Artblog | Museums

April 11, 2019 by Andrea Kirsh

Artists united by opposition in ‘Artists Respond, American Artists and the Vietnam War 1965-1975’ at Smithsonian American Art Museum

Andrea Kirsh reviews “Artists Respond: American Artists and the Vietnam War 1965-1975” at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, on view from March 15, 2019 – August 18, 2019.

March 27, 2019 by Susan Isaacs

Works by (mostly) women, sensual, whimsical, powerful, in ‘Intimate Immensity’ at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Guest writer Susan Isaacs, a noted art historian, curator and educator, writes of a show of abstract sculpture curated by Alexis Granwell at PAFA. Isaacs speaks with Granwell about the exhibit, her curating and her art practice and says the exhibition of abstract works engages through its sensual materiality.

March 13, 2019 by Andrea Kirsh

Public artist of bridges and space and concerns for community, Siah Armajani at the Met Breuer

Public art nerds! Artblog contributor Andrea Kirsh penned a thoughtful piece on “Siah Armajani: Follow This Line” (on view NOW at the Met Breuer!) Armajani, who was forced to leave Iran in the 1960s for political reasons, creates witty works that comment on American building forms and pose questions about social interactions with public spaces. Don’t miss “Siah Armajani: Follow This Line” on view until June 2nd, 2019!

March 9, 2019 by Mandy Palasik

Inside the Home Studio of Wharton Esherick

Mandy Palasik, architect, writer, artist and art lover, makes a journey to Chester County to the home studio of the late master of woodworking, Wharton Esherick, and finds the wood surfaces irresistible to the touch (which is encouraged!) in the house Wharton built. Mandy recently reviewed the Becky Suss paintings at Fleisher-Ollman, based on that artist’s experience of the home studio. Suss’s paintings are now on view at the Esherick Museum, a great pairing.

March 1, 2019 by Logan Cryer

Women’s Mobile Museum closes with powerful exhibition of self-representation at Philadelphia Photo Arts Center

Logan Cryer writes an insightful appreciation of the Women’s Mobile Museum culminating exhibition. The group photography show by — and depicting — women involved in the year-long project at PPAC, has some great self-representation, and Logan concludes that photography is the best medium with which to examine issues of who is normally represented in art works and who is normally excluded. The exhibition is up at PPAC through March 30.

February 26, 2019 by Andrea Kirsh

Cecilia Vicuña’s marvels in About to Happen at the Institute of Contemporary Art

In her review of Cecilia Vicuña exhibition, Andrea Kirsh calls the works — little cobbled-together objects tacked to the walls or arrayed on a low platform on the floor — marvels. But these objects are not nothings to throw away but objects with magical shadows and poetic meanings, and their mystery delights.

February 13, 2019 by Mark Lord

Pat Steir’s mystical contemplative waterfalls in the Barnes Foundation lobby

Mark Lord sees the installation of monumental waterfall paintings by Pat Steir at the Barnes and points out the works’ eerie connection to our world of melting glaciers and other tragic cascades of water when natural forces are disrupted as they have been by global warming. In his lyrical post, Lord writes of beauty and something cosmic in the drips, splashes and vigorous build ups of Steir’s painted moments. This under-sung artist is the subject of an upcoming documentary film. See Steir’s waterfall paintings at the Barnes Foundation through Nov. 17, 2019. Be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the post for more photos!

January 2, 2019 by Olivia Jia

University of the Arts graduate Heet Lee’s solo museum exhibit in Leipzig, Germany, aggressively obliterates found source materials under a blur of paint

Recent UArts graduate Heet Lee had her first solo museum show in Leipzig, Germany earlier this month and Artblog correspondent Olivia Jia, who visited her friend’s exhibition, tells us about it. Lee’s energetic and aggressive compositions draw imagery from a dizzying array of sources, both public and private.