Tag Archive "mickalene-thomas"
Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with… at the Bronx Museum of Arts
Stargazers; Elizabeth Catlett in Conversation with 21 Contemporary Artists, on view at the Bronx Museum of Art through May 29, 2011, exhibits forty of Catlett’s sculptures and graphic works juxtaposed with work by two younger generations of artists who share her concerns with the roles and images of African-Americans, particularly African-American women, and with broader questions of social (in)justice. Catlett is a major figure whose work is referenced more often than seen, and unless you caught the retrospective that toured in 1998 you’ve not likely seen this much of her work. She is also a living connection with seventy years’ ... More » »
PAFA’s Summer Surprises and more
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, in the past two years, has acquired work by five African American artists, four of them from the international and national art strataspheres. Their work looks spectacular in the show Summer Surprises, an exhibit that includes recent acquisitions of work by 11 artists, placing the 11 in the context of some earlier acquisitions also on display! The large contingent of artists of color working within yet challenging and stretching the academy’s reality-based tradition is the big news. The five with work acquired in 2010 and 2009 are Mickalene Thomas, Kehinde Wiley, Mark Bradford, ... More » »
Art in them thar hills of San Francisco
I stood for 15 minutes with Murray and Minna, entranced by a video at Catherine Clark Gallery in San Francisco. We laughed out loud on a regular basis (you can hear us on the sound track now and then; the video itself was a silent film). Thorsten Brinkmann, excerpt from video Gut Ding well es so. Turn the sound off to get the proper silent-movie effect.
Armory doldrums rescued by a few gems
First is not necessarily best. We went to the Armory and slogged around and saw some great stuff but mostly we were struck by the low energy of the displays and the conservatism of what was on view. It’s the economy stupid — a lot of small scale stuff, serious stuff (no humor) and a fair deal of secondary market work even in the contemporary zone. (Armory was divided into “contemporary” and “modern” piers, the “modern” specifically to deal with secondary market….but we saw secondary market everywhere. We missed much of the modern section so these comments are directed to ... More » »
More Notes from ABMB etc. 2008
Marcus Coates still from Dawn Chorus (2006) courtesy of Workplace Gallery. One of Coates’ volunteers who recreated bird sounds as the artist filmed him at home. NADA (the New Art Dealers Alliance) is held in one of the most congenial spaces: the Ice Palace film studios. I always enjoy the fact that its galleries include those from cities I’m unlikely to get to: Malmo, Warsaw, Bucharest and Gateshead. In fact, Workplace Gallery, Gateshead had one of my favorite works of the day: Marcus Coates‘ multi-chanel video Dawn Chorus. Shot for 14 monitors and shown here on seven, it was the ... More » »
Elevators of New York–We will rise
Ad in an elevator for screenprints by Mickalene Thomas of Michelle Obama a la Andy’s Jackies. The prints are from bxpinc.com which is really http://www.neptunefineart.com/ . Roberta and I were in NYC last week (story on its way), where we rode our share of elevators through stacked gallery buildings. One of the elevators was plastered with postcards for exhibits–as well as this fast-off-the-press screenprint, Michelle O, by Mickalene Thomas, Camden-girl-done-good. The appropriation of her royal Jackie-ness and the appropriation of the “O,” now for the Obamas, rolled into one Warholian screen print seems pretty hilarious and perfect to me! I ... More » »
Near and far at the art fairs
Hiroto Kitigawa, full-size figure of a woman, at Tokyo Gallery + BTAP at Scope. My best New York moment last weekend didn’t have much to do with the art fairs. A street vendor, a purveyor of hummus, baklava, and more, whipped out his prayer rug, tenderly brushed it off with his hand, and bent toward Mecca to pray. I didn’t take a picture. It seemed rude.
How Miami did for Philly
Great gossipy Philly sale Drawing by Randall Sellers, Richard Heller Gallery’s booth at Pulse Art Fair Miami. artblog got an email blast from artist Randall Sellers with his latest news: “Takashi Murakami bought two of my drawings at the Pulse Art Fair in Miami last weekend!!! “(Richard Heller, my longtime dealer in Santa Monica, had a few drawings downthere. Miller Block, my Boston gallery, also represented me at AQUA.)” Great gossipy Philly purchase Untitled 2007 (let them eat mussels), Rirkrit TiravanijaMirrors, gas tank, mussel shells, EDITION/SET OF: 4h: 90 x w: 90 x d: 90 cm / h: 35.4 x ... More » »
