Currently in its seventh exhibition at the Atlantic Wharf Gallery in downtown Boston, the group show Shared Habitat Earth is a vibrant and eclectic collection of works all connected to the central theme of combating climate change. The words “Shared Habitat Earth” came to local artist Barbara Eskin while walking through the woods, and the meaning behind them was revealed through conversations with her creative community. The intent of the show is to interweave art and activism, using the works as a way to inspire viewers into action, all the while keeping them grounded in their empathy and humanity. In the show’s description: Shared Habitat Earth (SHE) suggests cross species respect, intercultural solidarity and a shared sense of responsibility, and, in the face of enormous threats to our habitat, it calls for action. The 40 artists in the exhibition use their creativity to fight against … [Read more...] about A SKEPTICAL CELEBRATION
Reviews
RENDERING DISORDER
Diana Zipeto, the Lowell-based artist who has built her career on the practice of rendering images, was shocked to discover that an MRI is more of a map than a photo. This fact is one that she gleaned through a combination of life experience and creative inquiry: after looking at MRIs capturing the progression of her father’s recently diagnosed Alzheimer’s, she found herself compelled to understand and render the images herself. Zipeto’s solo show, “Resonance,” on view at Galatea Fine Arts from December 2 through January 8, takes inspiration from these MRI images to present a portrait of one person’s struggle with disease and a loved one’s struggle to make sense of what it means. Though the upcoming exhibit will also feature mixed media pieces, including a LEGO model of an MRI procedure and small plastic model brains, Zipeto’s acrylic paintings comprise the main body of the show. … [Read more...] about RENDERING DISORDER
REINTRODUCING MARY ANN UNGER
Upon entering the expansive, light-filled space on the second floor of the Williams College Museum of Art, one can’t help but notice the elegance of the placement of the two- and three-dimensional works by Mary Ann Unger. Each area of the gallery is immensely focused, and the exhibition reads as a chronological map of the artist’s experience. There are a significant number of drawings that not only support the sculpture, but clearly depict the artist’s process. The exhibition makes a point of acknowledging the transformation from 2D surface into the sculptural, and all the stops in between. Co-curated by Allison Kaufman, the director of the Mary Ann Unger estate and curator Horace Ballard, this is the first solo exhibition in more than 20 years for the artist. The curatorial team was joined by Unger’s daughter, Eve Biddle, among other contributors, whose work is presented alongside … [Read more...] about REINTRODUCING MARY ANN UNGER
SIGNS OF THE HOUR
“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
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
BETWEEN THE SPEAKERS: CETILIA BRINGING SOUND AND VISION TO CHAZAN GALLERY
“Pretty Meaningless Things,” a solo exhibition by Providence- based multimedia artist Mark Cetilia, will be presented from September 15 through October 15 at Chazan Gallery at Wheeler. Recently, I had a series of conversations with the artist about artwork for the show and his career. He had finished the 3D graphic modeling for visuals to be included in the exhibition and was in the midst of completing the analog/digital sound compositions he planned to incorporate into the show. Cetilia said that he expects to create a relationship between the external sound recordings and each video. His plan is that the gallery will be darkened with the only light being that of his large-scale video projection. He expects that the overall feel will be immersive. Cetilia’s 3D computer generated imagery (or CGI forms) were created using Rhino and Cycling 74’s Max software, which he designed and coded … [Read more...] about BETWEEN THE SPEAKERS: CETILIA BRINGING SOUND AND VISION TO CHAZAN GALLERY