November 8, 2016 by guest writer

Paper Louise Tiny Fishman Rock at the ICA – 2016 New Art Writing Challenge Finalist

Size can create competition in some shows, larger works demanding more attention than small, but these more typical relationships were somehow absent from this show. Holes were drilled into the sides of display armatures, perfectly framing a small Fishman sculpture covered in paint, encouraging the viewer to look. You did not get the sense that you were supposed to spend less time looking at the smaller things.

November 1, 2016 by Evan Paul Laudenslager

Parallel Worlds – Live and Life Will Give You Pictures at the Barnes Foundation

For those who don’t know the photographs but who love the paintings of the era, the exhibition will be a revelation. The call and response between these photos and the paintings nearby is almost audible.

October 27, 2016 by Michael Lieberman

A Walk Through the National Museum of African American History and Culture

It seems to me that NMAAHC has the opportunity, not yet fully realized, to bring to African American artists the attention and recognition they deserve, and to place them squarely in the cosmos of American art, and at the same time to “privilege the black voice.” Indeed, the museum brilliantly has accomplished that in its other Culture Galleries.

October 6, 2016 by Anna Marie Gibertini

Compulsion and Creation – The Keeper at the New Museum

“The Keeper,” the recently closed multi-floor exhibition at New York City’s New Museum, seeks to unravel the mystery of compulsive artistic creation and collection. The show comprises a wide range of media, including sculpture, paintings, illustrations, and photographs. It also includes a smattering of non-art objects, such as clothes, rocks, and found objects. According to an estimate by Artnet, the exhibition showcases over half a million objects by 30 artists and collectors.

October 1, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

A Woman’s Work is Never Done – “Mierle Laderman Ukeles: Maintenance Art” at the Queens Museum

Mierle Laderman Ukeles is a visionary whose work over the past 45 years has enlarged both the form and content of the art of our time. While revered among artists interested in feminism, performance art, social practice, and institutional critique, and a significant influence on two younger generations of artists, many of whom may not recognize her name, her work has not achieved the broad renown it deserves until now.

September 24, 2016 by Andrea Kirsh

Between Text and Textile – Ann Hamilton’s “habitus”

Hamilton always invokes more than one sense with her work; here it is the sight of the swirling fabric, the oddly musical sound of the pulley mechanisms, and the touch of the pulleys–which visitors are encouraged to operate–as well as the physical sense of wind on the body from both the swirling fabric and the river breezes.

September 16, 2016 by Flora Ward

Listening to Dr. Barnes – “Room 21” at the Barnes Foundation

For audience members, the experience of “Room 21” felt like the musical equivalent to taking in the heterogeneous groups of artworks hung on the walls of the museum, creating juxtapositions that resonate in unexpected ways and prompting reflection on the connections and tensions among different cultural and artistic traditions.

September 8, 2016 by Evan Paul Laudenslager

Posts in the Pipeline–what’s next on Artblog?

We’re bringing back a regular round-up of our upcoming posts for you to look forward to! If you’ve got an upcoming exhibition, performance, or event you think would be a good fit for Artblog coverage, feel free to pitch us a story at hello@theartblog.org.