School of Visual Arts (SVA) this month will honor the late Marshall Arisman, prolific artist and founder of the College’s MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program, with “Does That Make Sense?,” an exhibition—named for Arisman’s beloved idiom—of his lesser-known works. Designed and curated by Arisman’s recently appointed successor and program alumnus Riccardo Vecchio (MFA 1996 Illustration as Visual Essay), in collaboration with SVA Galleries and Arisman’s wife, writer Dee Ito, “Does That Make Sense?” will be on view Thursday, January 25, through Monday, February 12, 2024.
Though Arisman was known for his frequently dark, evocative works for major publications including The New York Times, Playboy and Time, as well as recognizable book covers and pieces in the permanent collections of distinguished institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the Smithsonian American Art Museum, “Does That Make Sense?” explores his more personal work. Arisman produced countless sketches and paintings from his Manhattan studio, many never before seen by the public. In some ways, the works on display offer a more intimate look at the inner workings of his imagination, without attachment to particular assignments or commissions.
Carefully chosen by Vecchio and Ito from an enormous archive in his personal studio, works include a wide variety of drawings and prints of Arisman’s signature monkeys including from his illustrated novel The Divine Elvis and other books, a triptych from a series focused on the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in WWII, humorous and culturally skewering comic-style pieces, and even an array of unfinished projects. As a whole, they reflect an artist engrossed in his process. A mix of paintings, illustrations, writings and sketches in Arisman’s signature inky hues and scratchy fine lines, convey a limitless curiosity and an undying passion for his craft.
Of “Does That Make Sense?,” Vecchio notes, “As artists, we are grateful for the recognition and fame that come with cohesive, iconic and recognizable styles, yet at the same time the work that gives us fame can also hinder the many, often divergent, facets and curiosities we are eager to explore. In my journey through his archives, it was evident to me that Marshall never stopped questioning, searching, experimenting. Aside from the groundbreaking and well-documented works that brought him fame and defined an era, many of the folders were filled with work that defied chronology and dates; as Marshall passionately painted over works, re-titling, changing dates or tearing them apart to create completely new pieces. This show will, I hope, reveal Marshall as the eternally curious, indefatigable artist that he was.”
Arisman began teaching at SVA in 1964 and founded the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program in 1984, of which he remained chair until his passing in April 2022. In 2017, SVA hosted “Marshall Arisman: An Artist’s Journey From Dark to Light, 1972-2017,” a multi-media career retrospective, which also included several SVA Subway Posters he created, and in 2003 he was the recipient of the SVA Masters Series Award and Exhibition. The following year, Arisman was inducted into the College’s Subway Series Hall of Fame, and in February 2023, an honorary poster with his artwork was featured in stations across the city. Arisman is also the subject of alumnus Nada Ray’s documentary film Unlocking the Creative Self with Marshall Arisman, which offered a master-class-style look at his practice, philosophy and inspiration.
Like what you see? Get it first with a subscription to aspire design and home magazine.