Artblog | Reviews

August 17, 2017 by Matthew Rose

Our Paris correspondent, Matthew Rose, continues his stateside journey through the West Coast, reporting on the Seattle Art Fair and the Western ambiance he found in some of the art in that Pacific coast city.

August 17, 2017 by Michael Lieberman

State of Siege, The Streets of Ferguson, Whose Streets?

With the country in state of high turmoil after recent neo-Nazi demonstrations in Charlottesville, VA, and the President’s apologia of the alt-right and attack on peaceful demonstrators, Michael Lieberman’s review of the documentary film, “Whose Streets?,” about Michael Brown’s murder by police in Ferguson, MO, adds relevance to the discussion about institutionalized racism.

August 13, 2017 by Ilana Napoli

Under-Song for a Cipher, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye’s idyllic imagined world at the New Museum

Ilana reviews the larger than life oil paintings of Lynette Yiadom-Boakye currently on view at the New Museum. Considering how Yiadom-Boakye’s work is in close dialogue with historical European portraiture, Ilana tells us more about her inspiration, and how she came to choose her subjects.

August 2, 2017 by Matthew Rose

Fred Herzog’s Vancouver and The Flats

This week Matthew Rose takes us to a contemporary arts district in Vancouver called The Flats, and reviews the vibrant work of Fred Herzog and Karin Bubas. He tells us about the wonders of the Vancouver art community as he details the current exhibitions at Equinox Gallery and Monte Clark Gallery. Along the way he expounds on the current threat of condos and new construction to their neighborhood, a perilous trend that we also find here in Philadelphia.

July 30, 2017 by Michael Lieberman

The Absolute Beauty of Samuel Barber’s Works

Michael reviews the documentary film “Absolute Beauty” directed by H. Paul Moon, which details the life and work of composer Samuel Barber. The title of the film rings true for Michael who says about Barber that “his music has the special quality of unifying people during tragic times.”

July 20, 2017 by Andrea Kirsh

Mohamed Bourouissa, Urban Riders at the Barnes Foundation

Andrea writes an in depth and topical review of “Mohamed Bourouissa; Urban Riders” at the Barnes Foundation. The must-see exhibition features work from the Algerian artist alongside many of our very own Philadelphia artists, which together shape a project that began in 2014 in North Philadelphia when Bourouissa first visited the US.

July 17, 2017 by Ilana Napoli

Belkis Ayón at Museo Del Barrio

Ilana Napoli reviews the posthumous exhibition of Cuban artist, Belkis Ayón. Her large scale collography prints are like visual narratives, which Napoli writes, “touches on three important elements of Afro-Cuban (and generally Afro-Latinx) life.” There is rich content to Ayón’s body of work that Napoli highlights in a few of her favorite pieces.

July 16, 2017 by Roberta

Elsa Dorfman, in love with Polaroid and with people’s smiling faces

Roberta writes about the new Errol Morris documentary on a trailblazing portrait photographer who made her career through a couple good breaks and a strong sense of optimism that she could do it all.