Artscope Magazine

New England's Culture Magazine

Artscope Magazine | January/February 2023

Subscribe to the Magazine

A vibrant, dynamic magazine with arts news, reviews and info you can use, delivered right to your door!

Subscribe now

Sign up for our Email Blasts!

Special Artscope updates in your inbox every two weeks!

Sign up

Exhibits

CORNERED: MEREDITH FLUKE & B. LYNCH TALK ABOUT NEW GILDED AGE: A THEATRICAL INSTALLATION AT THE CANTOR ART GALLERY AT THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS

// Artscope Online, Cornered, Exhibits

by Brian Goslow

After visiting the “New Gilded Age: A Theatrical Installation by B. Lynch” exhibition that’s on view through February 5 at the Iris and B. Cantor Art Gallery at the College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts (and which is reviewed in our January/February 2021 issue), Artscope managing editor Brian Goslow exchanged email questions with gallery director Meredith Fluke and multi-media artist and puppeteer Bridget “B.” Lynch about how the exhibition came together, how they adapted to the challenges of a semester where the Holy Cross campus opened, and then soon shut down, turning the show into a by appointment only exhibition, and how in the process, explored numerous new ways to present an exhibition that normally would serve as a backdrop to the college’s art programs.

MEREDITH FLUKE, DIRECTOR, CANTOR GALLERY AT THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY CROSS

EXHIBITIONS AT THE CANTOR ALWAYS HAVE A MAJOR EDUCATION COMPONENT WITH PARTICIPATING ARTISTS GIVING A SERIES OF LECTURES, GALLERY TALKS AND TOURS OF THEIR SHOWS TO STUDENTS AND VISITORS; YOU AND THE GALLERY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF SHIFTING THOSE PRESENTATIONS ONLINE. TAKE ME THROUGH THE PROCESS OF WORKING TOGETHER WITH BRIDGET TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND ALLOW, IN A NON-TRADITIONAL WAY, THE SHOW TO GO ON.

MEREDITH FLUKE: In the summer, we were expecting the students to return to campus for fall semester, and so had imagined the primary viewing experience for New Gilded Age to be in person. With the pivot to online learning in August, we made the decision to mount the show regardless, and to create an accompanying, integral online exhibition. Due to nature of Bridget’s work, I did not feel that the exhibition should be entirely online — rather, we needed to situate the figures in context, and give them space and lighting in order to create the videos and photographs that we needed. We were lucky that Bridget was such a visionary partner with which to conceptualize both the gallery and online components, and that there are so many talented people on campus — the videographer, film editor, web and graphic designers, etc. — that were willing to create online components that could serve as a true resource for our visitors and the Holy Cross community.

WHAT WAS YOUR EXPECTATION AND IMPRESSION OF THE SHOW AS IT WAS COMING IN AND HOW DID IT CHANGE ONCE IT WAS INSTALLED?

I had done a studio visit with Bridget last year when I first arrived at Holy Cross, and my first impression was that the work was magical, and ripe with possibilities for thought-provoking conversations. I was particularly interested in Bridget as an artist who sets rigorous rules for her work, and then allows the world to build itself. As we installed the pieces, though, I was very surprised by the affective quality of the figures, as though they took on more complex and more human capacity when we put them into their vignettes.

HOW HAS YOUR VIEW OF IT CHANGED AFTER LIVING WITH IT FOR THREE MONTHS?

For me the most important aspect of living with a show is the opportunity to talk to various visitors about it. I have noticed that everyone becomes attached to the various characters of New Gilded Age — perhaps they identify personally with the social situation and attachments of a particular character, or perhaps sustained observation increases the character’s intrigue — this is especially true if you watch the films many times. Since the world has been built by Bridget over many years, it’s difficult to take in all the complexities and nuances at once. I believe that knowledge of the world is cumulative, and that viewers create understanding through sustained engagement.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THIS PROCESS THAT WILL BE BENEFICIAL IN THE EXHIBITIONS AT THE CANTOR THAT FOLLOW? HAS THE MORE UNIVERSAL PRESENTATION ONLINE HELPED DRAW MORE ATTENTION TO THE SHOW?

