March 2007 Archive

Comic extraction at MoMA

Rivane NeuenschwanderZé Carioca no. 4, A Volta de Zé Carioca [The Return of Zé Carioca] (1960). Ediçao Histórica, Ed. Abril. (detail) 2004Synthetic polymer paint on comic book pagesThirteen images, each 6 ¼ x 4” (15.9 x 10.2 cm)The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Fund for the Twenty-First Century, 2005 The primary image used for the press material promoting Comic Abstraction at MoMA is Ribane Neuenschwander‘s Zé Carioca no. 4, A Volta de Zé Carioca, a panel cartoon with all content extracted from the panels and with the word bubbles denuded of words. The image, which is nice and pop ... More » »

New York and the human face

Before the daffodills bloom I want to quickly post a few pictures from our trip to New York. The day was notable for the Jeff Wall exhibit at MoMA which Libby told you about but also for a few other things, like running into a couple of large Chuck Close prints at Max Lang Gallery (in a show that also includes works by Franz Gertsch). Chuck Close, Alex, Reduction Print, detail There is no arguing with Close’s power as a portraitist. Here, Alex Katz never looked so difficult, tetchy, serpentine, and compelling. And Lyle (photographer Lyle Ashton Harris I believe) ... More » »

Architecture of politics at the ICA

a frame from Luca Buvoli video Luca Buvoli’s ramp project at the Institute of Contemporary Art sent me along a train of thought that affected the way I viewed the rest of the exhibit. Buvoli’s ramp, A Very Beautiful Day after Tomorrow (Un Bellissimo Dopodomani), is super talky with lots of talky video and Pop plastic lettering and decorations. They add up to noise that explain and pull attention away from the not-so-talky central video, a charming melange of historical footage and animation that brings back imagery from World War II, and takes the fangs out of Italian Fascist Futurism ... More » »

Craft , art, whatever, it’s great stuff at the Art Alliance

Red Cone, detail, by Bean Finneran The wonderful glass and ceramics exhibit at the Philadelphia Art Alliance made me think instantly of the discussion evinced by Roberta’s post on American Craft magazine changing its name. The Art Alliance exhibit is all about fine craft, and process and materials. It measures as art for a number of reasons, the first of which is the excellence of its craftsmanship. This work is also something more; its handling and its inventiveness are both wonderful to look at, and even more important–wonderful to consider seriously for content. Bean Finneran’s exhibit, Realms, includes composite pieces ... More » »

Friday night open studios

Our good friend, artist and natural-born blogger Rob Matthews, wrote recently with information about the Church Studios open house which is tomorrow night, March 23, 7-9:30 pm. I mentioned this fundraising event a while back when I posted my interview with Scott Laumann, former Church Studios artist (he’s moved back to California). Here’s the particulars of the fundraiser, which benefits the Church Studios (see Libby’s post for more about the studios) and CCO an organization that interacts with college students. A WORK IN PROGRESS: Open Studios & Art AuctionFriday, March 23, 2007Church Studios at Olivet Covenant Presbyterian Church,22nd and Mt. ... More » »

Laylah Ali’s friends, Romans and foreigners

Untitled, ink on paper The ink drawings of Laylah Ali now showing at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts’ Morris Gallery evoke gladiators, monkeys, Elizabethans and your average high school kid thinking far too much about how he looks. It’s just a short step from Madame Pompadour’s towering power hairdos to the foliage atop Ali’s humanoids, edgy creatures who at once seem to be battle scarred, or mutant, or just plain mean. This is not to say they lack humor and wit, like the skinny-legged superhero wearing his super-hero jockeys atop a skirted tunic. He’s caped and his athletic socks ... More » »

Saatchi’s MySpace goes American Idol for fun

Does everybody know about the Saatchi Showdown, the art competition at the Saatchi Interactive Art Gallery? I’ve gotten three links from three artists who’ve asked me to vote for them in this competition, an American Idol for the art crowd. It’s silly but harmless I guess. Voting is open now through Sunday, March 25. Mark Barry (our blog buddy over at ionarts) Vote for Mark.Albo Jeavons (Philadelphia artist whose anti-corporate works tickle me pink)Vote for Albo. Fred Michiels (pop-porn artist from Belgium who’s an artblog reader)Vote for Fred. Saatchi’s website, a spinoff of his real world gallery, is a phenomenon ... More » »

Look! episodes 2 and 3 at Philebrity

Well, our friends at Philebrity are catching up with our prodigious video output! Episodes 2 and 3 are now on Philebrity TV’s front page. There’s also a Vince Romaniello video with Daniel Heyman about Daniel’s journey to Jordan to draw the Iraqi prisoners of war who were being interviewed for a human rights lawsuit against the US government and its prisons. artblog covered Heyman’s work last July. Here’s my Weekly Update piece and my Q&A with the artist who at that time was fresh home from his journey. Now he’s got a great show of the works at the Print ... More » »

Locally Localized covered in NY Times today

Thanks to Shelley Spector for this tip. NYT art critic Holland Cotter weighs in today on ICA’s Locally Localized Gravity. Read it here today before it costs you $$ on Times Select. Check our locally localized gravity label for artblog‘s coverage of this great show which closes at the end of the day Sunday. Here’s my two favorite paragraphs from Cotter’s review: “Locally Localized Gravity” is, as a show, a movable and participatory feast. The environments set up in the gallery are basically stages waiting for performers — artists and visitors — to arrive. To ask why it doesn’t have ... More » »

Weekly Update 3 – Thomas Chimes at the PMA

On the art page in the Weekly is my review of the Thomas Chimes retrospective at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Below is the copy with some pictures. For more photos see my flickr set. Chimes Ringing on Museum HillA Philly artist gets his due. Rachilde, 1986, Thomas Chimes (American, born 1921). Oil on linen, 50 x 62 inches. Locks Gallery, Philadelphia People tell me they love Thomas Chimes‘ white paintings—minimalist works portraying a face or object trapped under a snowstorm of white paint. I don’t get it, except that many people also like white walls, white cars, white towels ... More » »