March 2009 Archive

Among friends: Haverford College’s four art happenings

Some art happenings at Haverford College this past week generated some fun, some  love and a little discomfort. Here’s a quick example of what went on: I myself just returned from a field trip through exotic Suburban Square with [artist] Harrell Fletcher! Lots of fun–went to a ColdStone ice cream store when the staff has to sing to you if you tip them; we ended up singing to them for a change (“This Land is Your Land”)–from email from James Weissinger, Associate Director, John B. Hurford ’60 Humanities Center, Haverford College, who by night is sometimes seen hanging around at ... More » »

The wonderfulness of this week’s too much stuff

Another crazy week, art campers.  We’ll start with First Friday and work our way forwards and backwards all at once.  It seemed logical to us. FRIDAY, April 3 Man’s best art opening

Gary Hill’s text beat boom hum cacophony at Slought

Gary Hill touched down in Philadelphia last week to install his show at Slought and to participate in a panel at the opening with poets/artists George Quasha and Charles Stein, who are buddies of his.  The two have just published a book about Hill, An Art of Limina:  Gary Hill’s Works and Writing (2009, Ediciones Poligrafa), and the mighty tome was on display (and for sale) in the gallery.  

Hidden City unveiled-Festival starts May 30

Continuing a recent tradition in Philadelphia arts, Hidden City, the month-long arts festival, will open up nine historically-significant yet underappreciated buildings this June for use as backdrops for performance and visual arts.  (Eastern State Penitentiary, a ruin once on the brink of extinction,  is the first such endangered and underused building we remember housing art projects–for the very successful Prison Sentences exhibit in 1995)

Looking In; Robert Frank’s “The Americans”

No photography has had the effect on me of Robert Frank’s The Americans, which I saw in 1969 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  It was not just that Frank showed the family of man complete with its disfunction, feuds and black sheep, but the disturbing power of his vision.

Iraq conversation without Jeremy Deller

I pretended I was a tourist as I approached the rusty hulk of an exploded car parked on a flatbed towed by an RV. They were parked in front of the National Constitution Center, across from Independence Mall. The RV was labeled with a web site, www.conversationsaboutiraq.org, and “It is What it is.”

Update from Art in City Hall

I got this email from Tu Huynh, who runs the Art in City Hall program in response to my question about the cases looking different. He answered that and more: I’ve been out sick…caught a virus from my kids, so I apologize for getting back to you sooo late. First off, thank you for the write up on the artblog. Did you see that Kathryn [Pannepacker] will be on the cover of American Craft magazine?

Maira Kalman on democracy at NY Times blog

 I want to recommend Maira Kalman‘s new blog post about democracy, today at the NY Times on her blog.  It goes from history lesson to civics lesson and is, like all her work, a great shaggy dog story that involves her as whimsical-optimist observer.  And here’s some news about Kalman.  Last time I was at ICA I ran into Curator Ingrid Schaffner and asked her what she was working on — A Maira Kalman show!!!  It’ll be in 2010 in the upstairs galleries and will include Kalman’s story-drawings as well as some of her collections (she’s a renowned collector of “stuff” ... More » »

New Nutter Poster from Joe Boruchow

This poster came in from one of our favorite artists, Joe Boruchow, who likes to skewer the political scene from time to time. Joe also sent along this pithy quote:   “The budget is the skeleton of the state stripped of all misleading ideologies.” – Rudolph Goldscheid We pass them along for their topicality and amazing graphic encapsulation of the complex issues.

Go to blogpix, now!!!

Blogpix is closing Mar. 28! Yikes, that’s like Saturday.  It’s a show with lots of worthwhile paintings (see them on the website but see them in person, too)!!!   The show has one piece of sculpture — a huge wonderful “sock monkey” by Christopher Davison that people either love or hate.  (We love it!)  It’s so good in person, you need to see it.