| Serge Zhukov at F.A.N. Gallery |
May 07 2013 |
Serge Zhukov may not be much of an innovator, but his facility with traditional themes is a delight.
Serge Zhukov: “New Paintings and Drawings.” Through June 1, 2013 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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| Oscar Wilde’s ‘Salome’ at Villanova (2nd review) |
April 23 2013 |
Does Oscar Wilde’s Salome still hold up as a drama, without Strauss’s thunderous score? I went into the play not expecting much, frankly, and came away pleasantly surprised.
Salome. By Oscar Wilde. Premiere of a new translation by Joseph Donohue; David Cregan directed. Through April 21, 2013 at Villanova Theatre, Vasey Hall, 800 E. Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, Pa. (610) 519-4500 or www.theatre.villanova.edu.
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| Marcel Proust, poet |
April 16 2013 |
It probably shouldn’t come as a shock that Marcel Proust set his hand to writing verse. His poems about great artists of the past are pleasant but unremarkable— no better or worse than those of his Symbolist contemporaries.
Marcel Proust: The Collected Poems. Introduction and notes by Harold Augenbraum (various translators). Penguin, 2013. 352 pages, $25. www.us.penguingroup.coml.
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| Barnes and Reisman at Gross McCleaf |
April 09 2013 |
Victoria Barnes’s works are small, playful oils that could illustrate a book of fables. Celia Reisman’s world exists in that perpetual state of suspended animation between dreams and waking.
Victoria Barnes: “Half Way Up.” Celia Reisman: “A Certain Slant.” Through April 27, 2013 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Tracy Stuckey's West at Schmidt/Dean Gallery |
March 11 2013 |
Tracy Stuckey’s West is a peculiar place, where women are always centerfold-beautiful and usually wear tiny bikinis. They can do without cowboy boots and six-shooters— or even cowboys, come to think of it.
Tracy Stuckey: “Pecos Bill and Other Tall Tales.” Through March 30, 2013 at Schmidt/Dean Gallery, 1719 Chestnut St., fourth floor. (215) 569-9433 or www.Schmidtdean.com.
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| ‘New Faces’ at Artists’ House |
March 08 2013 |
Artists’ House presents another group show offering something for every taste.
“New Faces of 2013.” Through March 31, 2013 at Artists’ House Gallery, 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| Alsbrooks and Mirkil: 'Kinship' at Painted Bride |
March 04 2013 |
Talk about polar opposites! Helen Mirkil does large oil paintings in an emotionally charged Expressionist style; Kim Alsbrooks does exquisitely rendered miniature portraits on flattened soda cans and drink cartons.
Kim Alsbrooks and Helen Mirkil: “Portraying Kinship @ The Bride.” Through March 17, 2013 at Painted Bride Art Center, 230 Vine St. (215) 925-9914 or www.paintedbride.org.
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| Piety and wealth at the Art Museum (1st review) |
February 16 2013 |
This display of Spanish and Portuguese colonial art attests to the rivers of artistic wealth that once flowed from these colonies to their mother countries. Here the emphasis leans heavily toward the spiritual.
“Journey to New Worlds: Spanish and Portuguese Colonial Art from the Roberta and Richard Huber Collection.” Through May 19, 2013 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Paquette and Edgerton at Gross McCleaf |
February 05 2013 |
This is one of those interesting shows: two artists with little in common— a landscape painter and a portrait painter—sharing the same exhibit space.
Thomas Paquette: “Souvenir.” Perky Edgerton: “Short Stories.” Through February 23, 2013 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| A trio of new poetry translations |
December 29 2012 |
The great novelist Vladimir Nabokov was a poet too, as his latest collection reminds us. Two other late European poets, also blessed with recent translations, may be worth even more of your attention.
The Cloak of Dreams: Chinese Fairy Tales. By Bela Balazs; Jack Zipes, translator. Princeton University Press, 2010. 192 pages; $24.95. books.google.com.
Selected Poems. By Cyprian Norwid; Danuta Borchardt, translator. Archipelago Books, 2011. 101 pages; $16. books.google.com.
Selected Poems. By Vladimir Nabokov; Dmitri Nabokov, translator, Alfred A. Knopf, 2012. $30. www.amazon.com.
