artscope magazine: July/August 2008 Welcome Statement: Brian Goslow, managing editor Letters to the Editor Past, Present, Future: ANISH KAPOOR ANDREW SAFTEL: How do we get there? WEDDED BLISS: The Marriage of Art and Ceremony A POLITIC, Gallery XIV El Greco To Velázquez: Art during the reign of Philip III Luisa Rabbia: Travels with Isabella, Travel Scrapbooks 1883/2008 Collector's Choice: Late 19th Century Vibrations OFF THE WALL: 2008 Annual members’ Juried exhibition Featured Artist Laurence Young An Artful Touch: An Artful Touch Gallery Everday Monuments: the Photographs of Jerome Liebling: SAM FEINSTEIN (1915-2003): A retrospective DORA ATWATER MILLIKIN: Geometry of Place Nancy Craig: New Paintings and Works on Paper, and Romolo Del Deo: New Sculpture and Bronze Furniture ALEX KATZ AND FRIENDS / THE GLEANERS BLACK WOMANHOOD: Images, Icons, And Ideologies of the African Body 215 College Street Artists' Cooperative Gallery Kevin Gilmore: Recent Paintings Paintings: Stephen Courbois, Sculpture: Pat Musick Penelope Jencks: Sculpture in Bronze, Terracotta and Plaster Theater: Counter Productions Theater: Ko FEST Music: Marblehead Summer Jazz Concerts and Festival of Arts Dance: Bates Summer Dance Festival Musings: FUNG WAH ADVENTURE Capsule Previews: May/June 2008

A POLITIC, Gallery XIV Brian Goslow Gallery XIV 37 Thayer Street Boston July 2 through August 16 After spending most of 2008 planning this show with co-curators Juliette Pelletier, director of Reflect-arts in New York City, and artscope magazine publisher Kaveh Mojtabai, Gallery XIV gallery director William Kerr had just learned Ron English would be contributing a billboard version of his “Abraham Obama” painting to this exhibition, which is meant to stir discussion, controversy and action – and hopefully, sell some art. “He’s one of my favorite living painters,” Kerr said. “I love that he can paint as well as anyone technically but he installs his art in places people generally don’t have art, like the empty lots of inner cities with nothing but billboards for major corporations. It’s so good, so thoughtful and so controversial, it gets people talking.” Created with the spirit of Andy Warhol’s silkscreen kaleidoscope-style Marilyn Monroe or Jackie Kennedy paintings and backed in the colors of the rainbow, the piece will sit on the huge plywood construction wall outside the gallery. “It’s really colossal,” Kerr said. “Finding someone to print the billboard was a huge effort. Who’s going to print a 16 foot by 50 foot wide billboard?” The gallery had to cover the cost of the billboard, which lasts only as long as the show. “It’s a guerilla gift to the people of Boston.” Pelletier said the 39-artist juried show flows together nicely, and represents 16 states. “I always do thematic shows and group artists that allow me to bring in massive audiences and all kinds of people who wouldn’t otherwise come out to take a look.” Each of the show’s 124 applicants will have one of their works displayed on the show’s website at galleryxiv.com; visitors can select their favorites in voting booths both at the gallery and online. The pieces run the gamut from commentary on the environment and feminism to politics, the war, government and capitalism. Highlights include: Read the entire article in our magazine pages...