December 2011 Archive

Art Safaris fundraising news!

Three days left to climb on the artblog art safari bandwagon! Support our safaris and snag one of our great premiums at Kickstarter! We are very excited that we’ve met our goal, but we can use more support for this big project. Thanks to all of you for thinking of us and helping us bring the art safaris to life!  If you want to contribute but not online, you can send a check, made out to “The artblog, Inc.” Send it to Libby Rosof at 4217 Osage Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104.  Thank you! Love, Libby and Roberta P.S. We have ... More » »

Books for Holiday Gifts 2011 (part 2)

Suzanne Glover Lindsay, Daphne S. Barbour and Shelley G. Sturman, et al Edgar Degas Sculpture (Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalog) (Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2010)   ISBN 978-0691148977 This sumptuous and scholarly book will be welcomed by everyone interested in Degas’ work or in nineteenth-century sculpture, as well as by artists interested in bronze casting.  It is highly unusual for collection catalogs to be of interest, other than to researchers; however, the National Gallery of Art owns 52 of the 69 original works in wax, clay and plaster that survived from Degas’ studio, as well ... More » »

Next on artblog radio, Matt Kalasky, artist and editor of the Nicola Midnight St. Claire

Matt Kalasky graduated from Tyler with an MFA in sculpture in 2011.  We’ve seen his work in several emerging artist shows in Philadelphia including Vox VI in 2010 and the Bambi Biennial, also 2010, which we juried.  He was also in one of Rebekah Templeton’s emerging artist shows.  His art is influenced by science fiction and fantasy movies of the Star Wars/Star Trek variety. Matt is the editor in chief of the newly launched online arts publication The Nicola Midnight St. Claire.  One of his final projects in grad school was a multi-media performance called The Last Symposium, in which ... More » »

Scot Borofsky – from street art to gallery, an interview

Scot Borofsky started as a graffiti artist in the East Village (NYC) and eventually made his way into the museum and commercial gallery art world. His work can be found in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Brooklyn Museum of Art, a rare accomplishment for a graffiti street artist. Borofsky’s art combines the depth of tradition with the uncertainty of the contemporary, linking the ages with a sacred line. The work (@Jules Goldman Books and Antiques) may appear to be simple abstractions but Borofsky is giving you the ARCHETYPE, layered. God knows what these images are doing to viewers’ ... More » »

News – Bambi pop-up show, RAW 2011 winners, FiberPhiladelphia, and more!

News Bambi Gallery pop-up show The Bambi Gallery is back with a pop-up show at Projects Gallery in Northern Liberties to kick off the New Year. They have had some tough luck this year with floods, foreclosure, theft, and bad landlords, but 2012 is sure to be better. Featured artists at the exhibition will include: Jim Garvey, Bonnie Brenda Scott, Stacey lee Webber,  and Matthew Osborne.  

U.S. debut–Bill Viola comes to Pafa and leaves behind a gem

Bill Viola came to Pennsylvania Academy last month for the opening of “Ocean without a Shore,” his three-channel video installation in its American debut! The installation –a new purchase by the museum to be permanently on display in the Morris Gallery — is installed as a triptych in what’s now a dark, chapel-like space, where the piece casts a moody, elegiac spell. The work seems to conjure up the spirits of the dead with cinematic special effects and sound right out of the Matrix.

Constellation Closet – Southern Cross at Grizzly Grizzly

by Dennis D’Alesandro Itʼs always nice to walk into a minimal, simply curated show. I hate walking into a show that looks jumbled with too many pieces, or pieces that are too big for the space, etc…Grizzly Grizzlyʼs current show, Southern Cross, is a great example of how to curate a well balanced, comfortable show without overwhelming the space, allowing you to engage with the work in an uncluttered and personal way.

Erin Riley, Laura Ledbetter, Anita Allyn in Wind Challenge 2

Societal breakdown is in the air at this season’s Wind Challenge 2 at Fleisher Art Memorial.  The three artists–Erin Riley, Anita Allyn and Laura Ledbetter–take very different approaches in the newest iteration of this revered series of juried art shows, dating back to 1978.

Utopian impulses in wood – Francis Cape and Kevin Strickland

Francis Cape‘s 20 spare poplar benches at Arcadia University Art Gallery imply people sitting together purposely (if not comfortably) maybe in church or while eating a meal in a dining hall. Cape’s benches, all hand-made by the artist in the last two years, are replicas of seating used by the Shakers, Hutterites and 14 other utopian communities.  They are functional furniture, but more than that, they are a conceptual art project. Lined up in rows, each bench facing the center of the room, Cape’s benches represent the idea that sitting on the same bench is about something more than just ... More » »

Kickstarter premiums still available

You guys rock! We’ve hit our Kickstarter goal and then some. How can we thank you? Let us count the ways with premiums.   The Kickstarter premiums are still on the table. And we’re collecting donations there until Dec. 21. (The safaris costs exceed the basic fundraising goals, so all help is greatly appreciated). Love, Libby and Roberta