In her exhibition statement, curator Crystalle Lacouture identifies the Concord Center for the Visual Arts, which occupies the former John Ball house built before the American Revolution, as a fitting location for her “Homages” exhibition, noting that, “This building welcomed Minutemen and Modernists alike.” The works in the show represent memorials, with references to masters in the arts to feminists in the vanguard, to shared stories and quotidian household objects and their uses and users. The variety of media and interpretations of the theme provided by the 17 participating artists is a reason to visit, as there are no two alike. Lacouture has chosen a chorus of unique voices to sing this anthem of connection. Her own work and statement are worthy of the visit alone. Her “Mama” series is heart-stopping. Sunny drawings, like Amish barn decorations, are on target paper. If you look … [Read more...] about ECHOES AND INFLUENCES

The capturing of an “ephemeral garden” is an elusive proposition, one that the eclectic practice of Jenine Shereos harnesses in her exhibition at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. The artist grasps the wind-blown wisps of scattered natural debris, magnetizing strands of energy and decay into focused individual projects that mirror time’s passing and life abounding. The only attempt she makes to pull ephemeral events out of the ether comes in the form of photography, in which they are catalogued and studied, reflected on and understood. Shereos attributes these projects to a “collaboration with nature,” rather than documentation, a process of becoming, rather than only observing. Growing up in urban and suburban areas in Illinois, the artist sought out nature from a very early age, describing herself as the child who could be found “braiding grass at recess,” … [Read more...] about A GARDEN IN THE BERKSHIRE

Long a part of our retail shopping experience, mannequins have been used as models for the latest clothing trends as well as, more recently, become a symbol to represent our more robotic ways of everyday life, especially in an age where cellphones have become extensions of our bodies. “Mannequin,” a collaborative exhibition by Clark University students Dante Diez, Simon Pinchbeck and Hoang Truongat the Harold Stevens Gallery at WCUW, combines photography, video and sculpture to examine how modern human identity is being shaped by digital technologies. Through their immersive works, the three artists have teamed up to explore how our digital culture has influenced our behavior, perception and self-understanding of life, blurring the line between authenticity and imitation. “When we looked across all of our individual works, we noticed a theme of imitation, artificiality, and the … [Read more...] about WE ARE ALL MANNEQUINS