September 2010 Archive

True Fiction–Photos always lie at PPAC

Even the documentary photos included in Philadelphia Photo Arts Center‘s show True Fiction tell lies of a sort.

Weekly Update – Antiheroes at Grizzly Grizzly this Friday

It’s antihero time at Grizzly Grizzly—in video, two artists parody classic heroes with acts of mock-heroism against the non-monsters of clutter, trash and darkness. Chris Carroll’s short videos deal with the man/nature relationship, all ominous foreplay with no payback. In his Branta Branta series, a two-second clip of a goose attacking a goose decoy is stuttered to rock backward and forward; in repetition, the animal’s action is mesmerizing and poignant, eternal violence and eternal failure. In another video, the artist walks waist-deep in a river running under a small stone bridge, disappearing into the darkness under the bridge to light ... More » »

Videos shine in Ground Play at Nexus

Video works by two artists stand out at Nexus. The show, Ground Play, includes art by a number of Nexus members, including work from six Nexus artists invited by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education to visit and respond to the history and topography of its Brolo Hill Farm, SCEE’s second site.

Dufala brothers on artblog radio – collaboration, rivalry and making things

This episode sponsored by Bridgette Mayer Gallery Brothers Steven and Billy Blaise Dufala grew up making things and making music.  In this episode they talk about their collaboration and about music- and art-making. Below is the 30-second sample clip. And below that is the full 15-minute interview. [Audio clip: view full post to listen] Right click to download 30-second sample of the Dufala podcast

Fringe Follow up – old school is best, and more

The 2010 Philadelphia Live Arts and Fringe Festival is over, after sixteen days of nearly non-stop performances. As anticipated, Lucinda Childs’ Dance–a re-staging of the original piece of 1979–with film by Sol LeWitt and music by Philip Glass, was the exemplar to which all other avant-garde work should aspire. With Childs’ roots in the original “fringe” of conceptual artists at New York’s Judson Memorial Church in the early 1960s (which offered unconventional figures like Yoko Ono, Allan Kaprow, and Claes Oldenburg a place to show their work), these trailblazers all helped to redefine dance, music, theater, and the visual arts.

Dear Fleisher today – some great art for $50

Dear Fleisher, the biennial fundraiser for Fleisher Art Memorial, takes place today at 1:00 PM. All the art is 4×6″ (roughly) and there are a handful of 3D objects as well as works on paper. Everything is anonymous, all the works numbered so you have to go with your knowledge base or your gut in picking what you want.  As in other years, there are some really great gems, and everything goes for $50, first-come, first served. Cash and carry, so get there early. Also, it usually gets crowded so be prepared to dodge and weave. A $5 contribution at ... More » »

Treats at the PMA’s Perelman Building

I stopped by the Perelmann Building at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) over the weekend thinking I’d spend an hour at the exhibition of North African Jewelry, and after three hours I left, only because the guards were trying to close the museum. An Eakins Masterpiece Restored: Seeing ‘The Gross Clinic’ Anew (through Jan. 9, 2011), which Peter Crimmins discussed here is an exemplary demonstration of how a museum can renew the public interest in an old favorite.  I suspect every visitor will learn something new about the painting, Eakins, masterpiece, and a very expensive, recent acquisition by the ... More » »

William Lamson at The Boiler: A Line Describing the Sun

Two summers back, while I was working as an intern at Pierogi Gallery in Williamsburg, a tall young man with dirty blonde beard came in to show the manager and me a project he was working on. A video on his laptop, turned sideways to accommodate the vertical format, showed himself as he shot down pairs of shoes strung over telephone lines with a bow and arrow. My reaction: “Who is this?” and “Strange.” (Libby and Roberta saw the video at Vox Populi back in 2008). But it was Will Lamson, recognized for videos of quirky performances that engage with the ... More » »

Book review: Black Comix

If you’re looking for a snapshot of some of the black artists creating and selling comix, aka independent comics, check out Black Comix: African American Independent Comics Art and Culture.

Murray! Dan! Tonight! Free Library!

Murray Dubin, my own true love, and Dan Biddle are talking at the Free Library, 19th and The Parkway, 7:30 p.m. (Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2010). They will read from their book Tasting Freedom: Octavius Catto and the Battle for Equality in Civil War America, and will be signing books after the reading, which is free and open to the public. That’s free to you, dear public. No tickets required. I’ll be there and I can’t wait.