The art produced in Philadelphia is not, for some miraculous reason, outside of the problem of the unresolved status of contemporary art. It is, rather, like art produced in so many other places, subject to the larger social-historical problem of art’s function. To begin to reimagine platforms of reception, I believe that constant reflection of the unresolved problem of the social function of contemporary art needs to be made.
Read MoreThis article concerns the restriction of contemporary art discourse to the specificity of Philadelphia in the city’s DIY art scene. It strikes me that the focus on the geo-political and cultural particularity of Philadelphia produces a strange contradiction in how we think about contemporary art in Philadelphia. The contradiction is between the parochial fixation of trying to speak for a Philadelphia contemporary art (distinct from a contemporary art in Philadelphia) and the global status of contemporary art. In what follows I want to develop an understanding of this contradiction by paying particular attention to some interconnected issues such as the notion of contemporaneity, globality and internationalism. I close with a couple of questions, both oriented by the attempt to inquire into the very possibility of a discourse of contemporary art within the context of an explicitly regionalist focus.
Read MoreThe Artblog and The St.Claire are excited to announce the 2016 New Art Writing Challenge – a FREE region wide contest to find the best new approaches in art writing. The goal of this competition is to get more people writing about art and foster a culture of art writing that incorporates a wide spectrum of methods, styles and ideas. The best writing will not only address the art in question, but also progress the conversation into unexpected and underrepresented territories.
Read MoreThe safari began on the fourth floor with a visit to photographer Jeffrey Stockbridge’s gallery and Fine Art Print Shop. Stockbridge discussed several of his projects with the safari, including “Kensington Blues.” This on-going project documents the people of one of Philadelphia’s most impoverished and underserved communities.
Read MoreThe word association round offered the most lively interaction between the audience and panelists, with audience members voting for the best word with loud applause. Some of the words matched the thoughtfulness and effort put into the exhibitions considered, while some fell flat.
Read MoreThank you to our outstanding Board Members, our terrific Advisory Committee, our Generous Supporters and You, Our Readers, who inspire us to keep producing our online art publication and off-line programs. Special thank you to the hard-working, intelligent and insightful Artblog team and a special shout out to our tech guru, who wrought magic with our website in 2015! As 2015 slinks off, Artblog wishes you peace, love and happiness, and lots of art in the new year.
Read MoreThe first Live Review Panel convened by Artblog and The St. Claire (in partnership with The Print Center) assembled smart, articulate panelists, excellent music makers, and an audience of passionate artists and art lovers. What a great night! The panel talk was audio recorded and will be available in the future. Until then, here are my notes from the evening.
Read MoreTwo from Artblog and The St. Claire! We are partnering with The Print Center as part of their 100th birthday celebration. We’re producing two events–an art writing workshop and a Live Review Panel, the debut of a new program in which we convene artists and writers to talk about shows and issues in the community.
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