Message from the President
Robert Motherwell was deeply committed to the principles of modernism, which he once described as “a desperate and gallant attempt at a more adequate and accurate view of things now.” He was not talking about “mere aesthetics,” he asserted: “I am talking about shaped meaning, without which no life is worth living.” One of the tasks of modern art, he said, “was to find a language that would be closer to the structure of the human mind – a language that could adequately express the complex physical and metaphysical realities that modern science and philosophy had made us aware of; that could more adequately reflect the nature of our understanding of how things really are.”
So in 1981, when he created what was originally known as the Motherwell Foundation, its purpose was stated as follows: “To serve the public interest by endeavoring to foster, cultivate, develop, and support public understanding and appreciation of the principles of modern art expressed through the theories of modernism as expressed in the works and writings of Robert Motherwell and other artists.” In 1991, the year of his death, Motherwell had the name of the Foundation changed to the Dedalus Foundation, after James Joyce’s alter-ego Stephen Dedalus, an archetypal artist (who was himself meant to recall the great fabricator Daedalus of Greek mythology). Renaming the Foundation in this way was an indication of the broad scope Motherwell envisioned for its activities. He was not only a great artist but also one of the major cultural figures of his time; yet he wanted his foundation to be dedicated not only to his work but to modern art and modernism conceived in the broadest possible way.
Since the Dedalus Foundation became active following Motherwell’s death in 1991, we have endeavored to fulfill his vision. The Foundation has supported exhibitions of works by a number of modern artists, supported scholarly research and publications about various aspects of modern art, carefully conserved and placed works by Motherwell in museums, and supported a number of educational projects related to modern art and the principles of modernism. We have also devoted great care and attention to Motherwell’s own artistic legacy. Motherwell left to the Foundation almost all of the art works still in his possession, as well as his archives, his studio library, and the copyrights and moral rights to all of his art and all of his writings.
The year 2011 marks the twentieth anniversary of Motherwell’s death. For fully half that time, the Dedalus Foundation has been actively involved in creating a catalogue raisonné of his work, which will ensure that the full range of his achievement is known to the public, now and in the future.
As we plan for the future, we look forward to expanding and enhancing our programs, and to remaining one of the leading artist-endowed foundations in the United States.
Jack Flam
President