“The Sun Rises in the West and Sets in the East,” on view at Tufts University Art Gallery through December 11, begins in contrast. On one wall, two copper works by Nari Ward —“Restin’ Well” and “Restin’ Paradise” — draw the viewer to examine what look from afar like stars. The pieces radiate a spiritual energy, so bold they nearly have a sound and taste. On the opposite wall, 12 quietly vibrant watercolors by Ali Cherri hang in a row. Each depict a songbird lying dead. Taken together, the two set the tone for an exhibit rooted in place and perspective. In Ward’s works, copper nails punctuate a copper sheet treated with darkening patina to form concentrations reminiscent of constellations or points on a map. The symbols do, in a way, reference the sky: the formations are interpretations of the Congolese Cosmogram, a spiritual and cultural symbol core to Kongo culture from before … [Read more...] about SIGNS OF THE HOUR
Artscope Issues
SUSPENDED ANIMATION
I’ve written hundreds of reviews of galleries, museums and fine craft shows over the years, with many clever theme titles, but I must say this is among the cleverest titles I’ve seen. “Suspended Animation” is a fresh look at the concept and how it can be expressed as art. The mixed mediums of five artists span from assembly work, watercolor and oil paintings to found materials. The artwork selected for this exhibition offers perspectives on daily living and our connections to the spaces and structures of our lives. The diversity of this show adds immensely to the joy of experiencing it. There’s Andrew Chulyk, who won’t be limited by well-defined expectations. His career spans five decades and includes product and package design and works featured by the Society of Arts and Crafts and Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. His paintings have also been exhibited widely in museums and … [Read more...] about SUSPENDED ANIMATION
WEEKEND SAMPLER
How about a wonderful, wandering art-filled day trip (or two) through Seacoast New Hampshire and north to Portland? Sometimes it’s just plain exhilarating to jump in the convertible, head north to Maine (or whichever direction you begin from), and simply have fun. Let’s take a leisurely trip and check out some art venues. This trip covers everything from a start-up museum in an up-and-coming artsy town, to a chi-chi boutique-y gallery in Kittery, Maine, a historic former library for one spot and a long-standing prep school art gallery for another, and ends at a well-respected, established museum in Portland. Let’s get going — depending on how much viewing time you need this can be a whirlwind day or an entire weekend! (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here.) … [Read more...] about WEEKEND SAMPLER
AN INSPIRATIONAL PAIRING
Merriam Webster provides a primary and secondary definition of Indigenous: “produced, growing, living or occurring natively or naturally in a particular region or environment” and “of or relating to the earliest known inhabitants of a place and especially of a place that was colonized by a now-dominant group.” Both definitions might be applied to the cultural foundations of two expansive exhibitions running concurrently at the Hood Museum in Hanover, New Hampshire. “Park Dae Sung: Ink Reimagined” and “Maḏayin: Eight Decades of Aboriginal Australian Bark Painting from Yirrkala” embody the preservation and development of personal and artistic identity in the wake of occupying influence, and the enduring strength of cultural tradition. Born in Kyŏngsang Province in 1945, the year Japan surrendered its decades-long annexation of Korea, Park Dae Sung was five years old when he lost his … [Read more...] about AN INSPIRATIONAL PAIRING
FIRE IN THE ATHENEUM
A trend of social commentary has emerged among the latest generation of glass artists, a conceptual development evident in “Fired Up: Glass Today,” an exhibition curated by Brandy Culp, Richard Koopman Curator of American Decorative Arts at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, Connecticut. There are over 100 artworks by 57 artists in the exhibit. Included are works by luminaries of contemporary glass such as Dale Chihuly, Lino Tagliapietra and others, that foundationally frame perspectives by a new generation of glass artists combining consciousness raising content with aesthetics and technical skill. I spoke recently with Aaron Schey, co-owner of Habatat Detroit Fine Art, which represents a number of artists in “Fired Up: Glass Today” (including UK artist Hannah Gibson whom I met at the exhibition’s press opening). Schey and I discussed the current of activism as a … [Read more...] about FIRE IN THE ATHENEUM
A BEEHIVE OF DUALITY
For every step forward, there are, in the case of the year 2022, a dozen steps backward. Call this the year of the tumbling dice. Where does the strange momentum backward in the realm of human rights lead? Some saw it coming. Most didn’t. There is a cost associated with divisiveness, with complete lack of empathy and understanding. Most of all, when the tide moves in a certain direction, the attempt to stifle basic autonomy and human rights affects every living being in its radius. Gender awareness, racial harmony, a woman’s right to control her own choices, the ongoing and building threat to the environment; all ascending accomplishments falling down into a miasma of de-evolution. Artists are acting with information from what they perceive around them. However, within the creative consciousness there is the ability to draw upon universal truths that are a constant within the rise and … [Read more...] about A BEEHIVE OF DUALITY