December 2008 Archive

Lights, lights and more lights! Happy New Year everyone!!!

Avenue of the Arts, Philadelphia, colored lights! Poissonnerie G. Ledreux near our subway stop, Alesia, neon lights! Max and Stella, my two personal beacons!! Blue sky, gold leaf at Versailles! I’ll post about Paris when I return but I want to share some colors now and a quick hello!  Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!!!!

There really is a leap-second being added this year, a minute before midnight. Here’s a link to the article I read. What amused me most in the article was the way people who want to use atomic time are not more rational about their choice than people who want to use the leap second approach. Both choices are just a reflection of people’s personalities and the way they like to solve problems. What the article doesn’t answer is how the computers will handle the hiccup. And how about the cell phones? After the millenium computer doomsday scenario didn’t play out, ... More » »

Weekly Update — Pageant’s Rag and Bone men and ladies

Bon Jour from Paris!!! This week’s Weekly has my review of Rag and Bnne at Pageant Gallery. Matthew Osborn, untitled drawing at Pageant’s Rag and Bone. Rag and Bone, Pageant Gallery’s Winter Invitational, brings together 26 artists, some of them familiar names and some gallery newcomers.  The exhibition continues Pageant’s shaggy-around-the-edges aesthetic – drawings pinned to the walls; tv monitors sitting on the floor;  sculpture in the gallery’s odd nooks and crannies.  It’s a sprawling show and treasures abound. Matthew Osborn, Financial Oblivion Matthew Osborn‘s wall of cartoon drawings kept me engaged for quite a while.  “Tools are weapons and weapons ... More » »

What we want to see Friday and next Thursday

Work by Amy Stevens (top), Kim Alsbrook (left) and Miha at Bambi Gallery Say it isn’t so!!! Some galleries have moved their openings to Second Friday this month. Too much New Years’ partying, we guess. That would certainly be the case for those crazy Space 1026ers who are marching in the Mummer’s Parade with the Vaudevillains New Year’s Comic Brigade. They’ll be performing around 9 a.m. in front of City Hall. Sounds fun, if you can get up that early–better yet, just stay up from the night before. Then go back to sleep until Friday, the 9th, for theirs and ... More » »

Migration stories from Siona Benjamin and Asian Arts with InLiquid

Siona Benjamin, See No Evil, in which the artist puts Queen Esther in her own shoes. We all have some dreamy idea of a Cheers kind of life in a single town where everyone knows your name. But that doesn’t take into account the non-stop migrations around the world–people fleeing war or famine or hardship–or boredom. Around 15 years ago, I learned that a bunch of ancient bodies were unearthed in China–all fair-haired people wearing tartans. Siona Benjamin, Joseph, gouache and gold leaf on museum board, 22 x 17 inches, 2006. And last night a tragedy in Philadelphia’s Liberian community ... More » »

The hearth goes meta meta meta

I couldn’t resist taking a video of a televised fireplace fire to warm the hands and the hearts of the average Philly American family. This was on Channel 17 yesterday and it went on for hours. So here you have it–now still another step away from reality, on your computer screen. Can’t wait to eat the roasting chestnuts in bits and bytes.

Philly whines!

Thanks to the modern miracle of video, you can now hear the Philadelphia Complaint Choir right here (see posts here and here for the background info). I gotta tell you, I loved it!!! This is the Official Philadelphia Complaint Choir video, and any hint about the substance of the complaints would be a spoiler. So you’ll have to watch if you really want to know. Our buddy and art citizen Shelley Spector, was one of the chorale. She sent a link about the making of the choir, as well as the video, which aired on CNN yesterday . Spector wrote: ... More » »

Weekly Update — Fleisher-Ollman’s Winter Invitational goodness

This week’s Weekly has my review of the winter invitational show at Fleisher-Ollman. Below is the copy with some pictures and a few changes. Shawn Thornton, one of five paintings in the show, oil on panel, 11×11″ Sly and serpentine works turn Fleisher-Ollman’s sixth annual emerging artist show into an Eden with bite. F-O is known for exhibiting the works of visionary outsider artists like James Castle.  But in this annual winter emerging artist exhibit it’s unusual to see a visionary.  So painter Shawn Thornton is the surprise.  Thornton at the opening reception, posing with two of his works. His ... More » »

A very Sculpey Christmas to ye!

Have a merry, happy, safe and cheery holiday season, everyone!!! Stella and her friend Julian had a productive Sculpey phase when they were about 7 years old. Like a good mom, I save all the genius projects of my children. This year when I discovered this gold mine of Sculpeyed Stuff I knew it conveyed cheeriness and hugs. So here’s my hug for you, dear readers. With love.

Peace on earth and lots of love