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Europe off the beaten path – Lee Arnold visits some small museums

Post by Lee Arnold I spent this summer in Europe and this time around I decided not to visit the major museums but instead explore some of the smaller local spots. Here is a list of six places you may not have heard of that are definitely worth a visit: 1. Louisiana Museum, Copenhagen

Artists’ to-do lists and ephemera at the Morgan Library

By Kaitlin Kylie Pomerantz Sometimes what artists make that isn’t art is just as interesting as their art. That’s what I learned from the “Lists: To-dos, Illustrated Inventories, Collected Thoughts and Other Artists’ Enumerations” show at the Morgan Library in New York City, a magnificent yet subtle exhibition of non-art scribblings and scrawlings made by artists, all culled from the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art.

Jessica Gath’s gift giving without a registry

By Andreea Bailuc A few weeks ago, on first Friday, I checked out Vox Populi Gallery. Among the various Skype interviews, “open mic” video projections and a surfers’ paradise, a live performance made a mark on me. A woman comfortably installed on a stage and surrounded by a basket of gift wrapping accoutrements and empty boxes was wrapping presents for people. A green and purple banner on the wall behind her announced that “Kindness is contagious.” Jessica Gath, the artist, asked for a brief description of the gift receiver and carefully wrapped the objects provided by spectators, thus creating an ... More » »

Buddy-hood in two shows at Jolie Laide

by Dennis D’Alesandro Two shows at Jolie Laide this month highlight the creative dynamics between long-time art school friends. Heavy Metal Sunburn (in the back space) features the paintings of Cranbrook grads Japeth Mennes and Jeffrey Scott Mathews, both of whose works attempt a futuristic sci-fi feel by employing a process-heavy minimalist aesthetic.

get it while it’s cheap at Marginal Utility

by Julian Phillips Rust-ridden, day dream-laden, and dizzying are just a few phrases that can describe the distortions in get it while its cheap at Marginal Utility this month. The exhibit showcases the exploration and experimentation that comes with being a young artist.

Intimacy and dynamism in PAFA’s Urbanism

By Mary Murphy This show at the Academy is notable for the way its title is embodied in the jostling relationships among the works displayed. Like city residents, they bump into each other in various contexts, defining the urban environment as a place of anonymous intimacy, dynamic energy, and jarring juxtaposition. Four local emerging artists use a variety of means – scale, color, gesture, and context – to state these themes, but each connects them differently toward social ends.

Jeff Williams’ low-fi industrial strength art at Grizzly Grizzly

By Becky Hunter To access Jeff Williams’ pair of low-fi dissolving machines in Grizzly Grizzly’s appropriately-industrial, paint-pocked space, you must squeeze past a waist-high concrete beam held horizontal by a hydraulic jack under it and by its attachment to the wall and to a single white support beam in the gallery. Behind the concrete barrier at the center of the small, rear area sits Rebar Corrosion, four separate clear plastic or glass tanks – like clunky, oversized test-tubes – containing tap water, salt water, vinegar and lemon juice. The tubes sit atop a white concrete “plinth” that emphasizes the construction’s ... More » »

Clash of Alternate Universes at Space 1026

Post by Dennis D’Alesandro This month when you pull the homemade doorbell at Space 1026, you get buzzed up into Alternate Universes, a two person show featuring large installations that play off of each other, attempting to warp you far away from the hustle and bustle of Chinatown outside.

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.