June 7, 2017 by Matthew Rose

Stanley Greene, chronicler of wars, atrocities, disasters (1949 – 2017)

Matthew Rose remembers his dear friend Stanley Greene, a brilliant conflict photographer who sought to show the world human tragedies occurring just out of sight.

May 31, 2017 by Evan Paul Laudenslager

A decade in the making, Jeffrey Stockbridge wraps up Kensington Blues

Evan interviews Jeffrey Stockbridge about his moving and emotional Kensington Blues project, on view at Savery Gallery until June 2nd and available in book form as well.

December 31, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Forging Mexican Modernism – Paint the Revolution at the PMA

The exhibition clearly demonstrates that the widely-known work of Rivera, Orozco, Siqueiros, Tamayo, and, in recent decades, Frida Kahlo, is but a small spectrum of a much broader artistic scene. It brings up topics such as the tension between work intended for private viewing versus the obviously propagandistic intent of work meant to be seen in public–both murals and inexpensive prints; the Mexican response to European modernism; European, Soviet, and U.S. responses to Mexican art; the tension between a cosmopolitan artistic language which reflects international ideas about modernity versus a local style that draws upon indigenous art, and with that, the ongoing attention in Mexican art to the spectrum of racial difference.

November 1, 2016 by Evan Paul Laudenslager

Parallel Worlds – Live and Life Will Give You Pictures at the Barnes Foundation

For those who don’t know the photographs but who love the paintings of the era, the exhibition will be a revelation. The call and response between these photos and the paintings nearby is almost audible.

October 13, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Chicago Shine – The Freedom Principle at the ICA

Over the past couple of decades, almost all American art museums have claimed a mission to reach out to “underserved communities,” yet none of them have acknowledged that these communities have their own well-developed aesthetics of art and material culture. They differ from the mainstream, and the institutions have not been willing to embrace aesthetic values beyond their own. The first part of “The Freedom Principle” is remarkable for doing just that: exhibiting art–and music–that was selected by a group of artists largely excluded from the mainstream of their period, who developed a different set of aesthetic aspirations and standards.

August 19, 2016 by Roberta

Artblog Presents Art Splash at Creative Africa – Philadelphia Museum of Art

This summer, Artblog dove into the Philadelphia Museum’s Creative Africa show — and into the wonderful summer program, Art Splash, that introduces moms, dads, and kids of all ages to the great art on view, and facilitates art making by the viewers, right there in the museum.

August 7, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Contrarian, Utopian, Polymath – László Moholy-Nagy at the Guggenheim

June 24, 2016 by Flora Ward

Digital Poet of the Post-Industrial Age – Tim Portlock’s Ash and Gold at Locks Gallery

Despite all the technical know-how that goes into producing this work, there is something distinctly painterly about Portlock’s approach to image-making. and his futuristic landscapes owe a great deal to the golden age of American landscape painting in the nineteenth century. What separates Portlock’s work from the Hudson River School’s optimism is the artist’s pragmatic engagement with the difficult issues facing many American cities in the 21st century, such as the growing socioeconomic divide between rich and poor, the housing crisis, and environmental degradation. He presents a vision of Philadelphia that is terrifyingly realistic, for depending on where you live, litter-filled streets and boarded-up buildings are all too familiar. As a new resident, I still see the scars of poverty and gentrification that crisscross the city, but exposure and familiarity can blunt the impact of painful reality. Bringing together historical references, contemporary issues, and digital technology, he helps us to see our city with new eyes.