A Project: The Story of Civilization

A Project: The Story of Civilization

Apr 7–23, 2000

A Project: The Story of Civilization featured the work of San Antonio artist Gary Sweeney. The exhibition explored the continuation of Sweeney’s work on outdoor public art pieces, consisting of quotes composed from discarded street and commercial building signs. Sweeney’s most ambitious work to date was The Story of Civilization, a seminal book on Western civilization by Will and Ariel Durant, recreated by the artist using gathered elements. The artist hoped to recreate the entire ten-volume set, a task he estimated would take him, “Forever, literally.” The total work spread over approximately 25 x 12 feet, an indoors ‘public’ artwork.