Possible Worlds
A Talk by Alexander Nagel
Presented in Partnership with the University of Calgary Nickle Galleries.
Presented on May 19, 2022.
Alexander Nagel (he, him, his) is Craig Hugh Smyth Professor of Fine Arts at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. He is a widely respected art historian acknowledged for his assiduous, thought-provoking research and innovative insights. Past publications postulate the relevancy and demonstrate the connections between late medieval art and modern and postmodern art traditions and practices. In more recent research he explores how visual art of the late medieval period served to create a world orientation through imagery that offered a secular interpretation of time, and suggested exploration, discovery and science. His latest publishing builds on this research by focusing on what happens when models of image-making cross temporal and geographic boundaries.
This lecture is based on research for a co-authored book with Dr. Elizabeth Horodowich, a specialist in 16th Century Venetian cartography and perceptions of the “Discovery of the New World.” Titled Amerasia: Reflections of an Emergent World 1492-1700, the book will be published in 2023.
Using Parmigianino’s painting Madonna of the Rose completed in 1530 as a guide, Dr. Nagel’s Possible Worlds lecture will shed light on European discovery of new worlds in the 16th century. Impacts real and imagined, and their implications then and now will be discussed. In Dr. Nagel’s words, “Contemporary Calgary’s Dome is an ideal venue for engaging an audience in this discussion.” In pursuing his current research interests, Dr. Nagel actively participates in global networks focused on art studies research concerned with postcolonialism, anthropology, humanism and posthumanism.