On a trip to the to see “Sean Scully: The Shape of Ideas,” Logan Cryer is disappointed by the lack of context provided about the artist, whose “work has a bit of a reputation as not being as well-liked as some major art institutions would advertise,” Logan says. Wanting to better understand the abstract artist’s popularity, Logan felt alienated when they found no clear or compelling defense of the work, neither in the wall text, nor through the (lack of) display of documents from the artist himself. What does unimaginative curation mean for the legacy of the artist? Read the review to find out what Logan thinks!
Read MoreKate Brock has a close encounter with Sarah Gamble’s paintings and drawings, works that Brock says are in the lineage of the “spiritual-abstract” of Hilma af Klint and the surrealism of Leonora Carrington. She also brings up the exoticism of Elvis! “I see Gamble’s kaleidoscopic worlds as an effort toward a speculative realm, wherein the spiritual, the creaturely, astronomical, atomic, and Elvis all bump into each other, and new poetry is formed.” Enjoy this great review, and catch the exhibit at Fleisher-Ollman, up until March 12, 2022.
Read MoreCalling some works startling and unnerving, Logan Cryer makes the case for the importance of Mike Cloud’s provocative, Afro-pessimistic multi-layered non-painting paintings. This is a show you should see, Logan says.
Read MoreIn the face of COVID-19, Artblog is hosting an open call, non-juried, first come first-served online exhibition entitled “Artists in the time of Coronavirus.”
Read MoreIn Artblog Radio’s first episode of 2020, Wit speaks with local artist Deann Mills about her show “Wonderland,” which features encaustic works, on display at MUSE Gallery until February 2, 2020.
Read MoreMark Lord visits the Upper East Side Gagosian, New York City and reviews “It reminds me of something, and I don’t know what it is.” a show of new paintings by Brice Marden, closing December 21st, 2019.
Read MoreIn this heartfelt podcast episode, Philadelphia artist Moe Brooker talks with Wit about his life, work, and how he left figurative work behind in pursuit of a way to record Black joy through abstraction. The exhibition runs from July 5th to August 10th, catch it before it closes!
Read More“Charting a Path to Resistance,” a new Percent for Art mural at the Philadelphia City Archives is an abstract representation of the struggles of African Americans in Philadelphia and their resistance to injustices perpetrated upon them. The new commission by Talia Greene uses a gridded timeline supplemented by written material available via tablet in the Archives space. Michael Lieberman notes that the new mural’s graphic display, while not self-evident in meaning, becomes clearer upon reading the copious research material provided by the artist in the tablets. The educational value of the mural is clear, even if the graphical interface is not.
Read MoreMichael Lieberman checks out the newest show on view at High 5 Gallery, a relative newcomer to Philadelphia’s always-vibrant gallery scene. The exhibit “Untethered” is tied together by its warm coloration and overarching sense of whimsy. Michael says the work is a steal at its current price, so if you’re a collector on a budget, swing by before the show closes on January 31!
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Support for Artblog has been provided by The Philadelphia Cultural Fund.