I have enjoyed working on virtual programs, and am especially interested in exploring their capacity to reach larger audiences, and to be a resource that can be encountered casually, repeatedly, asynchronously. As we move forward, I am thinking about how virtual presentations can capitalize on those strengths and become something that has different, though related, goals from that of in-person exhibitions. Like many art lovers, I am very devoted to the physical object, and will likely always consider online programs as only a piece of the larger puzzle.

ARE THERE ANY PROGRAMS TIED TO THE SHOW SCHEDULED FOR THE START OF THE SECOND SEMESTER?

I’ve been thinking about it, though it is difficult to determine what February will look like in terms of state and campus Covid regulations! It was hard not to have an opening celebration — it’s built into our expectation of what the arc of an exhibition looks like. It was particularly difficult to not have the opportunity to thank the many people who contributed to the in-person and online presentations. I hope to have one more opportunity to celebrate Bridget’s accomplishments, and perhaps to hear about her experience of this show over the five months.

DURING THE OCTOBER TALK, YOU THANKED THE ADMINISTRATION FOR ITS SUPPORT DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME AND IN DOING SO SHOWED ITS DEDICATION TO THE GALLERY AND ARTS PROGRAM AT HOLY CROSS. HOW HAS IT MADE YOUR JOB EASIER OVER THE PAST SEMESTER?

It has been essential to have the support of the administration, I am grateful that they agreed to devote resources to this exhibition — both the online and in-person iterations — despite the fact that students are not in person, and regulations for cultural institutions have been in flux. Many of my colleagues in academic museums and galleries have remained closed through the pandemic. It has been important to me that we keep our program visible and active, and Bridget’s work has the added benefit of being both relevant and restorative.

 

B. LYNCH

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON THE CONCEPT OF THE REDS AND GREYS AND WHERE DID THE IDEA ORIGINATE?

I got started in 2012 when I made the first figurine, the Red Vizier Horseman. But it was around a year later I understood that inequity of power and wealth between the factions of Red and Grey was the driving force. As the project has grown I have used my delight in details of their material objects to express the philosophical underpinnings of the project. This time-bending sci-fi world exists improbably, where somehow the gorgeously attired Reds live in the 18th century while at the same time the Greys appear to occupy a nebulous but future time and space of ceaseless work. Each have their talismans. Vaneeta gazes adoringly at herself in the mirror and Lily, the cleaning lady, totes her pail and rag and is almost invisible when at the palace.

HAD YOU HAD ANY PAST EXPERIENCE WITH PUPPETRY?

I studied traditional Japanese puppetry, Bunraku, while I was a student in Japan as an undergrad. Several of my projects have had performative objects, but the Reds and Greys have pushed me forward. I have reveled in being the “puppet master” as I create my fantasy world.

LEAVING THE GALLERY, I REALIZED HOW FEW ARTISTS GET TO BRING AN IDEA TO FRUITION IN THE PUPPETRY/CHARACTER FORMAT THAT YOU WORK WITH (WHAT I FIRST THOUGHT OF IS HOW, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, THE CREATOR OF STAR WARS HAD A SIMILAR VISION AND ONLY A FEW TRULY UNDERSTAND WHAT AN EXTENDED ENDEAVOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS LIKE). IN A SINGULAR FORMAT, YOU EITHER GET THE CHARACTERS OR YOU DON’T; HAVING THE OUTLET OF VIDEO HAS GIVEN YOU THE ABILITY TO BRING THEM TO LIFE AND GIVE THEM THE FEATURES THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT ONLY EXIST CLEARLY IN YOUR MIND. WHEN DID YOU START WORKING ON BRINGING YOUR CHARACTERS TO LIFE IN VIDEO FORM?

That is an excellent comment regarding how video allows layers of interaction and meaning that a single work does not. From the very start of the project I knew I would want to explore them eventually in video form. But I needed enough characters and in-my-head back-story for the video component to be viable. The Red Baiter series videos were made in 2019 and 2020. I had created a series of digitally composed photographs starting in 2017 using my large-scale cut-out figures against especially indicative architectural backgrounds. These manipulated photos opened the mental door for me to explore video using 2D and 3D representations of the characters.

