David Reed recently published a piece in Art in America about his encounter with Milton Resnick as a teacher and mentor. I’ve been a long time fan of Resnick’s work but have never taken the time to learn more about his influence on other gifted artists. Reed’s piece has been on my mind for several […]
Aesthetics
Still On His Own Terms (But Not Mine)
I have tried to be rational, objective and evenhanded in thinking about the Clyfford Still Museum that finally opened this week in Denver. But it isn’t easy to stay in that place and here’s why. The problem with Still is that many of us are holding a split deck on him and his work. On […]
The Tuttle Bump
Richard Tuttle, “Village VI, No. I, 10,” 2005. Illustration board, mat board, acrylic, pine, glue, corrugated cardboard, paper, wire, marker, graphite, glue sticks, and nails, 14 x 11 1/2 x 2 1/4 inches. Photo by Cathy Carver. Chris Maybach‘s film, Richard Tuttle: Never Not an Artist, was made in 2005 on behalf of the San […]
Angle of Repose
Wingate Barn, site of the Winter Studio gallery in Wenham View of the gardens from the gallery Last weekend we did the real life installation of the Unchained show that appeared here at the end of the summer. The late fall light was clear and crisp, and visitors to the Winter Studio gallery were a […]
Going for Depth, Not Distortion
Nooma 2, mixed media on wood panel Some people are gifted with an ability to sit with a political or ideological opponent and have a meaningful conversation. I’m not one of those, which is probably true of most of us. We choose to spend most of our time with my like-minded tribespeople. It’s an easier […]
De Koo in Perpetua
Paintings by Colescott on the left and Ramos on the right: Installation view at the new Rose Art Museum One more addendum to two themes from earlier this week—the reopening of the Rose Art Museum (here), and my albeit very personal response (which has become, over the years, increasingly disapproving) to the Woman series on […]
Infinite Riches in a Little Room
De Kooning’s “Weekend at Mr. and Mrs. Krisher,” lithograph, 1970 _______________ More on De Kooning, Part 2 Another issue that emerged from spending the day at the De Kooning exhibit is a theme that I have written about here before: epic vs lyric; working large vs working small; the proclivity to grandiosity in contrast to […]
De Kooningingly Up and Down
Rosy Fingered Dawn at Louise Point, 1963 Pirate, 1981 With so many thoughtful and well written reviews already available of the MOMA’s blockbuster retrospective of De Kooning, it is easy to give myself permission to take a more personal jaunt through the seven decades’ worth of work on display. John Elderfield‘s curatorial mastery is in […]
Up Close and Personal
Looking down from the top balcony onto the Sum of Days installation by Carlito Carvalhosa in the MOMA. It is just too big and sensual to not pay attention and be delighted at some level. I just returned from five days in New York and Philadelphia. This was a working and a viewing trip. Since […]
E) All of the Above
Dewey Square in Boston on October 15 On the topic of art and political activism (discussed in my earlier post here): Susana Viola Jacobson, consummate artist and critic, left the following response to that piece. Her thoughts were too good to not share. Very thoughtful piece. I wrestled with this divide for years and finally […]