Anxiety, fear, joy and hope are all possible emotions women experience when anticipating the birth of a child. In the not too distant past, fear of dying was also mingled in mix and is still a possibility. The current “With Child: Otto Dix/Carmen Winant” exhibit at the Worcester Art Museum brings all these joys and fears into focus. Brilliantly researched by guest curator Marcia Lagerwey, the three-part exhibit is a must-see, with the possible exception of children and teens. A bonus exhibit, “Reflections on Pregnancy and Birth,” is alone worth the trip to WAM. Featuring superb paintings, prints and poetry by local artists, the subjects run the gamut from screaming babies to dreamy mothers-to-be floating in the sea under starry skies. All three exhibits are timely, bringing the Dix and Winant works to public attention at precisely the moment when the civic discussion of women’s body … [Read more...] about CELEBRATED AT BIRTH: WORCESTER EXHIBITION EXPLORES THE ART OF MOTHERHOOD
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“Pink Dreams in a Land with No Name. Shahram Karimi & Sara Madandar”
Relating the Sufi story’s words, “her force is in my hands”, Shahram Karimi refers not only to a mother but to his motherland. Her force inspires paintings of the artist from Shiraz, Iran, home to Persian poets Hafez and Saadi and the mystic Ruzbehan. Karimi spoke to me of his paintings filled with music, flowers and village life, in his new show, with the artist, Sara Madandar at Elga Wimmer PCC in New York, September 11-September 24. His paintings in “Pink Dreams: A Land with No Name”, depict veiled women, angels, farmers, horses and clowns, and bright red flowers. His gently moving projections making video paintings draw on his experience as Shirin Neshat’s long-time production designer, envisioning the vibrant colors of her films. Schooled in Stoic philosophy, Karimi paints to change our minds, to see beauty around us. Visions of red and pink flowers slowly unfold a land of … [Read more...] about “Pink Dreams in a Land with No Name. Shahram Karimi & Sara Madandar”