Although I have made video for many years, Red Baiters is something different for me. The characters have insisted, or so it seems, on their own agency. I work rather intuitively with a shot list but not a script. The sound is very important to my process. Often, I compose and lay down the soundtrack before I insert the video element. Since they lack dialog the sound sets the emotional journey of the short video.

THERE MUST HAVE BEEN HOURS UPON HOURS OF TESTING WHAT WORKED AND WHAT DIDN’T. HOW DO YOU BRING YOUR CHARACTERS ALIVE FOR YOU AND FOR YOUR AUDIENCES? DO YOU HAVE PEOPLE YOU TRUST LOOK AT THEM BEFORE SHARING THEM TO THE WORLD AT LARGE?

Yes, it is a slow process both figuring out who is an archetype character that I wish to make and how best to expound them in body language and facial expression. I usually draw several versions. My family have been both extremely supportive and honestly critical if something doesn’t work for them. I find this helpful and I learn what is important for me to convey. The videos are very layered and painstaking. I often spend three or four hours on 10 seconds of video, and then I might throw it all out.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE PIECES WAS “FISHERMAN ON THE LONELY SEA” – I WAS IN LOVE WITH IT BEFORE I EVEN ENTERED THE GALLERY, SEEING IT THROUGH THE WINDOW. TELL ME ABOUT THE CREATION OF THE FISHERMAN AND HIS BOAT AND HOW YOU CREATED THE OCEAN IT WAS FLOATING ABOVE.

I am very fond of the Fisherman. He is one of the few Greys with autonomy. He is working, to be sure. But he escapes to the sea where he is the master of his fate. The use of blue theatrical gels over the lights creates a mood. The airy blue tulle fabric was bunched and draped to suggest water. The underwater blue-light sea cucumber (or whatever it is) adds to the mystery. The boat is made of varnished paper over a bent wooden frame (sticks from my back yard).

I have rules for the project concerning materials for the small figurines and their objects. Paper, wire and paint with some wood is allowable. I didn’t want anything to be too perfect. These materials aren’t as “plastic” as clays, hence the strong evidence of my hand, which I think gives them more emotional heft.

WHO ARE “BAITER” AND “HAULER” AND HOW DID THEY GET THE UNIQUE UNIFORMS THEY WEAR AND HOW YOU DECIDED TO PLACE THEM SO THAT THEY “REAPPEARED” ON THE SCREEN BEHIND THEM.

When imagining the world of the Greys I decided that not only would they necessarily need to be more numerous but also because of their social position in my imagined world, their clothes would be almost a uniform. Each Grey would have the signifier of their job. The men wear a tin pot on their head and the women wear a long black skirt (except for Saltimbanque). They share a uni-sex jacket. So, the Hauler wears a heavy yellow belt so he can attach himself to his jitney, as a human-powered taxi for the Reds. Lily the cleaning lady is undercover for in the palace because she is beneath notice.

These two characters have plenty of scope to unearth the secrets of the Reds. But it is a dangerous game to be part of the Baiters resistance faction. Making the various characters again and again in different media expands my comprehension of them. The video makes them almost mythic as their original 10-inch size becomes larger than life-size.

“VANEETA” ALSO COMES “ALIVE” IN YOUR VIDEO; SHE’S CALLED “A WOMAN OF WEALTH” BUT SHE SEEMS QUITE LONELY. IN YOUR OCTOBER TALK, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW SHE HOLDS A MIRROR THAT YOU SEE AS A REFLECTION OF SOCIETY. HOW HAS SHE DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS?

As the project developed I understood that the Reds primarily enjoyed posing. They are self-absorbed and their self-worth arises from their possessions. Vaneeta is the embodiment of self-regard. She is in a bubble of her own. Her vision of how society functions is reflected in the mirror, everything is interpreted through her lens. I think it is a metaphor for many of us, as the internet functions as a mirror. Our on-line choices are self-affirming. But Vaneeta is meant as an archetype character. She has wealth and feels beautiful and privileged; her narcissism precludes genuine relationships with both Reds and Greys.

DO YOU LOOK AT ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS AND CLEARLY SEE THEM CONTAINING YOUR OWN EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS?

