“Art may yet save the world.” Thus writes Nancy Nesvet in her wrap-up of this year’s Art Basel international art fair in Basel, Switzerland, in this issue. She’s addressing what she sees as a need for the world’s citizens — and especially its artists — to “band together to work to solve environmental and political problems if we are to survive as a people.” Much of the artwork she reports on takes on these concerns as does some of the exhibitions covered in this issue of Artscope. How those messages will be conveyed remains to be seen. We work hard in giving a voice to artists, addressing their societal concerns through their artwork and share them to create public participation. That also means constantly opening the ways we get those messages out to you. The loss of traditional media publications and journalism outlets available for artists and art organizations and … [Read more...] about WELCOME: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Welcome
WELCOME: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
As we were putting the final touches on this issue, our 80th, our publisher, Kaveh Mojtabai, told me, “The fashion work on our cover harkens back to an era of family, honor and Sufi creed (compassion, love, patience and peace with all religions and people) to keep unity within tribes and clans for the betterment of future generations. It reminds me of one the most popular shows in the world on Netflix, Diriliş — or ‘Resurrection’ in Turkish, taking place in the 13th century during the founding of the Ottoman Empire.” The storyline follows a nomadic Kayı tribe caught “in the designs of a violent world that has lost its way,” with different tribes pitted against one another and innocent villagers being plundered in the process. “Eventually, the tribe can settle and create a new era based on its cultural humanitarian values.” It doesn’t sound too different from how today’s arts … [Read more...] about WELCOME: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
WELCOME: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Welcome to the 79th issue of Artscope Magazine, which celebrates our 13th anniversary. It features our annual special section in which we’ve asked our writers which artists they may have wanted to write about over the past year but the chance hasn’t presented itself. This year’s “13 for Our 13th” features a wide variety of New England artists that work in landscape and light, sculpture and color fields, marquetry and performance art, assemblage and mathematically-based constructions, documentary photography, and oil, glass and ceramic — and “heavy metal” nutcrackers. Some of these artists’ work will be on view as part of regional exhibitions in the months ahead, others can be seen in their workspaces during open studio weekends and others are regularly showcased in galleries and showrooms. One of the most pleasurable aspects of overseeing Artscope over the years has been following … [Read more...] about WELCOME: FROM BRIAN GOSLOW
Welcome from Brian Goslow
The early months of the year are unpredictable, with the usual cold temperatures and nasty weather typically making it tougher to travel from place to place. On the other hand, it encourages picking a single place or district to settle into for the day and playing closer attention to the exhibitions they visit. It’s also a good time for artists and artisans to settle in to address those projects they’ve put up during the warm weather season. Over the past few months, during the holiday fair season, I’ve contemplated the lasting value of a work created by furniture and jewelry makers, potters, sculptors and fiber artists, especially at a time where communities herald their roles in the maker culture. How does one truly judge which work being created today will find itself part of a museum display centuries from now? Or will that be up to the curators of 2219 to decide? With these … [Read more...] about Welcome from Brian Goslow
Welcome: From Brian Goslow
Earlier this fall, after our national correspondent, Nancy Nesvet posted pictures and video from a rally in Washington, D.C. on our Facebook page, someone asked us, “Are you a political group?” My response was, “Staying alive is a political act.” And art is the way many of us filter life. Rarely is that a more truthful statement than when you have to deal with a loved one facing a health crisis — and you’re the person in charge of arranging their health care. This issue features a story by Meredith Cutler, whose dad was recently diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s disease. If you’ve ever known someone who’s faced this challenge and had to be moved into a private care facility, you’ve probably noticed one of the best possible ways to connect with them is through the visual and performing arts which somehow has the magical ability to trigger old, fond memories in their brains when they … [Read more...] about Welcome: From Brian Goslow
Welcome: From Brian Goslow
While most of our writers get to view the shows and work that they write about in person, our fall issue comes with the challenge of previewing shows that have yet to open. In some instances, the work has yet to be fully selected, while galleries, artists and writers are in the midst of their summer vacations. This, coupled with our short lead time, brings a level of difficulty to our intention of timely and relevant content that is not present in other months’ issues. As our main goal as a magazine has always been to encourage our readers to get out and see the work we write about in person, we ask our writers to do whatever they can to preview an exhibition we’ve identified as worthy of your attention. Sometimes we have to resort to looking at digital images and artist statements, and other times, conduct an interview about work “you just have to see.” At times, it can be hard to … [Read more...] about Welcome: From Brian Goslow