March 2006 Archive

Our daily diner

6-19-04. Dinner at Denny’s, Normal, Illinois, by Nancy Breslin. 70-second exposure, toned silver gelatin print. Brobdingnagian hamburgers, looming soda cups, and a surreal sense of space take over the photographs by Nancy Breslin, on display for another week at Saint Joseph’s University Gallery. I dashed over to look at this work, all taken by a classic pinhole camera, because I had seen some examples at a conference and I wanted to see more. Lunch at Johnny Rocket’s, Cedar Point, Ohio. 15-second exposure, toned silver gelatin print. The exhibit of 23 photographs didn’t disappoint, and for the pleasure of the locals, ... More » »

Museum fly-over

philadelphia museum and new perelman building Originally uploaded by sokref1.Aerial view of the Philadelphia Museum and the Perelman Building. Photo courtesy of the Museum. Click to see it bigger. Libby told you in her post about the hard hat tour we took of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s new Perelman Building. The tour was notable for helping to clarify the importance of the new building for the museum. Not only will Perelman house two entire departments (Costumes and Textiles and Prints, Drawings and Photography) but it will have the conservation departments, a library, an educator’s resource center, beautiful exhibition spaces ... More » »

Here’s why oh why oh Wyeth

Love in the Afternoon, tempera on panel, 1992; the window, a repeating metaphor for the artist, looks out on the wide open spaces that rise up at a scary angle in a typical Wyeth approach/avoidance conflict So many of us plan to reject Andrew Wyeth before we even get to his 70-year retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. First kiss of death: he’s popular and accessible. Second kiss of death: familiarity breeds contempt–his paintings are so familiar that they seem like cliches. Third kiss of death: We know far too much about his personal life much to his and ... More » »

Kara Walker makes Met a new museum

So says Roberta Smith in her review today of Kara Walker‘s show “After the Deluge” at the Met now through July 30. “Deluge” is an installation created by Walker using her own works and those she selected from the museum’s collection to illustrate her forever right on target themes about race and ruin in the US and in the world. Here’s the link to the Smith review — which has a couple great pictures. Kara Walker – Review – Art – Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York Times

Celebration of art community

Panoramic impressions of landscape from Fran Gallun (iridescent craypas, gouache and pencil) Somewhat related to Dayton Castleman’s windmills (see previous post), my friend Fran Gallun gave a talk in conjunction with her participation in a curated group show at Hopkins House, that sweet little building along the river in Haddon Township run by the Camden County Cultural & Heritage Commission. I say it’s related because Gallun, like Castleman, is concerned with matters spiritual in her work. After the talk, Fran offered a peek at her most recent work–hot off the presses–created during a mini-retreat she created for herself in Israel ... More » »

Tilting at frustration

Tilting at Giants, by Dayton Castleman The physical presence of Dayton Castleman’s windmill installation, “Tilting at Giants,” at the Broad St. Ministries surprised me, even after reading Roberta’s post and seeing the images. Bringing my memory of modern windmills that generate electricity to the exhibit, I unreasonably expected the windmills to be tall and graceful and in motion. What they are is high-tech-looking, somewhat short and stocky, and stunningly inert. In that soaring sanctuary space, the windmills suddenly become metaphors for people, unable to catch the wind, unable to work efficiently in a universe where atmosphere is a condition of ... More » »

Korean immersion in Kensington

DSCN0348.jpgOriginally uploaded by sokref1. Installation shot of the artist’s studio. Click image to see it bigger. Studio visit with John Tallman I met John Tallman in late January at his studio in Kensington, an area that’s being studio-fied as more artists move northward in search of affordable digs. Tallman’s is one of two studios upstairs in a large red brick building on Orchard St. that might have been a factory at one time. Now it’s got an auto fixit shop on the ground floor. As we looked out the studio window facing east, Tallman pointed out several other factory-like buildings ... More » »

Weekly Update (Part 2) – Spring round-up

In the Weekly‘s Spring Guide issue is my round-up of shows I’m excited about this Spring. It’s not meant to be a comprehensive list, just a smidgen of what’s good out there. Here’s the link to the story and below is the copy with some pictures. Planet RockIce sheets, volcanoes, crickets, waterfalls and garden motifs make their way into spring’s art offerings. Artists are always itching to connect with nature, so it’s no surprise that this spring you’ll see lots of earth, wind, water, animals and plants in the area’s art galleries and museums. No antihistamines or sunscreen required, and ... More » »

Weekly Update (Part 1) – Windmills!

This week’s Weekly is the Spring Guide issue and has my round-up of what’s to see this Spring as well as my art page article on Dayton Castleman‘s “Tilting at Giants” at the Broad Street Ministry. I’ll put the Spring Guide piece in another post, coming up in a minute. Here’s the link to the art page. And below is the copy with pictures (from Castleman’s blog — my attempt to photograph the piece failed totally!). Blowing in the WindDayton Castleman’s church installation evokes both religious and nonreligious belief systems. Installation shot in the Broad St. Ministries. As with all ... More » »

Tallman and Out of the Blue

John Tallman Originally uploaded by sokref1. Picture is a stack of paintings on plexiglas by John Tallman. The light shines through the plexi and adds yet more otherworldly color to the day-glow piece. Click to see it bigger. Just a quick note today that I will follow up on later. Abington Art Center’s geo-eco-weather-themed show Out of the Blue has a lot of terrific work in it. And in the community gallery, local artist John Tallman‘s colorful abstract works on plexiglas, canvas and paper and his cookie-like sculptural objects are magical adornment in the beautiful room with the bay window ... More » »