Whether he is painting, teaching, curating or creating a video, multimedia artist Humberto Ramirez is likely to be thinking about social issues and the power of art in shaping values and perceptions. In his exhibit at the ArtisTree Community Arts Center in South Pomfret, Vermont, on view from May 17 through June 1, Ramirez’s abstract paintings allude to botanical gardens that use the conventions of abstraction but go further, delving into the deeply rooted experience of the body and the world. In a way, he explained, “they are less a radical denial of social reality than a reaffirmation of the desire for creative space and autonomy. The works are about form, space, light and color,” he added. “They point to the corporeal world and seek to transcend it.” If this concept seems difficult to grasp, it may be because Ramirez is trained in both the sciences and the humanities, and he … [Read more...] about BOTANICAL ABSTRACTION: HUMBERTO RAMIREZ CREATES SPACE AT ARTISTREE
May/June 2019
CAMBRIDGE’S CHANGING MURALS: CONSTRUCTING COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC ART
As I walked to work last Election Day, I passed a crew power-washing a mural off the side of a building. Concentrated blasts of water hit the wall, dislodging chips of paint that swirled in rivulets towards the gutter. I frantically snapped pictures with my phone of the disappearing images from Daniel Galvez’s “Crossroads” mural, which had adorned the side of Central Square Library in Cambridge for over three decades. In creating it, Galvez had enlisted the help of local photographers to document the daily activities of neighborhood residents. He used these photographs as a design reference, and community volunteers to help paint. As a student, Galvez studied the work of Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and David Siqueiros, the three most influential Mexican muralists of the 20th century. He became enchanted with the scale of their work, as well with how murals were used to convey … [Read more...] about CAMBRIDGE’S CHANGING MURALS: CONSTRUCTING COMMUNITY THROUGH PUBLIC ART
THE POWER OF ILLUSTRATION: NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM TURNS 50
Ever since Norman Rockwell’s portrayals of American life graced the covers of The Saturday Evening Post, the beloved illustrator has been among the most recognized artists reflecting American art and culture. An astute visual storyteller and masterful painter, he had a distinct and personal message to share. That message conveyed the spirit of a nation whether recalling childhood pranks, young love, family rituals or facing hardships. Many of his works revealed his own life, his family, friends and neighbors and offered a behind-the-scenes look at the autobiographical aspects of his art. His son once remarked that his family felt as if they were “living out Saturday Evening Post covers.” In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, an extensive retrospective of his work will be on view from June 8 through October 27 along … [Read more...] about THE POWER OF ILLUSTRATION: NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM TURNS 50
STILL CONTEMPORARY: FRIDA KAHLO IN BOSTON AND BROOKLYN
Frida Kahlo was a contemporary artist, even by today’s standards. Her multidisciplinary art practice was a predecessor to today’s public relations creation of celebrity. Kahlo introduced feminism to a field sorely unequal in its treatment of women artists, and let the world know that a physical disability and pain could propel art, not limit it. Her art stood for feminism, recognition of the ability of the disabled, her politics and ethnic and cultural heritage, making her an example and heroine for women, and all people, everywhere. Her art was entirely autobiographical. The paintings told the story of her life, loves and losses. She was proud to paint her mestizo heritage — inherited from her mother — and the artificial leg she wore, making it a fashion accessory. “Appearances Can Be Deceiving” at the Brooklyn Museum and “Frida Kahlo and Arte Popular” at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts … [Read more...] about STILL CONTEMPORARY: FRIDA KAHLO IN BOSTON AND BROOKLYN
HERITAGE CELEBRATION: WORLD CLASS ARTISTS OF COLOR AT ZION UNION
Three world-class artists of color in residence at Zion Union Heritage Museum in Cape Cod — Joseph Diggs, Carl Lopes and Robin J. Miller — share a pride in their African-American heritage which informs their art, but their styles and techniques differ widely. All practiced art full-time after other careers. Miller was an award-winning art teacher at P.S. 108 in the Bronx. Lopes was the beloved director of visual arts at Barnstable High School. Diggs was a flight attendant, which enabled him to see the world and its museums. Lopes said, “During 35 years, I taught 3,500 students, which gave me insight into my own work.” When Miller created a hands-on history project, for which her students made a mixed-media collage on paper in the style of a “jazz quilt,” honoring African-American quilting women and jazzmen, it inspired her to create her own framed “narrative quilts.” (Diggs is also … [Read more...] about HERITAGE CELEBRATION: WORLD CLASS ARTISTS OF COLOR AT ZION UNION
ELECTRIFIED BUT RUSTIC: TWENTY-ONE IN TRURO’S CAHOON RETREAT
They have different backgrounds, influences, subject matter and mediums, but they are united in supportiveness and mutual respect as the “Twenty-One in Truro.” The group started in 1999 when two women thought the Corn Hill cottages in Truro, Cape Cod, would make a great artists’ retreat. Within about a week, 21 women, all the place had room for, had signed on. The venue for their annual week-long retreat at the end of September into October changed years back, from the dunes overlooking the bay, to the south-facing side of Truro’s Pamet River at the five Sladeville Cabins (which themselves have an artistic history going back to the 1920s). “It’s electrified but rustic,” said Kate Nelson. “We have to prepare for 20- to 80-degree weather, bring boots for mud, bring food and artist’s materials, but it’s great; you get to leave your husband and kids, and be yourself.” In their … [Read more...] about ELECTRIFIED BUT RUSTIC: TWENTY-ONE IN TRURO’S CAHOON RETREAT