REVIEW NEW MEMBERS EXHIBITION: CURTIS HANSON AND MICHAEL GRAVES GUILD OF BOSTON ARTISTS 162 NEWBURY STREET, BOSTON, MA OCTOBER 7 - 28 by Beth Neville The 125-year-old tradition of American impressionism lives on in the oil paintings of Michael Graves, newly elected member of the Guild of Boston Artists. In keeping with impressionism’s emphasis on outdoor scenery, Graves paints lush summer landscapes, frosty winter snow banks, and sailboats’ crisp white sails against the blue White Mountains. His work, of excellent technical quality, will further enhance the Guild of Boston Artists’ reputation as must-see gallery for leading artists of the plein air movement, the more modern name for “impressionism.” This October, Graves’ works will be displayed alongside those of Curtis Hanson in the Guild of Boston Artists’ New Members Exhibition in its President’s Gallery. Three of … [Read more...] about THE GREAT OUTDOORS: NEW MEMBERS AT THE GUILD OF BOSTON ARTISTS
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WALK OF LIFE: VAUGHAN OLIVER AT LESLEY
COVER STORY VAUGHAN OLIVER: WALKING BACKWARDS LUNDER ARTS CENTER, LESLEY UNIVERSITY 1801 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE CAMBRIDGE, MA SEPTEMBER 5 - OCTOBER 22 by Lisa Mikulski There is a good amount of graphic design work that reveals itself as being quite pedestrian. And then there is the work that elevates the field and serves to inspire not only the design community, but the target audience — the consumer — as well. The work of legendary designer Vaughan Oliver reminds me why I love graphic design: it’s wizardry. Elegant and message-honored, Oliver’s work is known for its emotional and ethereal quality. His influence has inspired not only graphic designers, but also fashion designers, advertising creatives, music journalists and film directors. Vaughan Oliver has enjoyed a 35-year career as an art director, designer and typographer. He built his reputation on … [Read more...] about WALK OF LIFE: VAUGHAN OLIVER AT LESLEY
Outdoor Sculpture Takes Over Olmstead Firm-Designed Grounds in Newton Mass
By Paul Angiolillo If the site is appealing, I’ll travel almost anywhere to show my outdoor sculptures (okay, a modest stipend doesn’t hurt). But it’s a boon when the place is closer to home. I was pleased, then, to be selected to participate in a temporary exhibit (through Labor Day) on the grounds around City Hall in Newton Mass., just a couple of miles from my home and studio. If you’re in the area, it’s worth a visit. (It’s right on Commonwealth Ave., a.k.a., the Boston Marathon route into the city, and just across from main library.) The grounds themselves might qualify as environmental art. Designed by the firm of Frederick Law Olmsted, the 10-acre parcel of land, which completely surrounds the city hall and war memorial building, comprises a sweeping lawn, a tree-lined pond, two stone bridges and many other small green spaces and copses. It would make a great setting for any … [Read more...] about Outdoor Sculpture Takes Over Olmstead Firm-Designed Grounds in Newton Mass
Together We Stand, Divided We Fall Venice Biennale 2017 Arte Viva Arte
By Nancy Nesvet Venice, Italy - Bringing awareness to political and environmental crises and uniting the world’s artists in proposals for humanity’s and the earth’s survival, the Venice Biennale 2017 might be the most important art exhibition ever. Harold Rosenberg famously said that art is about events. This Biennale addresses current events while posing fundamental questions regarding the role of art and art-making. Is it a journalistic report and analysis of events, or an illusory view of what might be, could be, has been or is? This Biennale includes all of this: including beautiful and threatening nature, environmental disasters and the danger for refugees traveling upon the open seas, while optimistically providing solutions to potentially disastrous situations. Christine Macel, curator of the Venice Biennale 2017, implores that this Biennale is for and by artists. Its … [Read more...] about Together We Stand, Divided We Fall Venice Biennale 2017 Arte Viva Arte
Damien Hirst’s Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable at the Venice Biennial 2017
By Nancy Nesvet Venice, Italy - Damien Hirst’s “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable” installation, on view at Palazzo Grassi and Villa Doghana, Venice’s Customs House, is one of the Venice Biennial 2017’s most wildly popular exhibits. Following 10 years of work and thousands of euros of investors’ money, Hirst presents a fictional rescue of artifacts from the ship, Apistos (Kona Greek for Unbelievable). Hirst’s storyline: a freed slave, Cif Amoton II, the letters of whose name rearrange to read “I am fiction” lived during the late first and early second centuries A.D., amassed a fortune, then bought and loaded statues and reproductions of ancient art and crafts pieces onto a ship bound for the Temple of the Sun, which he built. Hirst’s story continues with the fictional sinking of the ship in the Indian Ocean 5,000 meters under the seabed off East Africa, and its videoed … [Read more...] about Damien Hirst’s Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable at the Venice Biennial 2017
Greg Lookerse: Literary Soil at Fruitlands Museum
By Taryn Plumb Harvard, MA - “Moby Dick”: Herman Melville’s classic tale of obsession. Adored by academics and mere lovers of the English word; abhorred by others forced to dissect and regurgitate it in high school and college. But for Greg Lookerse? It’s not only an inspiration for art — it is art. For his solo exhibition, “Literary Soil,” the California-born artist tore pages from his copy of the 1851 classic, then smeared them with pigments to simulate roiling waves or thick oil slicks, and grew salt crystals atop them to create a briny, crusty sensation. The end result is a tactile representation of the written word. “Overall the show for me is about the roots and ideas that come from reading,” said Lookerse, “and so each piece is somehow tied to a specific book or story or legend or myth.” The exhibit will be on display at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Mass., … [Read more...] about Greg Lookerse: Literary Soil at Fruitlands Museum