“Us Them We | Race Ethnicity Identity,” an invitation to explore the ambiguity of daily life and deep dive into examining our individuality and multiphased identities. We are what we eat, say nutritionists and doctors. We are what we absorb from what we eat, say philosophers. How do we define who we are, what opportunities we have to focus on self-discovery, and how do we ultimately do that? In an era of technology, where Alexa seems to know more about ourselves than we do, and Netflix can tell us what we want to watch, how we keep the essence of who we are, and the consequences of struggling with ambiguity? As our “selves” appear to be moving away to a virtual realm, how can we secure our IDentity, with so much outside noise? Worcester Art Museum (WAM), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, a city known as the Heart of the Commonwealth, holds a sizeable immigrant population, … [Read more...] about MANY LAYERS TO UNCOVER: WAM INVITES US TO EXPLORE THE PLURALITY OF IDENTITY
Reviews
International Poster Gallery’s Depiction of the History and Significance of the Art Form
Boston’s SOWA District is home to multiple fantastic galleries including the incredibly unique International Poster Gallery. When one goes inside International Poster Gallery, one can see how it reflects the history and significance of posters in the art world through the large variety within its collection. The gallery features 10,000 fine original vintage posters, all from the periods they were made (i.e. not reproductions) which makes it one of the largest collections in both price and style. The gallery’s beautiful posters and related items are as little as $100 and many above $5,000. They are also interested in working with new collectors and finding posters for their more sophisticated collectors. An example of a new arrival for new collectors would be the extremely hard to find poster “Bianco e Nero” by Marcello Dudovich. I had recently spoken with the owner, Jim Lapides, who told … [Read more...] about International Poster Gallery’s Depiction of the History and Significance of the Art Form
HIGHLY PERMEABLE BEINGS: ROZENMAN, GERSTEIN & ROTHSCHILD ALIGN AT BRICKBOTTOM
I’m in the atelier of Alexandra Rozenman in her Joy Street Studio in Somerville just beyond Union Square, its majestic length filled with the mostly quiet energy of artists of all persuasions working industriously in their brick studios. Joy Street ends at the appropriately named Brickbottom Building where on January 27, Rozenman will be featured in their lobby gallery space, along with two other artist/ colleagues, in a month-long exhibit entitled “Space ←→ Color ←→ Movement: Lyrical Realism into Poetic Abstraction” with each word of the title joined to the other with a two-headed arrow to illustrate how in the process of painting, in deft hands, all these elements are joined in tension and harmony. (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here.) … [Read more...] about HIGHLY PERMEABLE BEINGS: ROZENMAN, GERSTEIN & ROTHSCHILD ALIGN AT BRICKBOTTOM
COMPLEMENTARY AESTHETICS: TRUONG AND SELVAGE EXPLORE LIGHT AT BOSTON SCULPTORS
At Boston Sculptors Gallery, audiences have the opportunity to see “Bespoke” by Kenson Truong by simply parting a curtain and walking into a pitch-black gallery. The idea is to stand in that space shining a flashlight at any one of the four walls to see text printed in red and blue, which is visible only when using the high intensity black light provided. Viewers in the dark connect with the text as they search for narrative revealed with the radial glow cast by their flashlights. In this way, not too much of the narrative is shown at any given moment. There is mystery. Audiences enveloped in darkness can absorb at their pace. In this seemingly liquid environment Truong hones a metaphor of the unconscious creating a story of innocence, treachery, mortality, angst and the will to survive. I talked with Kenson Truong by phone. He described his technique for screen-printing text … [Read more...] about COMPLEMENTARY AESTHETICS: TRUONG AND SELVAGE EXPLORE LIGHT AT BOSTON SCULPTORS
A TIME FOR FRESH AIR: HARRIS AND MAHONEY MOVE INTO THE SPOTLIGHT AT BROMFIELD
Last fall, I was honored to be asked to jury the Bromfield Gallery’s SOLO 2022 Competition. I set out on the task looking for work that would call out to passerby in a neighborhood filled with top-rate galleries and artists. This January, Virginia Mahoney and Anne Birutė Harris will present work to carry you away visually, in experience and in thought. Harris’ “PEAK” solo show combines painting, performance, photographyandvideoinintroducingherseven-year“collaboration” with the tallest mountain in Massachusetts, Mount Greylock. Her working relationship there began after she had spent several years visiting different waterfalls and forests in Massachusetts that eventually led her out west to The Berkshires. “One day I was thinking about yearly foliage drives my family went on as a kid, and it was in this moment I remembered North Adams’ Hairpin Turn, and the mountain pass through … [Read more...] about A TIME FOR FRESH AIR: HARRIS AND MAHONEY MOVE INTO THE SPOTLIGHT AT BROMFIELD
THE ARCHITECTURE OF DISRUPTION: BRADLEY BORTHWICK AND UNBOUND ARTISTS IN BURLINGTON
The day I went to see the two shows reviewed here, I heard the news that the British Empire was getting a nip/tuck when Barbados announced it would henceforth be a republic. The news item reminded me of a remark one of my college professors made a good many years ago. Empires fall, he said, “Look at the Habsburgs — what do you have but Vienna and the suburbs.” During the 20-minute drive to the Burlington City Arts Gallery, I tried to name as many empires as I could remember — the Roman, Babylonia, Sassanid, Hittite, and so on. I may have been more focused on the snow and road conditions, had I not been anticipating the exhibition “Objects of Empire,” one of the two exhibits on view through February 5. (To read more, pick up a copy of our latest issue! Find a pick-up location near you or Subscribe Here.) … [Read more...] about THE ARCHITECTURE OF DISRUPTION: BRADLEY BORTHWICK AND UNBOUND ARTISTS IN BURLINGTON