Spot-on! I’ve created these characters to investigate being human. I can experience good, bad, violence, talent, hard work and leisure all through my characters. I think most humans are capable of many ways of feeling. Although my personal political and ethical choices aren’t in sympathy with all of the characters, having them enact their little dramas allows me to postulate their motivations and gives me creative permission to walk in their shoes. It is a kaleidoscope; new images keep coalescing.

WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF THE ARCHITECTURAL BACKDROPS TO YOUR VIDEOS AND INSTALLATIONS?

I love traveling and since the beginning of the Reds and Greys I have been collecting photos that reflect their habitats. Vienna, Augsburg and Madrid all have luscious Baroque buildings. Stockholm’s tiny alleys, MASS MoCA’s abandoned industrial buildings, and the graffiti covered watchtowers on Gooseberry Island all suggest the make-do atmosphere of the Greys.

HOW HAS HAVING YOUR WORK COME “ALIVE” IN VIDEO FORM HELPED YOU IN SEEKING FUTURE VENUES TO PRESENT YOUR WORK? COULD YOU SEE EVER PRESENTING IT WITHOUT VIDEO ACCOMPANIMENT AGAIN?

The video world of the Reds and Greys is more fully realized as a stand-alone piece, so it is easier to explain the project to a new curator. I think it is now such an integral part of my project I would be loathe not to include it.

WHAT’S ON THE HORIZON FOR THE REDS, THE GREYS AND B. LYNCH IN 2021?

In January/February the art museum of Northern Illinois University will be presenting my Grey Days video as part of Storied References. Later in the year, I have a solo exhibition, “Pull Back the Curtain,” at the Brattleboro Art Museum. I have some new ideas to try out for the world of Reds and Greys; and my website www.blynchart.com is regularly updated.

(“New Gilded Age: A Theatrical Installation by B. Lynch” remains on view through February 5 at the Iris and B. Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross, O’Kane Hall, One College Street, Worcester, Massachusetts. Gallery visits are by appointment only Tuesday through Friday from noon–5 p.m. with limited Saturday availability. To book an entry time, email [email protected] or call (508) 793-3356. Masks and social distancing practices are required. For more information or to visit the exhibition virtually, visit holycross.edu/iris-and-b-gerald-cantor-art-gallery.)

 

Arts in Bloom 2020 at Hopkinton Center for the Arts

// Artscope Online, Exhibits

by Kristin Wissler

Hopkinton Center for the Arts is showing “Arts in Bloom 2020” through January 28, 2021, marking the fifteenth year of this popular seasonal exhibit. Artists from 40 cities across six states submitted their artwork for consideration. Juror Marie Craig, Director of Fountain Street Gallery, looked through the 183 submitted pieces and selected 39 artworks for the exhibition. In addition, Craig chose to honor artists Neeta Annaldasula, Robyn Thompson Duong, Cheryl Rose, Sandra Delbridge, Kat O’Connor and Katalinia Savola. The works in “Arts in Bloom 2020” were displayed alongside flower arrangements designed by Hopkinton Garden Club from November 18—24, adding to the exhibit’s seasonal appeal. With or without the flower arrangements, the 39 featured artworks are beautiful to behold all on their own. Many artists cited the idea of rebirth and appreciation for nature as their sources of inspiration for their creations, which include photographs, paintings and sculptures. Just as nature is often used as an escape from life’s troubles, the nature-inspired works of “Arts in Bloom 2020” provide viewers with something beautiful to take their mind off this tumultuous year and carry them through the winter into spring.

 

(“Arts in Bloom 2020” runs through January 28, 2021 at Hopkinton Center for the Arts. Hopkinton Center for the Arts is located at 98 Hayden Rowe Street in Hopkinton, Massachusetts and is open Monday—Friday 9:00 a.m.—8:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m. For more information, visit hopartscenter.org/arts-bloom-2020.)

