September 2009 Archive

Fernell Franco’s Brooding Vision; ‘Amarrados’ (Bound) at the Americas Society

At a time when so much photography is very big and beautiful but its main subject would seem to be virtuosity, it is exciting to come upon a body of work that conveys an urgent need to say something. Fernell Franco’s Amarrados (Bound) at the Americas Society through Dec. 12, 2009 clearly grew out of Franco’s necessity to tell a more complex story than allowed by his day job as a photojournalist for several Colombian newspapers.

Photographing Eden lost–Philadelphia Photo Arts Center

Philadelphia has just gained another place to view great photography. The new Philadelphia Photo Arts Center (PPAC) at the Crane Arts Center is showing juried works by 21 young artists in the exhibit Next: Emerging Philadelphia Photographers.

Outsiders inside at Sun King Gallery

A smashing orbit of color, metal and lights from the outer limits are holding the fort at Sun King Gallery and Pyramid Museum, (the gallery formerly known as Art Around).

Rally against art tax tomorrow at noon

This just in from the art trenches….from an email from Margie Salvante of the Theatre Alliance: URGENT NEWS: Rally tomorrow Noon, Broad Street between Market and Walnut

Juicy jewelry from Bruce Metcalf, detailed drawings from South Philly

Like candy in a sweetshop, Bruce Metcalf’s painted and carved wood jewelry calls out to you from behind the glass cases in Snyderman Gallery. Colorful, stylized lips and breasts and biomorphic tendrils that suggest underwater creatures make up the necklaces and brooches you see. These plumped up and gorgeous little objects with their sensuous surfaces and bright, seductive colors are like those playful creatures from an Elizabeth Murray painting–beguiling and can we say, naughty?

Weekly Update — Smokey spirituality at Rebekah Templeton

This week’s Weekly has my review of Dechemia at Rebekah Templeton.  Below’s the copy with pictures. More photos at my flickr. You may not know Bardo Pond members John Gibbons and Isobel Sollenberger as visual artists, but the couple has been making and exhibiting their shamanistic and mandalalike poured plaster art for years.

Dangerous home life–Gail Cunningham at Bambi

We all know that internet images of art lie. But I still got whipsawed by how much they lie when I stopped in to see “Social Diagrams,” an exhibit of cut paper art by Gail Cunningham at Bambi Projects.

Tell Harrisburg what you think–pick up the phone

If you’re as frustrated as we are about the new state tariff on art events that we mentioned yesterday, here’s a way you can take action. The following email alert comes from the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, providing a simple way for you to take action–just pick up the phone.

Why Buildings Fall Down

It is probably because I am in the market for a flat that I was drawn through the glass door to the Gallery Jean Fournier in the Rue de Bac in Paris (France). The show on view is entitled “Emmenagement” or  ”Moving House”.  This is a show dedicated to those who liked where they lived. We are treated to household objects derived not by design or function but  from the process of moving.

Tax those sporting events too!

To restate the obvious, arts organizations should not be the only victims of the new 8% tax on ticket sales in Philadelphia.  If you haven’t heard about this brouhaha (that’s HA for HArrisburg)  here’s more at the Inquirer website. In short, the gate for museums, dance, theatre and music performances and the zoo will all be taxed — for the first time ever — at the new 8% city tax rate (in the rest of Pennsylvania the rate is 6%).  Most (though not all) of the tax revenue will go into a newly-created state arts fund; and part of the ... More » »