June 2011 Archive

News roundup for you

Sad News Walter Edmonds We are sad to bring you the news that Philadelphia Artist Walter Edmonds, 73, died of a heart attack on June 12th.

June in Amsterdam: Beldan Sezan’s ‘Zakkum’ etc.

I love Amsterdam and have been visiting a close friend there regularly since 1998, but if you’ve never been to the city, this is not a good time to go. Much of the city is torn up because of large construction projects: at the train station (whose entrance is entirely obscured behind hoardings, below, and interior is also undergoing work); on major streets, where they are building a subway; and at both the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum. Both museums have a small selection of their collections on view, which is probably sufficient for tourists, but not for readers of  artblog.  ... More » »

I laughed I cried–mini-documentaries from Art 21

Blah blah blah went the promospeak from Art21. So I skipped to the videos–brief (6 mins. or so) documentary clips on artists early in their careers.

Art in the Open – and in the rain and in a gallery

For those who believe hikes to be nothing more than forced marches, fear not, for Art in the Open was less of a wild art chase than a jaunt for your inner flaneur through several of the city’s best accidental galleries.

Surprising new installations at Eastern State Penitentiary

If you’ve never been to Eastern State Penitentiary go this summer. Not only does the historic Dickens-era prison continue to look like the glorious decayed wreck it is, but the cellblocks are cool on a hot summer day. Long past is the time when hard hats were required, and this year’s four new art installations in the cells are terrific, and surprising.  

Tyler Kline – next up on artblog radio

Tyler Kline’s art is influenced by mythology, by community and by his childhood in the small town of Stone Mountain, GA, which was a pretty magical place to grow up in, with lakes and a pine forest and lots of heavy flowering magnolias and droopy weeping willows. A bit Southern Gothic to hear the young artist talk about it. Tyler graduated from PAFA with an MFA this spring. His work has been shown locally at Little Berlin, where he is a member, and at Rebekah Templeton and Vox Populi. He has made installations using sheets of aluminum foil and string; ... More » »

Chatting with Tomi Ungerer about Creativity

The first distinction that Tomi Ungerer made when I met with him was, “I am not an illustrator.” Then he clarified, “Well, sometimes I am an illustrator.” He prefers the French term Dessinateur which translates roughly to Draw-er, or a person who uses drawing as his or her fundamental medium. Tomi Ungerer, who is 80 years old, still understands and explains the world through making drawings, and I was given the opportunity to sit with him and talk about his creative process.

Kari Altmann’s Core Samples at Extra Extra Gallery

by Dennis D’Alesandro Core Samples, a one-person show featuring internet and new media artist Kari Altmann at Extra Extra Gallery, attempts to uncover the common denominators that exist between people, the exterior environment, and all of the images, products, and information that populate our existence. (The show can be seen at Extra Extra until the end of the month.)

Thibaud Thiercelin’s Autofiction at Dalet Gallery

by Julian Phillips Although art, philosophy, and entertainment are signs of a healthy and comfortable society, the day to day drudgery of obligations often keeps the subtleties of our lives away from us. These subtleties — reoccurring moments that are unique jewels that time will never make again — are often seen by us as mundane instead of special. Thibaud Thiercelin’s Autofiction captures these jewels, subtleties, and ponderous points of life.

Something Real from Carl Marin @FLUXspace

Carl Marin’s first solo exhibit, now up at FLUXspace, is one of the most unusual things you’ll see this summer.  Marin, who is a former student of Libby’s and mine at Tyler, is showing a small body of work based on two very large projects.  Both involve animals, and one involves taxidermy.