Exhibition Review: Sand T Kalloch “Proliferating” at Bromfield Gallery

// Artscope Online, Exhibits, Visual Arts

by Bronwyn Grover
“Proliferating” welcomes guests into a world of never-ending growth.
Created as an experiment back in the summer of 2017, “Proliferating” has grown into a full-fledged exhibition. It is a must-see in person, as the pieces are brought to life by the subtle detailing within each creation. Kalloch uses a layering process to capture fine detail by allowing acrylic paint to bubble between layers of epoxy resin. Though resin is typically a time-consuming material to work with, Kalloch finds the process to be almost meditative, stating: “It
provides a balance of structure and chaos that is fulfilling to me. It demands self-discipline and satisfies a desire to continually  improve my workmanship and developing new ideas.”
Each painting in the series appears to be continuously expanding and growing, with an almost uniform cohesion in the detailing. Though the photos had no moving elements, the epoxy bubbles gave off an appearance of cells that are stuck underneath their epoxy microscope, almost wiggling with life. Her paintings are similar to humans — each sharing a familiar look from far away but present critical differences up close. Kalloch’s work, however, leaves quite a bit up to interpretation by the viewer.
Kalloch’s work comes at an important time where science and the importance of life have impacted everyone. “Proliferating” works as an escape into a biological world of artistic discovery and revelation. From its glossy surfaces to the intricate detail beneath, Kalloch’s exhibition was an inspiring find that anyone is sure to take delight in.

Discovering Identity, to Benefit All

// Artscope Online, Exhibit Openings, Exhibits, Visual Arts

by Nancy Nesvet

Roya Khadjavi Projects has courageously opened a show, including online images and a physical display of work at High Line Nine Gallery 9.1, 507 West 27th Street, Chelsea, New York City, online beginning September 1; at the Gallery from September 15-29, daily except Sunday and Monday, from 10 AM-6 PM, by appointment only. Opening receptions are September 16-17, 5-8 PM, September 1`8 and 19, 4-7 PM, by appointment.  Generously, Curator Roya Khadjavi Heidari will donate part of the proceeds to Artist Relief to support artists during the Covid 19 crisis.

Overall, the twenty-one artists project a feeling of missing pieces, accentuated, during this lonely time, even more than the disconnection often felt by those who have adopted another country and culture.  When we cover half of our faces with masks, so we only smile with our eyes, and dare not speak or laugh, it is difficult to project identity, eventually questioning our own identities in this new and forbidding world.  As these Iranian artists have succeeded in adopting an identity in the U.S., that very identity is threatened, but unlike other artists, they know how to create art that lets the viewing public know how difficult a split or erased identity is

Parastoo Ahovan’s” Holiness of the Margins”, (acrylic on canvas, 2019) uses varied materials and media; painting, sculpture, mixed media, video and performance to create work highlighting ancient Iranian patterns. Faces are veiled but the person underneath is identified with a golden crown, earrings and necklace alluding to class identification but no individual identity. Asfane Barati’s” Self-Portrait”, (digital photo collage, 2017), where she is turned away from the viewer to reflect her features in a sectioned mirror, duplicating eyes, and minimizing the mouth, makes clear that she sees more than she can speak or can be heard.

Similarly, Pejman Hosseini’s digital photograph (Self-Portrait, 2020) draws a tightly bound translucent fabric over a body, confusing individual identity.  Aida Izadpanah, who has been featured in Roya Khadjavi Projects’ previous shows, continues her sculptural practice combining porcelain with gold forms, but here painted porcelain bands bisect her “Self Portrait in Profile” (handmade, fired, painted porcelain and 24 kt. Gold on painted wooden board). These chainlike bands atop porcelain incised with Islamic patterns unites old and new, in a bound self-portrait. Shahram Karimi’s “Me and beer” (mixed media on canvas, 2008) cuts off the child-like form at the edge of the canvas, while the adult form points to the sleeping child whose slumber might result from the glass of beer suckled from the prominent breast still attached to the baby.  We are reminded that we can induce sleep and indifference, here with a beer, but also of the innocence of the babe as it slumbers without a care.

Maryam Khosrovani’s Self-Portrait I, (Color pencil on paper, 2020) completely layers color over the mouth while gradually showing opening eyes in her four successive self-portraits in her series.  The linearity and separate spaces of RISD graduate Farsad Labbouf stress his stated reverence for Unity and Monism, while portraying himself in “Self-Portrait-1” (oil on canvas, 2020). His “Self-Portrait II” (oil on paper, 2020) is even more interesting, with the face in devilish red, backgrounded in black with white outlined masks above his head.  It seems to ask if this virus the dance of the devil.

