Artblog | philadelphia

July 5, 2017 by Matthew Rose

Memento Mori, A trip through skulls, Sotheby’s, shot glasses and soap

Matthew Rose reflects on how artists, architects, and designers alike deal with objects that remind us of the dead. Catch a ride with Matthew as he explores the depiction of mortality dating back as far as the 16th century, and up to modern times.

July 2, 2017 by Andrea Kirsh

Guggenheim Museum’s rare move fills rotunda with its own collection, a summer must-see

Andrea reviews “Visionaries: Creating a Modern Guggenheim,” curated by Megan Fontanella, with artwork from five collectors whose gifts to the museum helped the Guggenheim define itself as a pioneering institution. A rare chance to see beautifully-conserved works by Modern masters like Brancusi, Pollock, Mondrian, the show is a must-see this summer, says Andrea.

June 30, 2017 by Nancy Chen

On film, The Sense of an Ending delivers a dull edge

Nancy reviews a film adaptation of “The Sense of an Ending,” Directed by Ritesh Batra and based on the novel by Julian Barnes, which loses track of the depth that made the original a classic.

June 28, 2017 by Ilana Napoli

Lost & Found brings activism to the classroom and beyond through sculpture

A collaborative project between local artist Sinéad Cahill and the Albert M. Greenfield School, Narrative as Soft Sculpture focuses on students, schools, and activism in and beyond the classroom. Ilana reports.

June 28, 2017 by Laura Volkening

Works on empowerment, objectification in I Grit My Teeth Before It Began at Little Berlin

An exhibition at Little Berlin utilizes material to address the often uncomfortable nature of the relationship we have with our bodies, from the intimate to the medical and social.

June 27, 2017 by Karen Chernick

Barbara Mink’s spontaneous Color Riot at Jed Williams Gallery

Karen previews the show, Color Riot, at Jed Williams Gallery (opening July 7), where painter Barbara Mink melds translucent, flowing color with sculptural texture in her paintings–a reward for the eye.

June 26, 2017 by Neil Marcello

George Nakashima’s Woodworker’s Retreat featured at the University of Pennsylvania

Neil explores famed architect and furniture maker George Nakashima’s history and legacy, from his farm in Pennsylvania to his early work in India.

June 22, 2017 by Michael Lieberman

Big Bling, alluring and abstract, towers over the Schuylkill

Martin Puryear brings his work to the public in Philadelphia for the second time with Big Bling (2016), an enigmatic sculpture that invites speculation on the banks of the Schuylkill River.