By James Foritano (On November 11-14, 2015, the Boston Lyric Opera Annex performed Philip Glass’ “In the Penal Colony” at the Cyclorama. Artscope’s James Foritano files this review of the show for the artscope zine.) Boston, Mass. - The most compelling aspect of “In the Penal Colony,” composer Philip Glass’ contemporary opera inspired by the eponymous short story by Franz Kafka, is the haunting consonance between the music, the spare dialogue, and the dance-like motions of the three actor/singers on stage. If you know Glass’ music, you know it’s about as repetitive and as nuanced as neurons firing. This narrow but intense range is mirrored in the spare dialogue and the acrobatic movements of three protagonists who enact ‘the victim,’ ‘the executioner’ and a ‘foreign visitor,’ who, he repeats often, is only there ‘out of courtesy.’ They … [Read more...] about Boston Lyric Opera’s “In The Penal Colony” at the Cyclorama
Artscope Online
Capsule Preview
Worcester Art Museum Community Day this Saturday, Nov. 14 In our November/December 2015 issue, J. Fatima Martins previews the recently-opened “Hassan Hajjaj: My Rock Stars” exhibition at the Worcester Art Museum, for which artscope is proud to be a media partner. “This Saturday, November 14, Hajjaj will be at the museum to make portrait-photographs of visitors while they are engaged in dance and movement within staged areas decorated with his uniquely designed Afro-Arabic textile patterns and furniture during WAM’s Community Day: Global Art and Music,” Martins writes. “To help guide children, families and playful adults along the metamodern path, Helmut, WAM’s canine mascot, has temporarily changed his identity to Helmut Hajjaj, adopting the artist’s colorful fashion sensibility.” Urban violinist and singer Marques Toliver, who is featured in the exhibit, will be performing, … [Read more...] about Capsule Preview
Brattleboro Street Artist
Borofsky in Brattleboro by Brian Goslow During the monthly First Friday Brattleboro Gallery Walk, which takes place from 5:30-8:30 p.m., there will be a reception at the Latchis Theatre Art Gallery, 50 Main St., for a multi-media installation featuring paintings, photographs and films. Works on paper used for creating downtown outdoor artworks will also be shown and offered for sale in a silent auction, with all proceeds going to benefit public art projects in downtown Brattleboro. The Barber Building Lobby, 68 Main St., will also be open during the Gallery Walk for public viewing of murals and restoration done there by Borofsky. The original painting, “The Story of Fresh Water,” which inspired one of the two murals, is included as part of the Latchis Gallery installation. On Saturday (Nov. 7) , there will be a reception at 1 p.m. in the parking area of the Cultural … [Read more...] about Brattleboro Street Artist
Cornered
CORNERED: JOE FIG: INSIDE THE ARTIST’S STUDIO AT CARROLL & SONS Last month, Princeton Architectural Press released “Inside the Artist’s Studio,” the second book by Joe Fig, in which 24 “painters, video and mixed-media artists, sculptors and photographers” share their production tools and techniques and the habit and strategies for getting work done — including background music, work hours and relationships with family, friends, gallerists and curators. This week, an exhibition of the same name featuring new paintings, sculptures and drawings by Fig goes on view at Carroll and Sons, 450 Harrison Ave., Boston; the opening reception takes place on Friday night (Nov. 6) from 5:30-7:30 p.m. The exhibition runs through December 18. For more information, call (617) 482-2477. Artscope magazine editor Brian Goslow “Cornered” Fig to discuss both the new exhibition and … [Read more...] about Cornered
Sunday at the SoWa
If you missed South End Open Studios, First Fridays are the next best thing; visiting with Ann Strassman & John Gonnella by Shem Tane (Artscope is proud of its intern program which has an end goal of helping area college students polish their writing, reporting and research skills to help develop the next generation of art reviewers and critics. We also think this provides a valuable insight to artists and galleries to see what kind of first impressions they give those students who’ve invested their lives to find their place amongst their profession.) Last month, I traveled down to Boston’s SoWa neighborhood to take in the South End Open Studios. I was expecting the gallery to be set up in one room with each artist standing by their work. Instead the gallery was split up among different rooms and floors. Traveling down the semi-florescent floors reminded me of … [Read more...] about Sunday at the SoWa
Boston Ballet presents Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler at the Boston Opera House
By James Foritano Boston, Mass. - The “Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler,” choreographed by the renowned John Neumeier and performed on Thursday, October 22, by the Boston Ballet on the stage of the Boston Opera House, brought the audience repeatedly to their feet with cheering, clapping and foreign-sounding cries of approval. I, on the other hand didn’t award my approval until what looked to me like an overcrowded stage gave way gradually, mercifully to fewer dancers with more space. My parsimony, approval wise, was probably more a matter of personal esthetics, than expert judgment. I’ve seen traffic cops respond to an impossible glut of traffic at rush hour with absolutely balletic virtuosity, urging on and calming heated horsepower with memorable command. But is it art, or traffic control? At least a million dancers, with helicoptering arms and … [Read more...] about Boston Ballet presents Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler at the Boston Opera House