CHALLENGING GENDER EXPRESSION AT ARTSPACE by J. Fatima Martins New Haven, Connecticut - As expected, Artspace New Haven has presented another challenging and amusing statement exhibition. “hello, world!” is an entertaining, absurdist and intellectual mixed-media, mixed- technology exhibition featuring erotic taco eating, vaginal pillows, muscle men, battling blonde wigs, Lorde lyrics, surreal hazy interiors, a Venn Diagram of dysfunctional family dynamics, videos of an artist’s head submerged in various watery locations, photographs that were buried and retrieved, a woman covered in golden drapery and a statement about hard bones and soft tongues. The works, which range from standard two-dimensional wall hangings — paintings and prints — to film and video and a kinetic installation, are displayed in three main gallery spaces and the central hallway as well as the bathroom … [Read more...] about Hello, World!
Issue Articles
BLAUWW: CELEBRATING BLUE
EXPLORING HUE AT VAN VESSEM by Don Wilkinson Tiverton, Rhode Island - Along with red and yellow, blue is part of a holy trinity of primary colors from which all other hues are born. Its manifestations include navy, azure, baby blue, indigo, periwinkle, the absurdly named “true blue” and many others. It is ripe with symbolism: tranquility, peace and relaxation; conversely, it can be the avatar of melancholy, sadness and depression. In some parts of the world, it is the color of conservatism, while in the United States, blue connotes liber- alism. In religion, it was the favored hue to celebrate Jupiter, top dog in the ancient Roman pagan pantheon. In Catholicism, it is associated with the Virgin Mary; in Hinduism, it is the skin tone of Shiva, Vishnu and other gods. It is the color of the police, of the Navy, of one of the items a bride should wear for luck, of … [Read more...] about BLAUWW: CELEBRATING BLUE
A NEW GENERATION AT CAA
UNDER-30 ARTISTS PUSH THE BOUNDARIES by Franklin W. Liu Cambridge, Mass. - Regardless of the prevailing generational societal values we identify with, is there an artist’s natural inclination to negate what came before in producing art that will be seen as a significant departure from previous generations’ work? The Cambridge Art Association (CAA) ponders these social dynamics when presenting the works of a select group of emerging artists aged 18 to 30 years old in its first exhibition of 2016, “30. Below.” Twenty-five artists were selected from a total of 150 artworks submitted for CAA’s consideration in what is CAA’s first emerging-artist exhibition bracketed by age category. Tinti was especially excited about “the breadth and diversity of eclectic materials, media and motiva- tions of the submissions,” and was further impressed by numerous works in which the … [Read more...] about A NEW GENERATION AT CAA
MIAMI’S ART FAIR WEEK
NEW ENGLAND IMPRESSIONS by Suzanne Volmer South Beach Miami, Florida - Art Fair Week in Miami and Miami Beach is an exciting citywide celebration akin to Mardi Gras, with a cerebral edge. Miami Beach seized a moment 14 years ago by accepting an opportunity that was offered by the UBS-sponsored Art Basel franchise. Today, the presence of contemporary art and specifically art collecting energize this city. Miami’s art scene has personality; it is a dialogue of considerable public participation. The management of art presentation in the city enlists a powerhouse of brand identity, inviting global participation. During this year’s Art Fair Week, Adam Adelson of Boston’s Adelson Galleries exhibited at Miami Project; Mike Carroll from Provincetown’s Schoolhouse Gallery exhibited at Scope; and William Baczek of William Baczek Fine Arts of Northampton, Mass. exhibited at Pulse. … [Read more...] about MIAMI’S ART FAIR WEEK
ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2015
THE ART WORLD IS HOT, HOT, HOT by Suzanne Volmer South Beach Miami, Florida - Upon entering Art Basel Miami Beach, one was met with Rosemarie Trockel’s large, abstract, reptilian-looking wall installation, a monochromatic work with scales sprung slightly from the wall in low relief. The trends of relief and monochrome echoed as one progressed through the hallways and booths ahead. Although the color vibrancy for which Miami is known was retained, the current of its profusion was less. Trockel’s swift amplification of textural influences and physical movement was installed adjacent to a large photographic print by Andreas Gursky. Placed at the fore on the outer booth wall of Sprüth Magers Gallery, both works started a dialogue of substrates reflecting trends later evident amid this year’s overall fair content. The artworks explored the idea of process and texture informing … [Read more...] about ART BASEL MIAMI BEACH 2015
SIX DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
EPPRIDGE’S TIMELESS LOOK AT THE FAB FOUR by Brian Goslow Danbury, Connecticut - It was, inarguably, one of those moments in which everything changed. On February 9, 1964, The Beatles played on the Ed Sullivan Show for the first time, setting Beatlemania into full gear and sparking a cultural shift that still echoes today. Photojournalist Bill Eppridge documented the Fab Four’s first tour of the United States for Life magazine, taking “Three thousand images on 90 rolls of film” — only four of which ended up being printed in the publication at the time. “Bill was in the Life magazine offices early on the day that the Beatles were scheduled to arrive at JFK Airport,” said Eppridge’s wife, Adrienne Aurichio. “The director of photography, Dick Pollard, saw Bill and asked him if he wanted to shoot their arrival. It was not planned as a six-day assignment. Bill turned it into … [Read more...] about SIX DAYS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD