national

artblog goes to florida, california and new york too.

Brian Cypher’s science-fueled lines, spaces and shapes at Bushwick’s new Schema Projects

—Elizabeth tells us in this post about a self-taught artist whose work grows from his fascination with science and the natural world.  His show is in Bushwick.–the artblog editors———————————–Brian Cypher’s works are a perfect fit for the new Bushwick, NY, gallery Schema Projects, started by artist Mary Judge. Cypher’s organic shapes, repeated undulating lines and allusion to the natural world echo the long-time focus of the gallerist, whose work was featured at Gallery Joe in 2005 (see Roberta’s review). Cypher is primarily a draftsman who uses color, in his own words, “as a singularity.” You would expect to see numerous ... More » »

Inventing Abstraction 1910-1925, a review of the catalog for the MoMa exhibit

—-Maeve Coudrelle told us about MoMa’s recent Inventing Abstraction exhibit.  Here, Andrea presents the catalog for the much written-about and deconstructed show.–The artblog editors ——————————– Leah Dickerman’s re-telling of the beginnings of abstraction within European and American modernism emphasizes the increased communication and availability of travel in the early Twentieth Century and their impact upon the dissemination of artistic ideas. She suggests that rather than having a singular origin with one progenitor (Kandinsky, Kupka, Delauney – take your pick), abstraction was the product of a network of interconnections among artists on both sides of the Atlantic. These cross-fertilizations were among ... More » »

Jay DeFeo’s The Rose and Unflyable Kites (that soar) at NY’s Whitney Museum of Art

—–Bay area painter Jay Defeo’s work speaks across time to a new generation of artists.  Read Kaitlin’s personal response to Defeo’s work, on view now at the Whitney Museum.–the artblog editors———————— I first encountered Jay DeFeo’s The Rose several years ago. The painting beamed out from the cover of an old issue of Art in America that I found lying on a street corner next to a New York City garbage can. I toted the magazine around for months, intermittently gazing at the monumental image, until the magazine assumed the contoured form of –and began to collect the crumbs from– ... More » »

The Forbearers of Abstraction, or at least some of them, at MoMA

One of the most talked about exhibitions of the year, the Museum of Modern Art’s Inventing Abstraction, 1910-1925 has been equally acclaimed and disparaged. The show, curated by Leah Dickerman with Masha Chlenova, tackles a mammoth objective: to chart the advent of abstraction as an interdisciplinary phenomenon spurred forward by a vast network of creative individuals. A whirlwind exhibition of over 350 works by 84 artists, including composers, writers, filmmakers, painters and sculptors, it is an overwhelming spectacle that is difficult to take in all at once. What is clear from the torrential response by art critics is that Inventing ... More » »

New York in March – Weather outside is frightful but inside so delightful

It rained, sleeted and snowed even, but we walked the High Line, ate at a nice noisy bistro downtown and loved drying off inside looking at some art.  All in all a pretty great 24 hours. Friday, Mar. 15, 2013: The listing in the New Yorker was so intriguing Cate and I had to check it out. Experimental Philosophy, with 3D videos by experimental video maker Ben Coonley, at NYU. What on earth is experimental philosophy, we wondered, and how would it be captured in 3D video? Was someone pulling someone’s leg? Was it an art project? What it turned ... More » »

Kate Teale – The Sea is All Around Us at Studio 10 in Bushwick, Brooklyn

Kate Teale’s The Sea Is All Around Us opened March 8 at Studio 10 Gallery during Armory Arts Week in Bushwick. Amidst the splash of other high quality work emerging from the exciting Bushwick/Brooklyn scene, her exhibit offers slowly unfolding, quiet riches. A woman sat at her table on a straight-backed chair. The table was spread with a white cloth that reached to the bright horizon. She smoothed the cloth flat with her hands, sat back down and fixed her eyes on the horizon. Every now and again she would be distracted by a wrinkle and get up to pull or ... More » »

After Art Basel – Miami is a great place for contemporary art

Whatever you may think, Miami does not stop at Art Basel. Putting aside the luxury parties, over-the-top shows, and yachts, the city is a gem for contemporary art. As one of the closest US cities to South America and the Caribbean, Miami has some of the best Latin American art collections in the world. With a strong history of design innovation, the city is also a thriving street art hub, the streets constantly changing with new colors, designs, and characters. Year round – Miami is a great place for contemporary art.  I visited the city in February for my annual ... More » »

Museum Shopping – Thoughts on Martha Rosler’s Meta Monumental Garage Sale at 21st century MoMA

At a session of the College Art Association annual meeting in February (On the Social, The Relational, and the Participatory…), Martha Rosler spoke about her initial garage sale in 1973, at the gallery of the Visual Arts Department at the University of California, San Diego, and the many sales she has held since then at art venues in the U.S. and Europe. She showed images of the recent sale, held in the atrium of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA, Nov. 17-30, 2012), which she said was her last. She remarked that it received international press attention, but there was ... More » »

New York Art Fairs – Armory Show Contemporary disappoints, Volta not so much

We attended the Armory Show and Volta, something we’ve been doing for a number of years. We may change it up next year because we were a tad bit underwhelmed this year. The free-for-all commercial atmosphere was not so thrilling — maybe we’re getting jaded, who knows. Below are some pictures of favorite moments at The 2013 Armory Show and Volta. Loads more pictures at Libby’s Flickr (Armory & Volta) and Roberta’s Flickr (Armory & Volta). The 2013 Armory Show.  We went to both Piers (92-Modern and 94-Contemporary)   Volta 2013 New York — making its debut in Soho (a move ... More » »

The Nature of Contemporary Illustration at the Delaware Art Museum

When an illustration show opens in Delaware, chances are that it is somehow related to Howard Pyle, arguably one of Wilmington’s most famous artists. In 1882, Vincent van Gogh wrote that Pyle’s sketches in Harper’s Monthly struck him “dumb with admiration.” In the 21st century, Pyle’s reputation remains intact: he is still widely known as “the father of American illustration.” The Delaware Art Museum’s exhibition, State of the Art: Illustration 100 Years After Howard Pyle attempts to examine Pyle’s legacy through a cross-section of illustration from the past century. Intended to augment the museum’s usual audience of longtime Pyle enthusiasts, ... More » »

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