By Beth Van Gelder Boston, MA - A rare opportunity exists to see “Henry VIII,” one of Shakespeare’s seldom-produced plays, at the Modern Theater at Suffolk University. Directed by Tina Packer, the Actors’ Shakespeare Project gives us a fine glimpse of this very complex Tudor monarch, played by Allyn Burroughs, two of his six wives — Katherine of Aragon (Tamara Hickey) and Anne Boleyn (Kathryn Miles) — and the proud, ambitious Cardinal Wolsey (Robert Walsh). An array of convincingly conniving nobleism and a delightfully charismatic fool (Bobbie Steinbech), complete the picture that leaves us with more questions than answers. This is not a surprise given that Shakespeare had also named this play, “All Is True.” Was Henry a highly cultured, enlightened despot, a visionary who saw through the hypocrisy of the Catholic Church? Or was he a cruel, self-indulgent hypocrite who used … [Read more...] about Henry VIII at the Modern Theater at Suffolk University
Artscope Online
Chanel Brings the Sparkle Back to Newbury Street
By Ari Garber Boston, MA- The walls of the new Chanel Boutique at 6 Newbury Street in Boston were dressed even more finely than the guests at its December 6 opening celebration. New York architect Peter Marino, who designed the store’s mirror clad walls, attended the party, as did French artists Johan Creten and Jean-Michel Othoniel, who created the rich and evocative sculpture installations that adorn the boutique. A cascade of glass baubles hang in front of a shining black stone wall on the first floor. This piece by Othoniel obviously refers to Coco Chanel's trademark pearl necklaces, but like the music playing alongside the clatter of high heels on the tile floor and the champagne bottles popping in the kitchen behind the scenes, they pack a modern energy that transports classic elegance into a new age. Nearby, Creten's golden sculptures look like molten lava, fueling the fire of … [Read more...] about Chanel Brings the Sparkle Back to Newbury Street
Thomas Demand: Dailies at Matthew Mark Gallery
By Cole Tracy New York, NY- As opposed to his normal practice of working from news images, Thomas Demand turns his focus onto the everyday shots from his cellphone in “Dailies,” an exhibition on view through December 21 at the Matthew Marks Gallery in New York City. The strange paradigm of looking at these ordinary moments, sculpturally recreated by Demand and then photographed, is serendipitous yet simultaneously meticulous. Each photograph shows a moment of solitude within an urban setting, with the end result looking like a visual diary. But each image was produced over several months, during which time Demand perfects these quiet moments into a miniature reality. The dye transfer prints look almost surreal; the information attained and the beautifully accurate color saturation give the images an even stronger life-like feel. This show addresses the everyday, and lonesomeness … [Read more...] about Thomas Demand: Dailies at Matthew Mark Gallery
George Nick: A Lifetime of Self-Portraits at Nesto Gallery
By Cole Tracy Milton, MA- George Nick, one of the pre-eminent American realist painters, has been doing the same work, painstakingly, since the abstract-expressionists were reigning in the 1960s; a collection of his self-portraits is on view at the Nesto Gallery at Milton Academy through December 13. Behind the work, there is an intense ideology of painting from reality. His images are definitive of this: the brushstrokes are swift and visible in most of the paintings; his name and date are etched into a corner of the image, added while the paint was still wet. It is clear each of the paintings was made in one sitting. Nick’s face changes little but the light quality as well as his perception led him to create many varying images of his own face. By painting from reality, he forces himself to focus on his perceived reality with intensive ardor. There are several excerpts of … [Read more...] about George Nick: A Lifetime of Self-Portraits at Nesto Gallery
Artscoped!: Revisiting Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein
By Cole Tracy The Myth Makers, a two-person artistic collaboration between Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein produce sculptures based around the ‘mystical relationship between human beings and the animal kingdom’. These sculptors were first covered in the Andy Moerlein and Donna Dodson: In a Collaborative Spirit headlined article by Elizabeth Michelman in the September/October 2011 issue. Following this inaugural coverage, they were reviewed for being part of Convergence: The Boston Sculptors Gallery 20th Anniversary Exhibition in the January/February 2013 issue. A large (twenty-five feet) seated bird made of sticks titled ‘Poised’ was shown as well as Dodson’s personal creation: ‘The Tiger Mothers’. These human-esque feminine animals are symbolic for the tribe of motherhood. The Tiger Mothers has recently been loaned to the Sothern New Hampshire University, where they stand proudly … [Read more...] about Artscoped!: Revisiting Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein
Artscoped!: Revisiting Sand T Kalloch
By Cole Tracy Malaysian born artist Sand T Kalloch has been within the pages of Artscope several times, once in an early issue covering her work at artSPACE@16, of which she is the owner. Then in the January/ February 2013 edition she was interviewed in a section of cornered, focusing on her showing at Aqua Art Miami, an ArtBasel satellite fair. Since then she has had even more exciting developments in her work. Currently she is working on a large-scale project in Singapore, which will be installed on two curved walls each one hundred feet long. The project is set for completion in summer 2016. She was shown within the Palm Spring Art Fair as well as Art Toronto by Jennifer Kostuik Gallery. In addition she was selected to be part of a two-person show at The Trustman Art Gallery of Simmons College. Finally, she has a new two-person exhibit at the McGaldrey Art Gallery in … [Read more...] about Artscoped!: Revisiting Sand T Kalloch