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
birds
FLIGHTS OF FANCY AT PANOPTICON GALLERY
“Flight of Fancy,” the newest exhibition at Kenmore Square’s Panopticon Gallery, is an ode to the spirit of summer. A group show featuring the works of Claire Rosen, Stephen Sheffield and Kerry Mansfield, each of the artists’ work use color and whimsical imagery to perfectly portray and encapsulate the meaning of the season and in one way or another represent the title of the show. Rosen chose to photograph live exotic birds in front of Victorian wall paper. Right off the bat, one notices her superb use of color. The backgrounds of each photo are not only beautiful in their own right, but they serve the photograph. The colors help bring attention to the bird while creating a whimsical world that only exists in that photograph. The photographer also personifies these birds through the way in which she captured them. When photographing the birds, she did not attempt to pose them or get … [Read more...] about FLIGHTS OF FANCY AT PANOPTICON GALLERY