August 2005 Archive

Hypemaster and the destruction of art

Watch out for the new P.T. Barnum of Philadelphia’s art world, Rah Crawford, who last summer was selling his work out on Second Street with not much more than a notebook of copies to show, is having his second solo show at Qbix Gallery opening Friday, and just in case you snored through his last show–paintings that mix up hiphop culture, politics and design with the Al Hirshfeld-words-embedded-as-lines technique all over the place–he has decided to wake you up and make you pay attention by promising to sledgehammer some of his pieces. And he’s not talking copies, here. These are ... More » »

Your intrepid reporter slips again

Oh, I should have double-checked Rodger LaPelle’s list of galleries going or gone out of business, but enough of them were right for me to believe in the whole list. Then I got this email suggesting all was not well: Hi, I don’t believe Rodger LaPelle was quite accurate in the list of gallery closings he gave you (included in your August 25th posting). While the rest of the list may indeed be defunct (pending confirmation…?), I think Rick DeCoyte and Michal Smith might be a bit bemused (to say the least) at the news that LaPelle has shed a ... More » »

Segal Outside Everywhere

I opened a piece of mail this week from Locks Gallery and in it was a postcard announcing the opening reception for the gallery’s new rooftop sculpture garden on September 9, 5:30-7:30 pm. The image on the card is George Segal‘s “The Dancers” (bronze, white patina, 1971) which now sits in the treetop aerie overlooking Washington Square. The postcard image is beautiful and it made me start thinking about Segal again. You may remember I’m not a big fan. Nonetheless, there’s something about a Segal piece outdoors that seems better to me than a Segal indoors. Why would that be? ... More » »

Sink Eames

Post from Donna Sink[Ed. note: I am way overdue putting up this missive which came in last month. Donna Sink is an architect based in Indianapolis. She used to be based in Philadelphia and was the installation designer for Cheryl Harper's "A Happening Place" at Borowsky Gallery a few years back.] Hi Roberta and Libby: I was in town recently installing the show “Whimsical Works: The Playful Designs of Charles and Ray Eames”. Basic information below: Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania220 South 34th Street (in the Furness library)Philadelphia PA23 July – 11 September 2005 This exhibit examines the “whimsical” ... More » »

Art groupie at quarter-career

[Ed. note: this post has been edited to correct two things: The image has been changed and is now a Bromirski image. And below, the name Spencer Finch has been deleted and Jeff Koons has been added. Sorry for the confusion.] Two things rang my bell this morning. One is kinda funny and the other is kinda not-funny. Martin Bromirski, artist and anaba blogger, has a post about trying to define what is a mid-career artist. Apparently a standard definition is “7 years of professional practice.” Bromirski considers he’s at quarter-career, not mid career but he’s freaked out by the ... More » »

Hanging out at LaPelle

Gallery owner Rodger LaPelle of his eponymous gallery starts his conversations with the good-news headlines, then bad news in detail, and then back to the good news, maybe not in great detail, but still there. Some of his good news includes the recent sale of his 50th piece by young painter Matt Bollinger who had a solo show at LaPelle’s in February. LaPelle also wanted me to know about a commission he brokered for another of his artists. Then there was the bad news. It’s August; he hasn’t sold quite as many paintings as he would have liked this month; ... More » »

Nice view–Paris by Puma

Paintings and drawings of Paris fresher than the Bois are hanging at Afif Gallery until Sept. 2 (top image, “Sunday,” oil on canvas). The love affair with Paris are by Jessica Puma, one of the Philadelphia area artists included in this year’s issue of “New American Paintings,” and as in the book, she’s still using lit-up skin tones and textures for architecture, giving light and warmth to the usual grim grays. Shots of Mediterranean blues practically turn the place into the tropics. She must have had a hell of a trip (left, “Godsend,” oil on canvas). The other lovable quality ... More » »

Propper Mural in Manyunk

I mentioned last week in the Weekly Update (see post)that Ann Northrup‘s new mural in Manayunk is full speed ahead with a Sept. 22 dedication coming up fast. Herein are some pictures from my visit with my and Libby’s friend at her new mural, on the side of Propper Brothers Furniture right off Main St. (another big wall — one of Northrup’s specialties)Gabe Tiberino, recent PAFA grad (pictured above), is one of Northrup’s assistants on the project. The mural, painted under the aegis of the Mural Arts Program, has an ovarian cancer awareness theme. Kitty Hankins, 78, worked with Northrup ... More » »

Weekly Update – Hom’s Clouds and Vox Newbies

This week’s Weekly has my report on Libby’s and my studio visit with Mei-ling Hom and her husband David McClelland. And in the Editor’s Choice section of the listings, my quickie on the Vox new members’ show. Here’s the link to the Hom article and here’s the link to the Editors’ Choice page. And below are the stories — with some additional pix. This is Libby’s post on the visit. Cloud Coverage My friend and collaborator Libby Rosof and I went to Mei-Ling Hom‘s South Philadelphia studio on Aug. 9. Hom invited us in to preview a body of work ... More » »

Commerce and art on Target

Twice in one week the issue of commerce co-opting art has come up. First there’s the brouhaha over the Ecko graffiti-art project in Chelsea (see today’s Inky) that a federal court judge in New York ruled yesterday was First Amendment protected free speech. This struck me as pretty funny, since it was more about promotion for Ecko clothes (at least, that’s how it looks to me from here). Here’s the plan as described in the article: The exhibition, set for Wednesday in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, is the brainchild of Marc Ecko, a fashion designer who began his career as a ... More » »