South Africa’s Post-Apartheid Artists – Galvanized for Change By Teboho Mokoni, arts and culture critic, Johannesburg 11.15.2016: At the Post Its No. 1: Post-apartheid /|Postcolonial opening at Constitution Hill last week, a former political prsoner recounted, for an audience that numbered in the hundreds, his and his family’s struggles to remember but also overcome his experiences during apartheid. An artist armed herself with an AK 47 in a spellbinding performance about the power of anger — over others and over her. Ayanda Mabulu’s shocking depictions of South Africa’s President engaged in a sex act with one of the country’s most powerful businessman — who scandalized the country with their seeming disregard for the difference between government and the pursuit of profit and personal gain, were displayed. Nelson Makamo, one of South Africa’s most important artists, entered what … [Read more...] about Former Massachusetts College Student Curates Exhibition in Johannesburg
Visual Arts
Wildlife: Trading and Conservation at the ISB Gallery at the Rhode Island School of Design
By Kristin Wissler On July 14, I attended the reception for “Wildlife: Trading and Conservation” at the Rhode Island School of Design’s ISB Gallery. I was happy to go, for I’ve always loved the animal world and everything in it. The exhibit, created by RISD in collaboration with Creature Conserve and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), is meant to illustrate the effect of global trade on endangered animals. Dr. Lucy Spelman, RISD faculty member and founder of Creature Conserve, calls the exhibition, “a selection of highly personal artwork that is both informed by the facts and emotionally charged.” Indeed, the art pieces featured create a host of emotions in the viewer. The first piece to greet the viewer entering the exhibition is “Tortuga,” a beautiful sculpture of a turtle with coral on its back. As the artist, Alexandra Alemany, explains on the work’s … [Read more...] about Wildlife: Trading and Conservation at the ISB Gallery at the Rhode Island School of Design
Connecticut DIY Scene
Making Waves in New London & Hartford By Meghan Richter When I pulled into the parking lot at Sailfest 2016 last weekend, the town fair energy gave me a sense of the atmosphere of New London. The downtown area only spanned a few blocks, and the ocean breeze drifted loftily through the sweltering heat. Just about every building — and even some of the streets — had been painted with large murals. From giant whales to Sasquatch, to massive people playing saxophone and mandalas over intersections, New London is clearly an emerging art scene. Sailfest is hosted by the town’s local businesses, a lot of which are run by young artists. Hygienic Gallery and Hive Skate Shop specifically were able to incorporate different variations of art to their town’s annual festival. Hygienic is currently showing an exhibition on “Color & Light” through July 30, but for Sailfest, they opened … [Read more...] about Connecticut DIY Scene
Atmosphere to Edge at the Kingston Gallery
By Kristin Wissler The “Atmosphere to Edge” exhibition at the Kingston Gallery is a study of spectrum: A spectrum of sharp lines to soft edges, or, in the words of curator Jennifer Moses, “a spectrum of solutions,” ranging from “smoky to graphic.” The exhibition features work by Jeffrey Hull, Shona Macdonald, Craig Hood, Rick Fox, Leslie Roberts, Nona Hershey and Helen Beckman. Each artist is different from the other, and their pieces reflect that. Yet the selected works come together as a seamless exhibition that portrays the theme well. “I chose artists I already knew, and artists that I knew were religious in painting,” said Moses, explaining how she selected artists for the exhibition. Most of the works she selected are drawings in various mediums as opposed to paintings. This was deliberate, for, as Moses explained, “drawing is the foundation for painting.” On the softer, … [Read more...] about Atmosphere to Edge at the Kingston Gallery
Philip Guston, Painter: 1957-1967 at Hauser & Wirth New York
By Joshua Ascherman In 1957, abstract expressionism was in its heyday, the art world was abuzz with talk of Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning and the artists of the New York School — and Philip Guston was tired. "I got sick and tired of all that Purity! Wanted to tell stories," Guston proclaimed later, describing a transitional period in his art career which is the focus of "Philip Guston, Painter: 1957-1967," a new show at Hauser & Wirth's 18th Street location in New York City. The show is open through July 29, and Guston's dismissal of painterly "Purity" is its thesis. Despite Guston’s claim, many of the pieces now on show at Hauser & Wirth are painted in brush strokes reminiscent of Monet’s, emotive strokes which are characteristic of much of Guston's abstract work; in all of them, there is interplay between grey- and earth-toned backgrounds and sometimes colorful … [Read more...] about Philip Guston, Painter: 1957-1967 at Hauser & Wirth New York
Rock River Artists Make Magic During Open Studios Tour July 16 & 17
By Elayne Clift When photographer Chris Triebert moved to Vermont from Boston, she fell in love with the river that ran through her new hometown of Newfane. She soon learned that she wasn’t the only artist attached to the Rock River, beginning in East Dover and continuing through South Newfane and Williamsville. In 1993, having connected with local like-minded artists, she and Carol Ross, with whom Triebert had opened a design and photography studio, launched the Rock River Artists, which now includes fourteen noted artists working in a variety of media including painting, pottery, collage, photography, printmaking, furniture, wrought iron work and the unique thread on fabric technique developed by artist Deidre Scherer. Scherer is perhaps the best known of the artists. Her work has been shown in over 150 solo and group shows nationally and internationally and has appeared on the … [Read more...] about Rock River Artists Make Magic During Open Studios Tour July 16 & 17