January 2009 Archive

Mark Price’s Adam Cvijanovic chops –see Brent Burket for more

Great review of Mark Price‘s Glowlab show at Brent Burket’s blog Heart as Arena. Brent compares Price’s explosive installation to Adam Cvijanovic’s 2005 show at Bellweather, a mural that envisions the world ten minutes after the end of gravity. Price is a Space 1026er. We’ve been following his work since 2004 when we encountered him selling his prints on a blanket on the street on First Fridays. See post. Mark Price: The New Real Fantasy Now,to Feb. 1Glowlab30 Grand Street between Thompson Street and 6th Avenue New York, NY 10013

Streetcar on Walnut Street — Blanche, Stanley and Stella waltz in new production at Walnut Street Theatre

Post By Michael Andre The Walnut Street Theatre at 9th Street first opened its doors on 2 February 1809. To celebrate their 200th anniversary, the Walnut has mounted a new production of A Street Car Named Desire. A German director friend groaned at the news; she cattily if wittily remarked: a chestnut on Walnut! But it’s a great play. And in September 1947 it happened to premiere at the Walnut starring Jessica Tandy, Kim Hunter, Karl Malden and Marlon Brando. People who have seen the subsequent film may not understand how the Hays Office and the Legion of Decency eviscerated ... More » »

Canadians cover Obama

An email from my brother Barry, in Edmonton: Hi all, It was great inauguration. Was touched. As a side light, I am in Canada. How did the Canadian press respond to the event. In addition to the 4 US network Spokane affiliates I could have watched the same picture on three or four Canadian networks. This mornings Edmonton Journal had a full page picture of the Obama’s and devoted the first several pages to the story. The last time the Edmonton Journal covered any story in this depth, Canadian or otherwise, may have been 9-11. Nothing like this after a ... More » »

Vox Populi’s January shows

Vox Populi‘s January show opened Jan. 9 and, carumba, it closes Feb. 1 — get over there quick because there’s good stuff! Vox Members Shows Julianna Foster’s From Morning On Julianna Foster‘s From Morning On continues the artist’s exploration of narrative through serial photography. This group of photographs shows gorgeous misty landscapes, decrepit mystery interiors that are also misty; claustrophobic backyard mists and more. It’s like the misty moors of Wuthering Heights come to the American Northeast farmland. The actor is a woman who performs ambiguous and rather static actions (listening through a wall; blowing dust off a box; staring ... More » »

Twitter-topia

Hey, we’re on Twitter! My god, we feel so connected!!

Rist and Dumas: sex and the second sex at MoMA

Giant green strawberries float down in Pipilotti Rist video installation, Pour Your Body Out If your idea of sex is gorgeous and transcendent, there’s a show at MoMA for you. And if your idea of sex is prurient and the body’s animal qualities trouble you, there’s another show for you, also at MoMA. And the top miracle of all–both these shows are by women, Swiss video artist Pipilotti Rist and South African artist Marlene Dumas. Pairing them in our heads, the two shows gave us plenty to enjoy and react to. Pipilotti Rist People lounging in the atrium in the ... More » »

Weekly Update – Pow, bam, kiss, kill at Screening Video

This week’s Weekly has my review of Tiny Riot Project at Screening Video. Below is my copy. Care Bears on high alert to combat the peace-loving protesters. At about age 8, children start to make fun of previously-cherished stuffed animals who once were the love of their lives.  The mockery of childhood “friends” is normal and healthy and part of growing up – what adult doesn’t like a good joke about Santa?  Kris Lefcoe‘s Tiny Riot Project at Screening Video Gallery taps into your inner 8-year old.  The stop-motion animation is a tale of  “power-violating-the-innocents” that’s right out of your ... More » »

artblog watches the inauguration of Barack Obama!

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on inauguration day.  Photo by Charles Dharapak/Associated Press. Courtesy New York Times. We want to be there sort of (we don’t like the crowds so much). But we’ll be watching with the rest of all of us on our tv in the studio. Enough with the blogging already (salt water on computer keyboards not a good mix). And on with the nation’s business! Huzzah! Does it get any better than this?

Robert Storr defends his shows

Yale University School of Art Dean, Robert Storr. Thanks China Culture for the picture. We were interested to hear Yale Dean and curator Robert Storr on abstract art, part of a series of 3 lectures at the Met. The series seems to be about contextualizing up-and-coming artists in the canon. Here’s who was under discussion last Saturday: (in the canon already)– Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, Robert Ryman, Jasper Johns, and Gerhard Richter—and (not there yet but Storr wants to put them in) — Odili Donald Odita, Tom Nozkowski, Mary Heilmann, El Anatsui and Ron Gorchov. Many of the examples Storr used ... More » »

The Artist as Subject and Curator

Upcoming Art and Art Films at International House A piece from 2005 by Margaret Kilgallen, one of the artists to be featured in a film at I-House.International House has always been one of Philadelphia’s best venues for film (a hidden one, to judge from the small regular attendance) and they’ve been adding art, courtesy of InLiquid.com which has been presenting video work in I-House’s lobby space. They’ve also been showing ever more films about art and artists. I missed one I really wanted to see in November on L.A.’s Ferus Gallery but we’ll get chance this week to see a ... More » »