November 2010 Archive

Books for Holiday Gifts

Here are a few books which might solve some of your holiday gift problems: Anton Radevsky and Emma Saunders Voyage to the Heart of Matter; the Atlas Experiment at CERN (Papadakis Publisher: Winterbourne, UK, 2009; 2nd ed. 2010; distributed by Antique Collectors Club, New York) ISBN-10: 190650606X, 13: 978-1906506063 Whether you think art and science are on parallel journeys, find beauty in industrial architecture or just love pop-up books, this is a treat. It’s hard to imagine who conceived the idea of doing a 3-d book on the Large Hadron Collider, the experimental equipment near Geneva constructed to explore the ... More » »

Prints return–John Caperton on artblog radio next Monday

Used to be prints were dowdy and derriere garde. No more. Silk screens, books, zines, yurts. Print Center Curator John Caperton knows where the wild things are, and talks to us next week about the print revival among young artists. He also talks about the The Print Center past and future and Philagrafika’s halo effect on a venerable but modest institution that usually works in the shadow of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Below is a 29-second sample clip from our talk. Tune in next Monday to hear the entire episode. John ... More » »

Theater review – Tis the season

Shows for the holidays promise a lot of the usual Christmas fare. But surprise! There is also some adult humor, politics, and irreverence in the mix. Outrageous antics

New kid on the block – I Speak American at Gallery at DCCC

I Speak American, the group show curated by Jaime Treadwell at the Gallery at Delaware County Community College is loaded with works of conceptual quirkiness and visual sophistication. It’s a great way to announce yourself as a new voice in the region’s hot art scene.

Chelsea star – Mika Rottenberg’s Squeeze at Mary Boone

We always hope to find a surprise in Chelsea–something we didn’t expect and that knocked our socks off.  We don’t always find it.  But this time we found a star — Mika Rottenberg’s video installation Squeeze at Mary Boone. (Thanks to Diane Burko and Lenore Malen for suggesting this was one not to miss).

Chelsea – We look high and low and run into friends

It was a day of big sculpture installations and unexpected encounters with friends. Cate ran around with us in Chelsea. We also had a gastro-incident and a gastro-delight: At our usual eatery, Pepe Giallo, the little Italian place at 253 10th Ave, we hadn’t even ordered when our wait person came to us and said they couldn’t take our order because the NY Dept of Health had just walked in to do a surprise kitchen check. We hope they passed. Ever resourceful, we crossed the street and tried Trestle on Tenth at 242 10th (between 24th and 25th). Cate and ... More » »

Three cheers for the pumpkin pie!!!

Happy pumpkin pie day! Have a good gobble gobble gobble with family and friends!!

Weekly Update – Jay Walker’s sartorial ghosts at JOG Gallery

Jay Walker’s sartorial-themed paintings, drawings and sculpture at James Oliver Gallery do not make for a cheery show although what’s on view is worth a visit.  The life-sized depictions of clothing in stark relief against voids of space are brooding and iconic.  In shades of black, white and grey, the hoodies, Matrix-like dusters, a hospital gown and a bride’s dress embody a sense of isolation and vulnerability.  The hooded jackets in particular call to mind the shrouded Medieval tomb sculptures, The Mourners, shown at the Metropolitan Museum of Art last winter.

“Landscape Techne” at Little Berlin: Artists Explore Landscape to Contribute to Contemporary Art

Eteam’s “Prim Limit,” one of the pieces in the “Landscape Techne” exhibition at Little Berlin through November 27th, is a half-hour film that takes place in the “Second Life” virtual world, an online computer game that allows users to design their own avatar world.

Machete and Possible Press – zine publishers talk about why and how

Our series sponsor is Fleisher Art Memorial. Two new print publications expand the writing about art in Philadelphia. We talk with Rachel and Trevor Reese of Possible Press, a zine of writing and projects by artists; and David Dempewolf and Yuka Yokayama of Machete, a critical commentary publication.  The two couples, who have not met each other before, find out that they all use the same printer in Long Island City, Linco. Both couples also run project spaces where they show edgy interesting art.  Rachel and Trevor run Possible Projects and David and Yuka run Marginal Utility. Below is a ... More » »