Sara Mandandar’s “Self-Portrait” (acrylic on canvas, 2012) layers a while rectangle over the face hiding her Iranian features, while a screw aims a subtle joke at her head.  Dana Nehdaran’s self-portrait, (oil on gesso primed paper, 2020) traditional by this show’s standards, is an exemplary painting that stares directly at the viewer, though the face is slightly turned and the background unfinished, as he is still discovering how much of his still unformed identity he can reveal.  In contradistinction, Dana Nehdaran’s “My sister, Niloo”oil on canvas, 2020) is a finished black and white painting, as she is not him.  Dariush Nehdaran’s “Live” (2015) from his Unconscious Series is the most joyful image here.  In the black and white photograph, a dancer appears in silhouette.  Dariush, who suffered poor eyesight as a child, discovering a clearer view through the camera’s lens, here shows a clear image above a blurry, grey floor, as his dancer literally emerges from the shadows of his limited vision.

Sepideh Salehi weaves together personal narrative and story-telling, recalled truth and myth to combine heritage and a  new culture in “Self-Portrait”, (Mixed media on paper, 2008) while Negin Sharifzadeh, a cross-disciplinary artist and storyteller merges sculpture, stop-motion animation, interactive design, short films and photography to produce work like her mounted museum print, “Modern Girls, Ancient Rite” (2019) where a blond, winged angel in pure white Victorian dress seemingly reads her palm while seated, presumably Negin in traditional, but plain Iranian dress looks back at her.   Her mounted museum print, “Growing Brighter Futures” diptych (2019) again features a seemingly saintly woman under a Botticelli-like upside-down shell backgrounding modern, alternately dressed and nude Iranian women; one a pedestal beneath which a bride extends her hands, perhaps looking toward her future.  This surrealist photographer wins my vote for best storyteller in the show.

The Northeastern University trained Safarani sisters, Bahareh and Farzaneh Safarani’s  “Self-Portrait” (oil on canvas and video projection, 2020) shows a mirror,  incorporating their twin images, building on their practice of painting their status as identical twins as one is depicted while the other takes the photograph that serves as the basis for the painting.  In “White Curtain”, their video painting (oil on canvas and video projection, 2020) they literally raise the curtain on their identities.  There are more, all investigations of identity, all excellent.  Curator Roya Khadjavi wrote to me, “I loved working on this show. Almost none of the works were seen in person. The artists were all alone working in their studios and the topic that most of them brought up was self-reflection.”  There was little alternative as the community of artists and models was not available during the isolation of Covid, but these artists, in reflecting on their individual identities and situations, have produced some remarkable work.  In visiting, and buying this work, Artists’ Relief, helping artists through the financial, medical and other difficulties during the Covid crisis will benefit, as we all will.

GALATEA FINE ART’S GRAND RETURN: LIGHT FROM ABOVE: EMERGING OUT OF ISOLATION

// Artscope Online, Exhibit Openings, Exhibits, Visual Arts

by Brian Goslow

On the evening of April 14, a large water main break in Boston’s South End flooded a huge part of the neighborhood, turning parking lots and the basement galleries at 460 Harrison Ave. into swimming pools. This week, Galatea Fine Art will reopen for the first time since that night with “Light from Above: Emerging Out of Isolation,” a two-month, 38 artists, exhibition that will run through October 31. A limited occupancy, social distancing and mask wearing, opening reception takes place this Friday, September 4 from 6-8 p.m. Current normal gallery hours will be Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. and by appointment.

In gathering information for our September/October 2020 issue, managing editor Brian Goslow asked Galatea director Marjorie Kaye to share her thoughts on finally returning to the gallery, the work in the show and which art pieces initially grabbed her attention:

“Looking over the work that will be included in “Light from Above,” there is a stream of direct reaction to the Pandemic, which is making its way in to so many artists’ works. Carolyn Newberger’s “Contagion” is a lively and emotional response to it, almost humorous in its rendering of “Life During Wartime.” Carolyn Letvin wandered a friend’s giant rural maze and her installation of found objects “Anita’s Labyrinth” recalls a lovely dream in a nightmare. Robin MacDonald-Foley’s “Under the Hemlock in Paper Mask” is a photograph in which the artists situates her protected COVID self in a natural setting.

