October 2006 Archive

Finals Week: Oosterbaan, Kerlin, Goodman, Big Jar

Robert Goodman, Untitled 2, at Gallery Siano I ran into town last Saturday to see a couple shows closing this week. It’s so hard to see everything these days, especially when so much of it is worthy. First stop, Gallery Siano to see Robert Goodman‘s new paintings. Goodman, who had a Fleisher Challenge exhibit last year, makes large, forceful abstract paintings that have no fear of color and are absolutely able to deal with the white of the primed but unpainted canvas. The work’s many staccato strokes play off nicely against the skittery, rope-like knots elsewhere. And as with all ... More » »

Washington part 2 Nat Gal

My strategy for visiting a museum is generally to spend no longer than an hour, maybe an hour and a half. But sometimes you have to break your own rules. Kindred Spirits, 1849. Homage to Hudson River School painter Thomas Cole and nature poet William Cullen Bryant. On loan from walton Family Foundation. National Gallery. I had forgotten how big the National Gallery of Art was and forgot also that to walk from one end to another –without stopping to look at anything — would take a good 15 minutes. So my 90-minute rule went out the door and I ... More » »

Vox Pop benefit today

Don’t forget the Vox Populi benefit this afternoon at 5 pm. Music, experimental films, art, raffles, beer…all for a great cause–to help the members coop with their move to a new space as their building gets torn down to make way for the PA Convention Center expansion. Read more here about the plight of the Gilbert Building tenants which, in addition to Vox include Asian Arts Initiative, Highwire Gallery, the Fabric Workshop and Museum and others.

Washington DC: Guston, the Phillips and a farmer’s market

Phillips Collection. Spiral staircase going up to the third floor in the new wing. If I’d been to the Phillips Collection before it was so many years ago the mind reels. Thus it was a new museum for me to assay last Sunday on my day trip to Washington. I was initially interested in a temporary traveling exhibit they had, the Societe Anonyme, and I’ll tell you about that later. I found the museum to be a great small space with surprising depth. And given that it’s compared to the Barnes alot (private collection driven by an art enthusiast) the ... More » »

MBN Studios hosting Bushwick

We haven’t been up there in a while but we’re always interested in what’s happening at MBN Studios a place that puts eclectic street-based art on the walls and throws a good party to celebrate it. This month’s show, opening tonight, Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 pm, is an all out of towner’s show, with Brooklyn artists from Bushwick Art Collective showing art and films. Artists include Megan Galante, Matthew Blair, Lech Szporer, Rodrigo Gonzalez, Hillel, Aaron Crichton, Justin Horne, Andrew Thompson, Hayato Matsushita, Sakiko Fukada, Erin Laubenheimer, David Button Joseph Villeneuve. I am not sure how long the show’s ... More » »

From the inbox: Aborigine art visits Philadelphia

Frank Bramblett, painter, Pew fellow, teacher and good friend of artblog wrote us about an upcoming event that he and his son were instrumental in setting up: a lecture about Aboriginal art by an Aboriginal art authority, Tim Jennings. Jennings, who runs Gallery Mbantua in the Australian Outback, will show slides and speak Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 pm at Crane Art Center, 1400 American St. He will have some paintings in tow that will be available for purchase. (20% of the purchase price of sales goes to the Mbantua Sports Foundation to develop sports facilities and athletic training.) Here’s ... More » »

The Topical and the Tropical at the Fab Workshop

Post by Andrea Kirsh It’s not every day that the Fabric Workshop and Museum screens a video whose subject is front page news in the New York Times; but the other day, after waking up to Lawyer, Facing 30 Years, Gets 28 Months, to Dismay of U.S., I went to the recently-opened Paul Chan exhibition and found his rather lyrical documentary Untitled (Video on Lynne Stewart and Her Conviction, The Law and Poetry). Lynne Stewart, NY Times photo by Chang Lee, Feb. 11, 2005 I knew Chan’s previous animations using the imagery of Henry Darger, which prepared me for the ... More » »

Weekly Update (2) – Virgil Marti’s Crazy Quilt

In the listings this week you’ll find my mini-review of Virgil Marti’s whole house installation at Paley Design Center. Here’s that link and below is the copy. I have more pictures at flickr. And see Andrea Kirsh’s post for more on Marti’s installation. “Crazy Quilt”Through Fri., Nov. 17. Design Center at Philadelphia University, Goldie Paley House, 4200 Henry Ave. 215.951.2860. Virgil Marti’s landscape wallpaper with shrooms and flames, first installed at Pennsylvania Academy and newly installed at Paley. Virgil Marti is in love with the ’70s—an era of shag carpets, macrame and DIY marijuana growing. The local master printer, teacher ... More » »

Weekly Update (1) – Tristin Lowe’s socks at Fleisher-Ollman

This week’s Weekly includes my review of Tristin Lowe’s solo show Socked Up at Fleisher-Ollman Gallery. Below is the copy with some pictures. And here’s the link to the art page. More photos at my flickr set. Sock on ThisTristin Lowe’s carnival of hosiery, intestines and wrinkled genitalia rocks. Installation shot of Tristin Lowe’s exhibit Socked Up at Fleisher-Ollman Gallery In “Socked Up”—Tristin Lowe’s Waiting for Godot-esque romp about life, death and socks at Fleisher/Ollman Gallery—the artist presents twisted intestines, aging sex organs, drooping bones, matted hair, drippy noses and skulls galore. Tristin Lowe. Jean-Gnome. I saw this piece first ... More » »

Milwaukee? Why am I not covering this?

Falcon Bowl, site of the Milwaukee International. Bowl, play darts or look at art, what would you do? The Milwaukee International 2006 is this weekend, Oct. 20-21. But this is not your mama’s art fair. This alternative event is taking place in a Polish beer and bowling hall, the Falcon Bowl where the gallerists will be cheek by jowl by cheese curds by bar darts. Man I wish I could be there! Go, Milwaukee! And check out the seriously fun list of exhibitors. I am definitely going next time…if there is a next time.