An innovative artist who emerged during Pittsburgh’s vibrant sculpture
scene of the 1960s, Thaddeus Mosley has a distinguished place in
CMOA’s collection and exhibition history.
In 1983, John Caldwell, adjunct curator of contemporary art at CMOA, contacted Mosley to express interest in his recent sculpture work. In a handwritten note, Mosley told Caldwell about a current exhibition, adding: “Museum owns one piece of mine, which I think is in storage, called Georgia Gate. Have some larger pieces at home, which you can see anytime. I work as a postal clerk nights.”
The work that Mosley refers to, Georgia Gate, was acquired in 1976 following the artist’s participation in the 66th Annual Exhibition of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh. The spare but expressive structure, composed of finely carved wood on three marble bases, has been on view numerous times over the years. Its delicate wooden arms—carved, like so many of Mosley’s sculptures, from reclaimed wood from the city’s public works department—have made the work particularly vulnerable. For example, in July 1979, the sculpture was taken off view after a small child stepped onto the platform that held it and damaged the work. Eight years later, in March 1987, Georgia Gate was taken off view again after excessively dry environmental conditions caused some cracking in the wood.
In 1997, Recent Sculpture by Thaddeus Mosley debuted in the museum’s Forum Gallery—an exhibition that featured such powerful works as Cove for Chillida (1994) and Source—of All Gods and Superman (1994). With mallet and chisel, Mosley wrestled with sentiments of life and mortality through his sculpture, themes that have permeated his art practice for more than six decades.
Georgia Gate is in good condition today—it was last on view in 2007 for the exhibition Popular Salon of the People: Associated Artists of Pittsburgh Annuals at Carnegie Museum of Art, a retrospective of the AAP shows from 1910 to 2006. But as part of the storage project for Heinz E, the museum’s chief preparator wants to create a dedicated crate for the work. Mosley’s sculpture will be outfitted with what’s referred to as a skeleton or slat crate, constructed to both frame and brace delicate objects.
Uncrated: The Hidden Lives of Artworks is on view in the Scaife Lounge at Carnegie Museum of Art from March 9, 2015–May 8, 2015. Learn the stories behind some intriguing works from CMOA's collection and find out more about the people who buy, move, hang, clean, and care for them. Over the course of nine weeks, a team of registrars, conservators, preparators, and curators will be sharing their work with the public as they examine objects recently taken out of storage. Come back throughout the show and visit uncrated.cmoa.org to see what new discoveries the team is making.