“Another stream of works making its way into this exhibition is a stillness of mind and soul in reaction to the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the world at the present moment. Alan Strassman’s photograph, “Upon Reflection,” situations a natural object in the endless surface of a body of water; the water becomes a liquid Zen garden. Joe Caruso’s energetic “Spiritual Road Trip” are living daydreams of iconic images that churn up from our memory when the world is still. My own “Points of Departure” seeks to illuminate the hope of the human spirit in the form of sacred geometric figures and stellar connections.

“Returning to the gallery space feels like victory. It was hard fought and won. In this uncertainty, we, as a community, managed to pan for gold and 36 artists have banded together to work towards its reformation in the face of what, at one time, seemed like an impossibility. The Eliot School will also be rejoining us with its wonderful and diverse programs. Gallery life is being rebuilt by artists and gallerists in our SOWA community and it is building in momentum.”

(“Light from Above: Emerging Out of Isolation” runs from September 4 through October 31 at Galatea Fine Art, 460 Harrison Ave. #B-6, Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit galateafineart.com.)

WILL VIRTUAL EXHIBITIONS REMAIN ONLINE WHEN GALLERIES REOPEN?

// Artscope Online, Exhibits, Visual Arts

by J. M. Belmont

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, galleries and cultural institutions found themselves migrating online. The transition to virtual has been a mixed bag: some galleries made the move smoothly, while others have struggled. Many have upped their social media presence and outfitted their websites with new, interactive features. We have watched an entire industry expand beyond brick-and-mortar frantically, out of necessity.

Michael Rose, the current gallery manager at Providence Art Club, found himself ahead of the virtual curve. “In the fall of 2019, I think I realized in earnest that in addition to my blog and other assets included on my freelance advising and appraisal website, I could use my platform to create virtual exhibitions.” As an appraiser and art historian, along with his work at the Art Club, Rose was in a unique position, “Because my day job is managing the galleries of the Providence Art Club, I hadn’t made my personal online exhibitions a huge priority, but was planning to roll something out this spring,” Rose told me via email. “The changes brought on by the pandemic hastened this and made me aware of how relevant this project would be, both for artists who were losing shows and for audiences seeking content.”

At Boston’s Bromfield Gallery, Gary Duher was taken aback. “The big shock came at the end of that week in March when the ICA and MFA announced they were closing down, along with many galleries like a domino effect, and Bromfield decided to close as well. For the next months, we played it by ear as things unfolded.”

Luckily, Bromfield already had one foot in the virtual world: “We are fortunate in that we redesigned our website on Square Space a year ago in order to create an online Shop. So, we were able to shift to completely online pretty quickly. Now we have several online exhibitions that connect directly to our shop.”

Two of those exhibitions are “On Edge” by Barbara Burgess Maier and “Intervisible: Red Lining and Blind Stitching in the Fabric of Greater Boston” by Caroline Rufo. The two have had their showings extended through to August 2, 2020 with limited gallery hours on Saturday and Sunday. “On Edge” is a collection of gritty, reflective works, the majority of which focus on the colors red, white and black, and how confronting they are in relation to one another. “Intervisible” is a stunning installation made of fabric, paper, thread and string that visually tackles the long legacy of the red-lining policies the Metro Boston area implemented over the past 50-odd-years. Since moving the exhibitions online, Duher has been pleased with the response and traffic they have received.

Rose’s approach was to send out word for an online exhibition titled “Social Distancing International Virtual Exhibition.” The concept was simple: to give artists, in a time of pandemic, when galleries have closed their doors, a “space” in which they could exhibit their work. Rose found that his time at Providence Art Club had positioned him well, but his approach was a bit different. “Because I wanted to keep overhead low and make my first open call free to enter, I didn’t use a call for entry platform and instead used a simple online form. Overall, it was relatively seamless.”

