“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” – Aristotle The first International Sculpture Symposium was organized by Karl Prantl, with help from Friedrich Czagan and Heinrich Deutsch, in 1959 at the St. Margarethen Quarry in Austria. The artists gathered to produce permanent public artworks from local stone, a dynamic that would provide the model for many symposia to follow. New Hampshire is carrying on the tradition with two symposia every year: one in Nashua and one in Brookline. The Nashua International Sculpture Symposium is an annual community event designed to “elevate the awareness and appreciation of public art.” Nashua is the only city in the United States that hosts an annual international sculpture symposium, and 2018 marks their 11th year. This event was inspired by Meri Goyette, a major arts supporter who … [Read more...] about MAKING CONNECTIONS
Issue Articles
NYC DANCE PROJECT: BREATHTAKING MOMENTS IN TIME
With a single click, a moment in time can be captured forever. It’s extraordinary, really, when you think about it. Occasions, places, and historical events are preserved by the internal mechanisms of a camera — and the skill and passion of the photographer — providing us with something our own eyes may not see. The click of a shutter can capture something so slight as the breath of a dancer. Speaking on the art of the performance, the late legendary dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham once said, “You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscript to store away, no paintings to hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that fleeting moment when you feel alive.” Ken Browar and Deborah Ory have given us, and the dancers they photograph, something to hold on to. They are the founders of NYC Dance Project, which features a … [Read more...] about NYC DANCE PROJECT: BREATHTAKING MOMENTS IN TIME
EIGHT VISIONS: VISCERAL VIEWS AT ATTLEBORO ARTS
Juried shows are what you make of them, whether you’re an artist, the sponsoring venue or the juror. They can provide a chance to reach a new audience, expand your portfolio, or find out which artists you’ve not previously been aware of who are making work that deserves your attention — and possibly a place in your collection. The selection process for “8 Visions,” opening at the Attleboro Arts Museum on August 1, began during last December’s members’ exhibition at the museum, when juror Sarah Swift, gallery director at Hera Gallery in Wakefield, Rhode Island, reviewed portfolios from over 60 submitting artists. “I am a sucker for texture and materiality, particularly in application,” said Swift, explaining her selection process. “I looked for artists whose use of material seemed not just thoughtful, but ‘necessary’ to the contextual completion of their piece. I also looked for … [Read more...] about EIGHT VISIONS: VISCERAL VIEWS AT ATTLEBORO ARTS
RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER: BRINGING THE WORLD HOME
The Body in Urban Space: A Conversation with Rafael Lozano- Hemmer about his work at The Armory Show in New York City in March, 2018; “Unstable Presence,” in Montreal; and “Voice Theatre,” his transformation of Augusta Raurica during Art Basel 2018. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer’s young son recently told him that he was not an artist because he doesn’t draw. Perhaps he does not use the technology of pencil or crayon to reproduce images, but he uses techno-theatre, performance, architecture and science to draw parallels between individuals, modern-day society, surveillance, social interaction, human vs. machine and the threats imposed by all of these. Winner of every significant art prize worldwide, including representation at biennials and triennials from Mexico to Moscow, New York, Shanghai, Sydney and more, Lozano-Hemmer — by including us in his theatrical, immersive installations … [Read more...] about RAFAEL LOZANO-HEMMER: BRINGING THE WORLD HOME
INDEPENDENT SPIRIT: FISKE OWNS IT IN PORTSMOUTH
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” — Pablo Picasso Picasso said it, but American Master Gertrude Fiske lived it. She certainly paid her dues. She learned “the rules,” or perhaps more accurately, she absorbed the societal expectations of New England at the time, and then she allowed herself — encouraged by such mentor greats as Edmund C. Tarbell, Frank Benson, Philip Hale and Charles Woodbury — to carve her own path. Fiske (1879-1961) was born into a prominent Massachusetts family and spent much of her time farther north in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Downeast Maine. Her work was lauded for her ability to “see” a scene or a subject. That ability, that gift, set her apart. A founding member of the Guild of Boston Artists and later the Ogunquit (Maine) Art Association, Fiske was the first woman ever appointed to the Massachusetts State Art … [Read more...] about INDEPENDENT SPIRIT: FISKE OWNS IT IN PORTSMOUTH
COASTAL CONTEMPORARY: PASSION, DRIVE AND FAITH IN NEWPORT
It was finally a beautiful day, as you would expect in June. But, being a New Englander, I had my reservations as to how long it would last, considering that it had rained for most of the week. It was equally pleasant to drive to Newport and to meet Shari Weschler Rubeck, the owner/gallerist of Coastal Contemporary Gallery, the newest art gallery in town. But, the first words out of my mouth as I shook her hand were, “Are you crazy or something?” After all, with the current trend in the art world of galleries closing by the score, why would she be opening hers? Rubeck, aka Sumo Bunni, her very own persona brand, replied that it was a result of her passion, drive and faith. No, not the religious kind. Faith, as in trusting oneself. Or, as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Rubeck’s faith also extends … [Read more...] about COASTAL CONTEMPORARY: PASSION, DRIVE AND FAITH IN NEWPORT