June 2008 Archive

Rum cake on the half shell

I got a gift from my next door neighbor–a little rum cake from Barbados, carefully stowed in a beautiful, yellow hexagonal cake box. Little pyramidal clouds float around the sides of the lid, with the words “A tantalizing taste of Barbados.” But the top of the box is what stole my heart–a Botticelli Venus, with some quirky modifications (here’s an online image of Botticelli’s babe). On the box, Venus’ hair is browner, but otherwise a complete rip (just like the Illustrator Venus!), and her face is also barely modified for a slightly more ethnic Barbados look. She is plumper and ... More » »

Love the Paine? Come out this Saturday

What do these artists have in common? Isaac Lin, Thom Lessner, Adam Wallacavage, Shepard Fairey, Andrew Jeffrey Wright, Adam Wallacavage, Matthew Neff, Crystal Stokowski, Kevin E. Taylor They’re some of the artists who donated work to the Saturday, June 28 benefit, 9 pm-1 am, for the future Franklin’s Paine Skatepark. (This is the skatepark promised by the city when they took away Love Park as the international mecca of skatingdom.) A print by Ben Woodward, one of several he donated to the event. Music, dancing…and prints for sale!! This event will have it all in the fabulous Urban Outfitters facility ... More » »

Giving up the battle, episode 1 and episode 2

Episode 1: Government drops case against Steven Kurtz, Critical Art Ensemble artist accused of being a bioterrorist From artnet, the so-called bioterrorist artist Steven Kurtz, a member of the activist organization Critical Art Ensemble, had his indictment dismissed for insufficient evidence. Government prosecutors did not appeal within the required 30 days so the case is over. Read a very succinct synopsis of the whole messy ugly story here. We’ve been following this human rights story on artblog since 2004. Read posts here, here and here. An exhibition exploring Kurtz’s art project that caused the government to go bananas is on ... More » »

Alex Gartelmann’s words on the street

It looks a bit like one of those signboards outside a church, the ones that give you a quip for the day and a reference to some bible passage. But Alex Gartelmann‘s new word art outside University of the Arts’ Hamilton Hall — all caps no punctuation and a sentiment that sums up the power dynamic in many relationships — is a passage of noirish sentiment right out of Raymond Chandler, and something that made heads turn for a second look and a read when I stopped by a week ago. WHEN I TOLD YOU I ACCEPTED THE BLAME FOR ... More » »

On the road with Mark Dion at Bartram’s Garden

Fishing lures collected by Mark Dion on display at Bartram’s Garden; some of them look like teething rings. Artist Mark Dion has staged an installation inside the 18th century house at Bartram’s Garden, a wonderful historic treasure on the banks of the Schuylkill. The installation is right at home here. Dion, who is known for art work that relates to collecting and the museum as an institution that skews and preserves cultural memory and knowledge, has shown his work at MoMA, the Tate and the Carnegie in Pittsburgh, to name a few. A turkey vulture in one of the collection ... More » »

Memorial to Ann d’Harnoncourt yesterday

White doves circling in the sky during the memorial service to Ann d’Harnoncourt yesterday at the PMA. While the Chamber Orchestra played Fanfare for the Common Man (Hear it here) someone behind the stage released a flock of white doves into the sky. The birds flew over the crowd and circled in the distance while the sad music played. At times the birds caught the late afternoon sunlight and seemed like diamonds twinkling in the clouds. Then they would circle around and completely disappear. It was sad and sweet and brought everyone to tears. Ed Wise and his New Orleans ... More » »

Between and betwixt in Brooklyn

Paul St George, Telectroscope, in DUMBO To top off our Father’s Day visit to Alex, Alex took us on a walk up the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights to see the Telectroscope–the Brooklyn half of a two-part art installation by British artist Paul St George. The other half was in London. Paul St George, Telectroscope. The entrance is to the left of the photo, into the mouth of the tube. The DUMBO installation, all brass fittings and Captain Nemo, allowed the London crowd to wave hello to the Brooklynites and vice versa! The two gizmos stood at the portals to a ... More » »

What we need — a little rant about some big things

Post by Sid Sachs Sid Sachs, Director of Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery, Uarts faculty (and friend of artblog whose mind is always ruminating in interesting places) was provoked by my post on Ann Northrup’s mural. Specifically by this: “the head of the Mural Arts Program, Jane Golden, was in Vietnam helping that government launch a mural program and how great it was that she was bringing her successful experience here to other parts of the world.” In response Sid wrote a free verse rant that raises a lot of issues about murals, and the city’s arts and culture institutions and the future ... More » »

Summer Solstice Benefit for Philagrafika

We mentioned this a month ago, so I deem it time for a reminder–We’ll be MC-ing the Summer Solstice Benefit for Philagrafika tonight, 5:30 to 9, at Bahdee Bahdu‘s new location near the Crane in Kensington at 1522 N. American St. Who will be there besides us and a lot of the artists who donated work? Why Hizzoner the Mayor and City Councilwoman Maria Quiñones Sánchez. The festivities mark the kick off for Philagrafika 2010: The Graphic Unconscious an international contemporary art festival slated for January-April, 2010. The fundraising event is an opportunity to snarf up some of the 150 ... More » »

Prologue to a Travelogue, Part 2

Post by Anthony Campuzano [Hanging by your nails to read the the rest of Anthony Campuzano's encounter on Philadelphia's mean streets? Here it is. And just in case you missed it, Part 1 is here.] I turned thinking maybe one of my drawings had fallen from my portfolio. Instead it was just a cruel joke. The group had caught up to me and were feet behind me. I ran into oncoming traffic; cars beeped and people yelled at me to get out of the road. Three of the kids split from the group and crossed the street after me, and ... More » »