Ever since COVID-19 became a household name, the art world has gotten much quieter. Galleries and museums have closed indefinitely, and artists can no longer travel to their studios or teach in-person art classes. But just under the new quiet is a low rumble, the rumble of the art world adjusting to this new — and hopefully temporary — normal. Online exhibits and art classes are cropping up, and artists throughout the country are converting their garages and living rooms into impromptu studios and continuing to create. I spoke to three artists who are currently working from home, making the best of an unprecedented situation. … [Read more...] about STAYING AT HOME, WORKING AT HOME
May/June 2020
COOL UNDER ATTACK
It was supposed to be the big one. “A Wild Note of Longing: Albert Pinkham Ryder and a Century of AmericanArt” was scheduled to open at the New Bedford Whaling Museum this summer. Ryder, best known for his mythological and allegorical paintings and dark moody seascapes, was born in New Bedford in 1847. With that other Albert (Bierstadt), the great landscaper of the American West, Ryder is one of the most beloved, visionary and storied native-son artists of the Whaling City. Among South Coast artists and aficionados, there was a palpable buzz about the exhibition. And then the pandemic happened. And life changed. The museum closed its doors to the public on March 13. … [Read more...] about COOL UNDER ATTACK
GLASSMAKER ROBERT BURCH
There is comfort in finding simplicity during complicated times. As humans facing crisis, we have a need for solace in beauty and unobtrusive art. Sometimes out-of-the-way places and previously unthought of exploration can lead to fulfillment in the form of a new discovery and calmer perspective. With most arts venues temporarily closed, we can be reassured that the work of creating art continues. Master glassblower Robert Burch combines structural elements of traditional glassblowing with bold, innovative design. Working from his studio in Putney, Vermont, Burch’s distinctive approach incorporates fluid lines, delicate precision and overt intention to create pieces which are at once alluring and discreet. … [Read more...] about GLASSMAKER ROBERT BURCH
ELEGANTLY SIMPLE
“Sailing to the Edge,” Andy Zimmermann’s current exhibit at the Boston Sculptors Gallery, is a masterpiece. Rare is the exhibit that explores both life and death simultaneously, with insight, originality and superb craftsmanship. Zimmermann’s show is an important exhibition as we cope with the virus pandemic, struggling with life and facing death every day. Sometimes, everything changes radically and we see things with new eyes and new emotions, and the virus has done that for us. Zimmermann’s exhibit can be experienced two ways: with former “happy eyes,” or with eyes newly opened to view a cultural world in chaos. First, I will discuss his work with “happy eyes” as he created and intended it before the virus invaded. As I write this today, April 14, 2020, “Sailing to the Edge” may be interpreted using two radically different iconographic systems. In the last part of this review, I … [Read more...] about ELEGANTLY SIMPLE
MEMORIES OF BUDAPEST: ART IN THE TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
Social distancing is a necessary part of public health policy during a pandemic, such as we are currently experiencing. But for me, the term conjures up all sorts of mixed feelings, particularly when it conflicts with the basic need of art — the shared experience. Virtual tours have become the mainstay of museums and galleries that are now shuttered to the world. While these digital offerings can be informative and entertaining, they can’t replace the in-person, in-situ, serendipitous experience of being there. Until we reopen the world again, I reflect on another time in my life when despite social constraints... I am at the National Gallery in Budapest. It is early summer 1979. I’ve just traversed the expanse of cobblestoned garden area facing the Danube and entered the main hall. I am alone. The girl who issued me my ticket is back to reading a book in her lap. There is no one else … [Read more...] about MEMORIES OF BUDAPEST: ART IN THE TIME OF SOCIAL DISTANCING
THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS
When the portraiture project I had been working on was abruptly suspended by the stay-at-home COVID- 19 measures, I began making portraits of essential workers. As a street and portrait photographer, I was comfortable approaching workers doing essential jobs and asking for their permission to make their portrait. I always stood at least six feet from the person. For the most part, I found that though they were busy working, they gave me the time, albeit brief, and wereappreciative of my attention and my gratitude for their frontline work. In many cases, they would ask how I’d like them to stand. They would take direction as though in a portrait studio. In very brief and physically distanced encounters, we would collaborate with each other in the making of the photograph. … [Read more...] about THE ESSENTIAL WORKERS