by James Foritano (artscope magazine’s one-of-a-kind art reviewer James Foritano recently visited Italy with his wife, Maddy; he kindly shares his memoir of the journey here) When my sister and I were children, we delighted in assembling in the family room where our father would set up a folding screen and projector, and our mother would draw the curtains. Then we’d watch ourselves living as large as the American 1950s would permit, giggling and pointing at people we thought we knew cavorting in more vivid colors and stranger poses than we’d noticed when we were embedded, pell-mell, in full-throttle action. I didn’t realize when my wife, Madeleine, and I headed for Italy last month that we’d be re-experiencing that inside/outside feeling of being both embedded in swirling action and, at once, distant observers. But we did. I had explained to my skeptical but resigned traveling … [Read more...] about Visiting Italy: Venice, Rome, Florence…
Artscope Online
New England Sculptors At Bridgewater State, Schmidt Does Kafka At Harvard & RISD Alumni At South Shore Art Center
by Brian Goslow The New England Sculptors Association has two shows currently on view in the region. The first, curated by L’Attitude Gallery owner Betty Bothereau at Bridgewater State University’s Maxwell Library in Bridgewater, Mass., features 60 works from over three-dozen artists in a wide variety of materials from traditional bronze, marble and wood to found objects and mixed media, and continues through October 15. The second, “Art in Nature,” is on the grounds of The Fells, the historic estate & gardens located on Lake Sunapee in Newbury, New Hampshire, and can be enjoyed daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 10. “Pavel Schmidt: Franz Kafka: Verschrieben & Verzeichnet — Written & Drawn” features 49 drawings by Schmidt, a painter, illustrator and installation artist from Switzerland, that explore Kafka’s creative process. Each work is complimented by a portion … [Read more...] about New England Sculptors At Bridgewater State, Schmidt Does Kafka At Harvard & RISD Alumni At South Shore Art Center
Smooth & Smoky at Vessels, Varujan Boghosian at Victoria Munroe
By Brian Goslow BOSTON-Varujan Boghosian is one of New England’s most beloved artists — and collectors. The Hanover, New Hampshire resident has three studios filled with long-abandoned and unused artifacts of American every day life and discarded industrial age found at yard sales, flea markets and estate sales that he painstakingly turns into engaging works of art, collages and assemblages that will have you thrilled not only for their visual effect, but the emotional sparks they set off in your memory. Experience them first-hand from September 15 through October 29 at Victoria Munroe Fine Art, 16 Newbury Street in Boston. Bringing together 10 of the best ceramic artists from around the world who’ve mastered the combined properties of flame, smoke and clay, “Smooth and Smoky,” which opens September 16 and continues through October 16 at the Vessels Gallery at 450 Harrison Street #71 … [Read more...] about Smooth & Smoky at Vessels, Varujan Boghosian at Victoria Munroe
RAW Fusion: Emerging Talent at Your Local Nightclub
by Sara Farizan BOSTON- Sometimes the best kinds of parties are the ones filled with artists. Artists see the world from a perspective a guy working as an accountant necessarily wouldn't. Artists are unafraid to take risks and therefore more willing to cut a rug on the dance floor. And artists are so passionate about their work, you can only imagine dating one. It's no surprise that Artscope was more than happy to be on hand at Guilt nightclub last week to be a part of a fun filled, art extravaganza hosted by RAW:natural born artists in Boston. What is RAW? RAW is an artist run organization, providing independent artists of varying mediums and genres an audience as well as resources they may be without. "RAW educates emerging artists through seminars, workshops and insight to further the knowledge of their industry. RAW connects them with one another so that they might grow … [Read more...] about RAW Fusion: Emerging Talent at Your Local Nightclub
Viktor Lois’ Kinetic Bodybuilders
by Sara Farizan ACTON, MA- Viktor Lois is a transformer. Not like one from a summer blockbuster where robots beat one another to a pulp, but Lois is one with the machines of his own creation. In his 30 or more years of creating art, Lois is exhibiting his steel creations with the help of the Contemporary Arts International, a non-profit focused on bringing art and fostering art education in New England, located in the Acton area. Lois, a Hungarian artist with an eye for bringing humanity to industrial specimens, has made his brightly colored inventions out of recycled car frame, old machinery scraps and washing machine bits. His works in the "Body Builders" sculpture series are anywhere from 9 to 20 feet in height and can actually help you body build as they are functioning exercise machines. In these machines Lois hopes that those that choose to exercise will not only be … [Read more...] about Viktor Lois’ Kinetic Bodybuilders
At Home, At Galatea
by Mina Kang The Summer Members' Exhibition at Galatea Fine Art, with its many shades and styles, evokes both nostalgia and comfort. With artwork submitted by its each of its members, Galatea composed a diverse, but cohesive exhibit that conveys an array of emotions. Paula Estey's "Across Time," a mixed media on birch plywood composition, strikes you with its sad poetic lines that sing the pain of loss: “But a shadow lingers / Where a storm once was / And I swear I felt your hand across / The atoms of time / I swear.” The accompanying black and white photos remind you of the family albums that have been sleeping beneath your bed, and perhaps inspire you to revisit them. "Hopperesque Truro," a photograph of houses lined against a sunset, harbors a similar nostalgia. The houses, in dark monochrome, seem lonely. If you're worried about delving too deep into the past, Mengting Yu's … [Read more...] about At Home, At Galatea