Images courtesy Glenstone Museum, Potomac, Maryland.
Cady Noland’s (b.1956) work holds a mirror to the undercurrents of American identity, confronting themes of power, violence, and societal disintegration. Known for her assemblages of found objects, Noland examines the physical and psychological frameworks of control and authority with razor-sharp precision. Her art invites viewers to question the structures they inhabit and the narratives they uphold.
The Glenstone Museum presents “Cady Noland,” the first comprehensive U.S. museum exhibition dedicated to the artist’s decades-long career. Spanning three galleries in Glenstone’s Pavilions, the exhibition brings together significant works from the late 1980s through 2023. Featured pieces include “Tower of Terror” (1993–1994), a cast aluminum stockade that reflects Noland’s investigation of constraint and surveillance, and “Publyck Sculpture” (1994), a provocative assemblage of aluminum, steel, and tires that critiques systems of labor and consumerism.
As @brooklynrail notes, her works “speak to a uniquely American unease, blending allure and alienation in equal measure.” On view through February 23, 2025, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to engage with Noland’s charged materiality and incisive critique of culture and conformity.