Cremaster 2: Deseret by Birgit Cullberg

Cremaster 2: Deseret

Birgit Cullberg · 1999

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“Stop to experience a contemplative journey across an expansive, desolate landscape. These four prints, part of a celebrated series, evoke themes of creation and isolation through their stark beauty and muted tones.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

Four chromogenic prints are arranged here, capturing a stark, almost otherworldly landscape. The panels show vast, open spaces, hinting at isolation and a journey across an unforgiving terrain. The muted color palette and the expansive sky contribute to a sense of deep quiet, even spiritual contemplation. This work, titled "Deseret," is part of a larger series that explores themes of creation, mythology, and the body, often drawing on diverse cultural narratives. The images invite viewers to consider the relationship between humanity and nature, and the stories we impose upon the land. The artist, Birgit Cullberg, a Swedish choreographer, created this work in 1999, the year of her death, adding a poignant layer to its reflective quality.

DETAILS
Artist
Birgit Cullberg
Date
1999
Medium
Four chromogenic prints in acrylic frames; edition number three of three
Location
Art Institute of Chicago
Dimensions
Panels 1 : 69.2 × 59.1 cm (27 1/4 × 23 5/16 in.); panel 2: 69.2 × 84.5 cm (27 1/4 × 33 5/16 in.); panel 3: 69.2 × 191.1 cm (27 1/4 × 75 1/4 in.); panel 4: 69.2 × 59.1 cm (27 1/4 × 23 5/16 in.); installed, framed: 69.2 × 409.6 cm (27 1/4 × 161 5/16 in.)
Collection
Contemporary Art
Culture
United States
Credit line
Gift of Donna and Howard Stone
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Cremaster 2: Deseret
01

The subtle shift in light across the four panels

02

The vast, empty landscape that dominates the composition

03

The almost monochromatic color scheme

04

The way the frames create a continuous narrative

AUDIO DEEP DIVE

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THE ARTIST

Birgit Cullberg

1908–1999 · Sweden

Birgit Cullberg, a pioneering Swedish choreographer, founded the internationally renowned Cullberg Ballet in the 1960s.

Read Cullberg’s full story
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