July 2005 Archive

Philly on the road

I got this note from Samantha Simpson that I thought might strike a chord for anyone going to Boston (I didn’t go that far east)–Libby:simpson, samantha If you get to Boston, I have a huge piece up in Tufts University’s Slater Concourse Gallery. It’s the biggest piece I’ve ever made (80 feet) and, I think, the best thing I’ve done yet. …In any case, it’s at Tufts university’s Aidekman Art Center until at least Aug. 14 (image, detail from Simpson’s installation). Directions are here and the phone number is 617-627-3518. (Editor’s note: When I put this up, the entire Tufts ... More » »

Explosive fear and beauty

On the way to the country, I wanted to stop somewhere great. Should I go to Dia:Beacon? or Storm King? or MASS MoCA? (image, Murray approaching the entrance to MASS MoCA).cai, guo-qiangWell that was easy, especially, since the first two are easier to reach in a daytrip, and it’s MASS MoCA that has the kind of work that makes my heart flutter. So, being the only two people in the world who could get lost in North Adams, Mass., Murray and I had to ask directions! But really, it shouldn’t have been that hard, with signs everywhere. (And when we ... More » »

More LINC info coming

From the editors: Got this additional note about LINC (see Roberta’s and Libby’s Linc posts as well posts from Tim McFarlane and Charles Hankin) from Beth Feldman Brandt and Melissa Franklin. Thought it might interest some of you:linc There will likely be a ‘briefing’ in the fall for those artists unable to attend on July 22 to hear more about the findings of the day. We will developing working groups of artists and others with specific expertise to investigate the areas that we could pursue for a LINC Philadelphia project. By December 2005, we plan to identify the areas for ... More » »

LINC fallout

Post from Tim McFarlane This post is part of a discussion about LINC, a project that is exploring how to meet the needs of artists in Philadelphia. Here are links to Roberta’s and Libby’s Linc posts–the editors, aka us.mcfarlane, timI agree with a lot of what Charles Hankin wrote in his entry. Particularly the part about artists advocating on behalf of themselves and the arts…I couldn’t agree more (right, McFarlane’s “Here/There”). linc…I think a lot of visual artists tend to downplay what it is they actively do with most of their time. Most of us have day jobs to make ... More » »

Nature found

Nature and scenery turned up afterall. All that landscape got me thinking about landscape painters, which is what my friends Debbie and Phil are (it’s a wonder they talk to me, but they are too kind to confront me and tell me my views offend them). Every summer they go somewhere to paint and then come home with a pile of paintings, many of them quite beautiful. Anyway, I was thinking about how being in the landscape is such an amazing experience, each view each day transformed by conditions, each view sweeping and requiring a physical reaction whether it be ... More » »

The search for nature

The country just ain’t what it used to be. We know, because we tried to take the scenic route and were a little hard pressed to find it. Here are some examples of the scenic route: First we got off the New York Thruway, and took what our AAA map had designated a scenic route from Kingston going north. Hah. First we saw the tatters of an old commercial strip, and then we moved on to a modern strip mall where we found the likes of Barnes & Noble and Bed, Bath & Beyond. What a scene. Then we saw ... More » »

Outta here

I’m off to California tomorrow. Hope to post you from Los Angeles about my trip to the Getty Museum. If nothing else, I may be able to put up some pictures. Stay cool, lovelies. Be well. See you again in August.

The prison, circa 1929

On my way out of Eastern State Penitentiary after re-visiting the Cardiff/Miller “Pandemonium,” I happened upon a real treat — a silent movie made in 1929 commemorating the prison’s 100th anniversary. The film, restored and edited down from its original 30 minutes to a succinct 8-minutes, is available to view in one of the cells. Don’t miss it. The industrial film is a great virtual immersion in the prison’s yesteryear. The piece conveys truth, of a sort. But, like all public relations vehicles, is a bit beyond belief. Copies of the film were made and given to ESP board members, ... More » »

Weekly update — Pandemonium lacks voice

This week at the Weekly, my review of the Janet Cardiff/George Bures Miller audio work, “Pandemonium” at Eastern State Penitentiary. Here’s the link to PW and here’s the piece. I’m running it with some photos I took when I visited the prison last week. Jailhouse Flop The first thing to know about Janet Cardiff and her husband George Bures Miller’s “Pandemonium” at Eastern State Penitentiary is that the piece isn’t a signature Cardiff audio walk. (image is visitors silhouetted in front of the cavernous Cellblock 7 in which the Cardiff/Miller piece is housed.) Unlike Cardiff’s “Her Long Black Hair“-a narrated ... More » »

On the Needs of Visual Artists

Post from Charles HankinThis is a subject that I tried to raise when I was President of Philadelphia Tri State Artists Equity AssociationI was able to get the book “On the Needs of Visual Artists” from The Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation. The publication is the result of the 2001 Roundtable on the needs of artists co-sponsored by Sharpe. The book had much to offer on the discussion of the subject. It is free for those non profits that ask. [Ed. note: the website says it's available to other interested parties, so check it out even if you're not a ... More » »