On view now through August 11 at the Concord Center for the Visual Arts, “unfoldingobject” collage is a formidable exhibition, featuring the work of 50 artists, presenting an expansive understanding of what collage art is physically as well as conceptually while also highlighting the meaning of uncollage. Curated by collage artist, writer and intellectual, Todd Bartel, who is also a participating artist, the collection of works on view range from standard cut-and-paste on flat surfaces to three-dimensional forms of collage-layering and three-dimensional assemblage and sculpture, and painting, that takes on collage as a style. “unfoldingobject is a neologism created to describe the quality in a particular work of art that provokes discovery upon each encounter,” Bartel writes in the curator’s statement. “Despite the ceaseless innovation that it provides, collage is often overlooked or … [Read more...] about Unfoldingobject at Concord Center for the Visual Arts
Featured
TASTEFUL CONFRONTATION IN THE NATIONAL OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION AT PROVIDENCE ART CLUB
On view now through July 19, this year’s National Open Juried Exhibition (NOJE) offers a satisfying view of contemporary voices ranging, as expected from Providence Art Club (PAC), from the traditional to the experimental. There is only one problem, which hopefully Michael Rose and this team will correct next year: the NOJE needs examples of new media including digital and video/film and installation within the mixed-media and new technology formats. This year’s presentation is slightly smaller in the number of works, more manageable, and is less aggressive concerning subject matter with overt political and cultural commentary. Unlike last year in which the feeling of political activism was obvious, this year, the works on view offer more subtle and elegant visual remarks about ongoing relevant social and cultural concerns. The work that marks the exhibition with the tone of tasteful … [Read more...] about TASTEFUL CONFRONTATION IN THE NATIONAL OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION AT PROVIDENCE ART CLUB
Wandering in the Crossroads: Qian Wu
“Wandering in the Crossroads,” an exhibition of Qian Wu’s latest works, co-curated by Lan Zhan and Elga Wimmer, opened at Elga Wimmer PCC, New York, on June 19. From the city of Xiamen in Fujian province, China, Wu has been painting since the age of six. His practice stems from academic studies, including an undergraduate major in social and cultural analysis and a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute as well as studio courses. The removal of boundaries of eastern and western iconography, and an integration of traditional Chinese painting with the bold strokes of western abstraction and the combination of different media signify his work. Rather than the marks and architectural patterning of Franz Kline or Hans Hofmann, who Wu cited as influences, these canvases ( mixing concepts and media: oil, acrylic, ink and watercolor) resemble the early … [Read more...] about Wandering in the Crossroads: Qian Wu
BASEL 2019 DAY FOUR: VOLTA AND LISTE
Day four in Basel, Switzerland, took me to the Volta and Liste art fairs. Volta, Basel’s art fair that declares itself the show of “new international positions”, made good on the name. Paying close attention to the precarious predicament of the world’s inhabitants due to climate change and political upheaval, Volta subtly informed and involved those who viewed the work at the fair. Geraldine Swayne’s, oil and acrylic canvas painting, “Queer Altarpiece,” 2019, at CHARLIE SMITH LONDON’s booth was perhaps the most beautiful figurative work on view. Depicting a seated woman, looking off to the side, the figure’s haircut, clothes and mood recalled artists’ work of 1930s Germany, explaining the title. A quiet, thoughtful work, it allowed painting, done in a contemporary way, to elicit empathy for the subject. Valerie Hegarty’s “Five Tulips with Frame Elegy,” 2019, made of wood, wire and … [Read more...] about BASEL 2019 DAY FOUR: VOLTA AND LISTE
Art Against the Weymouth Compressor Station
For a fun family day of art and political activism, join the Fore River Residents Against the Compressor Station (FRRACS), the Braintree Art Association and other environmentally conscious South Shore residents and artists on Sunday, June 23 for their Painting in the Park event at King’s Cove Park in Weymouth, Massachusetts. The event’s purpose is to raise awareness of the environmental and public safety concerns surrounding the proposed frack-gas compressor station planned to be constructed next to the Fore River Bridge. Frack-gas compressor stations are typically constructed in less-populated rural areas due to the high risks associated with these structures. The purpose of a compressor station is to increase the pressure in the pipes to increase the speed of the natural gas in order for it to be able to travel further distances. The goal for this specific compressor station … [Read more...] about Art Against the Weymouth Compressor Station
NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL MURKY WATERS OF COMMERCIALIZING ONE’S ARTWORK
Today’s day and age of commercialism is marked by ethically dubious fast-fashion markets, Ikea furniture, next-day shipping and low prices chosen over quality. Brick-and-mortar galleries struggle to gain business and no one wants to shell out hundreds of dollars on original pieces of art. In this world where cheap, mass-produced goods are the products of choice, where does that leave artists? In the modern technological age, it would make sense that artists have more opportunities than ever to have their work noticed, yet the marketplace has just become that much more ruthless in now-worldwide competition. Print-on-demand (POD) websites are the current popular trend in attempting to make money by commercializing one’s art. An artist can create a profile, upload their works and select the products that they wish their designs to be printed on (t-shirts, cups, calendars, classic … [Read more...] about NAVIGATING THE DIGITAL MURKY WATERS OF COMMERCIALIZING ONE’S ARTWORK