of the season, scheduled for March 14. Partnering with the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center and the Raleigh Astronomy Club, the NCMA hosts a magical evening of skygazing and constellation-inspired activities in the Ann and Jim Goodnight Museum Park. Identify celestial bodies by luminary light, enjoy free Art in Bloom giveaways, and admire an air sign–inspired floral installation by Bloom Works of Raleigh, which will remain on view until March 18. All weather-related event updates will be communicated via the Museum’s social media. Online registration for this free event is now live.

Keep reading for an art-historical examination of the works selected to illustrate the intellect and adaptability of air signs.

Gemini: May 21–June 20

Yorùbá artist, Twin Figures (ère ìbejì), late 19th or early 20th century

While the symbolic twins of Gemini are meant to convey a sense of dualism, rooted in the myth of Castor and Pollux, these Twin Figures (ère ìbejì) are more an expression of the revered nature of twins within Yorùbá society. Among the Yorùbá, twins are said to bring great fortune to their families; therefore, a twin’s death is treated with the utmost reverence. Traditionally, bereaved families seek guidance from a divination priest, who often instructs the commission of a commemorative carving of the deceased twin. Mothers are responsible for the ritual care of ìbejì, offering the figure food and prayers, dressing it, and performing elaborate rituals on birthdays and annual festivals. Upon the mother’s death, other women in the family inherit the responsibility of the ìbejì, meaning they are typically cared for by multiple generations. Not meant as portraits, ìbejì represent the Yorùbá ideal, capturing the essential nature of their subjects while balancing realism with abstraction.

Libra: September 23–October 22

Victor A. Pickett, Double Balance, mid-20th century

The title of Victor A. Pickett’s Double Balance may be the only aspect of the stainless steel and aluminum sculpture that immediately calls to mind Libra’s embodied form, the scales of justice. Nevertheless, its graceful flowing lines recollect the sign’s sense of elegance. A native of Durham, Pickett spent most of his career working as a sculptor and professor at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Double Balance won Pickett a $500 purchase award at the North Carolina Artists’ Competition in 1967. Afterward, it was donated to the NCMA by the North Carolina State Art Society. Pickett’s body of work maintains a kinship with the wire sculptures of José de Rivera, whom Pickett collaborated with on Infinity, a sculpture located outside the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Described by Ernest Mauer in an exhibition program, Pickett’s work is consistently stripped of “connotative or associative connections,” encouraging viewers to “enjoy the richness of the surface, the elegance of the line, the sumptuousness of the form, and the apparently easy (albeit hard won) fluidity of the movement.”

Aquarius: January 20–February 18

Clare Leighton, Girl Carrying Bucket, 20th century

Clare Leighton was a pioneer in her medium, publishing one of the earliest instruction manuals on wood engraving written by a practicing woman engraver. The progressive spirit of her art, primarily concerned with rural working men and women, finds its zodiac equivalent in Aquariuses, known for their independence and originality. After emigrating from Great Britain to the United States in 1939, Leighton served as a member of the Department of Art, Aesthetics, and Music at Duke University. Over the course of her artistic career, she created more than 700 wood engravings, including illustrations for fine editions of literature, works to accompany her own writing, and representations of industry. This print comes from a series of wood engravings Leighton created during a temporary visit to North Carolina. Taken as a whole, the series serves as a moving example of an outsider’s perspective on the 20th-century American South.

And with that, we have officially wrapped up our series of zodiac-theme posts ahead of this year’s Art in Bloom! If you’re a water, fire, or earth sign stumbling upon this and want to read more about the artwork selected to illustrate your sign, explore the links below:

• Water Signs
• Fire Signs
• Earth Signs