A similar call for art has gone out from Bromfield. “SIZZLE!” is an international online exhibition slated for this upcoming August. “This is our first international online juried competition, and the first contest to offer prizes,” Duher said via email, “In the past we’ve done regional juried shows. We brainstormed summer themes and came up with “SIZZLE!” since we had done “Heat” a few years ago. We wanted something fun and engaging with a wide range of interpretations. So far, the entries have been steady, and most artists tend to submit the last couple days.”

These exhibitions are now becoming, for many galleries, a staple for how to navigate the current restrictive landscape. They also highlight a curious paradox that the pandemic has brought. Aspects of the art world are becoming more international and democratized. Yet, at the same time, the downside is that you can’t see the work in real time, before you.

There is, no doubt, a conflicting nature to viewing — let alone buying — pieces of art online. One doesn’t have the experience of taking in its physical presence. The real depth and texture of any work of art is only experienced when one is there with it, when the proximity allows that hard to pin-point well of contradictory emotions to express themselves.

Currently, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, has added a series titled “Art for The Moment” to their website. The museum has allowed “MFA staff, artists, and others” to dig into their vast collection to pick works that they feel have a link to how we live now. Each work is accompanied by a short, engaging essay by the selector.

A recent pick by Catherine Johnson-Roehr is a painting by Paul Cadmus titled “Stone Blossom: A Conversation Piece.” The painting — composed between 1939 and 1940 — depicts three men loafing under a sprawling tree. In the background is a large, white farmhouse. The scene has the feeling of Jean Genet meets Norman Rockwell.

Johnson-Roehr’s pick comes at the start of Pride Month, and she writes: “Cadmus was also determined to be true to his art, even when it made his life difficult or made his work unpopular. In addition to overt homoeroticism, he frequently depicted Americans in ways that showed both a fondness for his fellow citizens and a keen observation of their flaws.”

The difficulties of the current way of showing virtually are on Gary Duher’s mind. When it comes to preparing for “SIZZLE!” he said, that while there is “very little in terms of structure,” the main differences are obvious, “…no drop off and pick up, no installation. And, sadly, no opening reception.”

Rose, for his part, is already juggling a new exhibition, “30 Under 30.” With its deadline approaching — July 17 — he has already changed his approach, learning from the previous show. Going into “Social Distancing,” Rose was incredibly hands-on, “I invited [artists] to give me their website or social media so I could review a larger body of work and learn more about them. This took a lot of time.”

With “30 Under 30,” he’s cut back a tad. He’s limited submissions to three per artist, along with a short biography and statement. And while there will be a fee (of eight dollars), he will not be taking a commission, choosing to redirect any potential buyers to the artists themselves.

The question going forward, as businesses of all kinds begin to slowly reopen, is whether the virtual platforms that so many galleries and institutions have built up during the pandemic will be continued? “I think this is the future,” Duher said. “We’ve really enjoyed our Zoom meetings every month. And interestingly, we’ve had a big uptick in artists joining the gallery, too. It could be the pandemic gave everyone more time to pursue their options.”

Rose said he will continue to use the newly built-up resources, even after we push through to a kind of normal. But he warns that some in the art scene may not be as accepting of this change. “The reality is the “art world” has been far too opaque and far too exclusive for far too long. Of course, seeing artworks online is not ideal, but it exponentially increases access and if you work to create quality content as a gallerist, curator or dealer, you can still give artists and viewers a valuable experience.”

For some in the art community, the threat of a second wave of COVID-19, already beginning to reveal itself, has left them feeling like they’re in the same purgatory they were dropped in four months ago. But others, like Duher, are optimistic about what will come next. He ended our exchange on a needed positive note: “Maybe the art world can be more spontaneous and inclusive in the future. Why not use online tools to highlight local artists? One lesson may be how deeply rooted aesthetic experience is to the human experience. It’s essential.”

(“On Edge” & “Intervisible: Red Lining and Blind Stitching in the Fabric of Greater Boston” are on view at Bromfield Gallery’s website through August 2, 2020 (and in person on Saturday and Sunday from noon-5 p.m. with the exception of July 4 and 5), and the deadline for submissions for “SIZZLE!” is July 1, 2020. Michael Rose, along with “Social Distancing” and, later this summer, “30 Under 30,” can be found at his website, michaelrosefineart.com.)