Legacy of “Monumenta” Examined in New Exhibition “Full Circle: Richard Fleischner with David Smith, Christo, Claes Oldenburg, Barnett Newman, & other Monumenta Artists.”

Fifty-one years after “Monumenta” transformed Newport with one of the world’s first large-scale outdoor sculpture exhibitions, “Full Circle” revisits that groundbreaking moment through the work of Richard Fleischner, one of the last living participating artists, and his contemporaries. 
 

Centered on Fleischner’s enduring site-specific “Sod Maze” at Chateau-sur-Mer, the exhibition presents original sketches, notes and archival materials that illuminate his early career alongside influential figures such as Christo, David Smith, Claes Oldenburg, Alexander Liberman and Barnett Newman. Complemented by encaustics and works related to Fleischner’s ongoing Rowdy Meadow earthwork – home to contemporary masters like Richard Serra, Anish Kapoor, and Andy Goldsworthy – the exhibit traces a compelling arc from the pioneering vision of “Monumenta” to the continuing relevance of modern art and contemporary sculpture today.
 

On view February 6 - May 3 at Rosecliff, Newport, R.I. See www.newportmansions.org/events/full-circle.