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| Verlaine and Trakl, complete at last |
December 22 2012 |
Here is a pair of worthy possibilities for the poetry-lover in your life: A complete work by Verlaine and a first-time ever translation of Trakl's early poems and dramatic works into English.
Poems Under Saturn. By Paul Verlaine; translated by Karl Kirchway. Lockert Library of Poetry in Translation, Princeton University Press, 2011. 176 pages; $15.95. press.princeton.edu.
The Last Gold of Expired Stars: Complete Poems 1908-1914. By Georg Trakl; translated by Jim Doss & Werner Schmitt. Loch Raven Press, 2010. 530 pages; $18.95. www.amazon.com.
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| William Trost Richards at Pennsylvania Academy (2nd review) |
December 18 2012 |
Imagine trying to create a detailed watercolor landscape the size of a postcard. William Trost Richards painted conventional large works too, but above all he demonstrated that good things come in small packages.
“A Mine of Beauty: Landscapes by William Trost Richards.” Through December 30, 2012 at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Landmark Building, 118 N. Broad St. (at Cherry). (215) 972-7600 or www.pafa.org.
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| Allen Hart’s ‘Bestiary’ at Dalet Art Gallery |
December 11 2012 |
You can’t look at Allen Hart’s fierce depiction of an owl about to pounce and not recognize his emotional link to the subject. Hart is that owl.
Allen M. Hart’s “Bestiary.” Through January 19, 2013 at Dalet Art Gallery, 141 N. Second St. (215) 923-2424 or www.daletart.com.
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| Two French Symbolists in new translation |
December 10 2012 |
Hats off to translator Brian Stableford and Black Coat Press for presenting American readers with a world of new 19th-Century French fiction not seen here since the 1920s.
A Surfeit of Mirrors. By Henri de Régnier; translated by Brian Stableford. Black Coat Press, 2012. 380 pages; $24.95; Kindle edition, $5.99. www.amazon.com.
The Tale of Gold and Silence (1898). By Gustave Kahn; translated by Brian Stableford. Hollywood Comics, 2011. 268 pages; $20.95; Kindle edition $5.99. www.amazon.com.
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| Orchestra plays ‘Alexander Nevsky’ (1st review) |
November 17 2012 |
I’ve always loved Prokofiev’s Alexander Nevsky cantata, drawn from Sergei Eisenstein’s 1938 film after the fact. But hearing the music performed with this lugubrious film reminded me that propaganda rarely succeeds as drama.
Philadelphia Orchestra: Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky. Film directed by Sergei Eisenstein; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; Stéphane Denève, conductor; Philadelphia Singers Chorale, David Hayes, music director. November 15-17, 2012 at Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce Sts. (215) 893-1999 or www.philorch.org.
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| Tezh Modarressi at F.A.N. Gallery |
November 13 2012 |
Tezh Modarressi endows ordinary houses and pickup trucks with a certain sad grandeur.
“Now You See It: New Paintings by Tezh Modarressi.” Through November 30, 2012 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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| Professors and students at Artists’ House |
November 13 2012 |
Here’s an interesting concept: Nine faculty members at the Pennsylvania Academy each select three of their students to be exhibited. With such a talented group of teachers, their students need to be good to hold their own.
“Honoring the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.” Through December 2, 2012 at Artists’ House, 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| D’Annunzio’s ‘Notturno,’ rediscovered |
November 08 2012 |
Yale University Press and Margellos World Republic of Letters Books have rescued yet another forgotten reputation. Gabriele D’Annunzio’s Notturno, painstakingly written as he recovered from war wounds, is neither novel nor non-fiction memoir; instead, it’s a prose poem.
Notturno (1921). By Gabriele D’Annunzio. Yale University Press edition, 2012. 344 pages, $28. www.amazon.com.
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| Shipwrecks and Homer at the Art Museum (1st review) |
September 21 2012 |
The Art Museum’s “Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and ‘The Life Line’ ” is both an art show and a cultural history lesson that examines 19th-Century America’s fascination with maritime disasters when most long-distance travel was by sea, with all of its attendant perils.
“Shipwreck! Winslow Homer and The Life Line.” Through December 31, 2012 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Perelman Building, Exhibition Gallery, Benj. Franklin Pkwy at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Kurt Moyer’s ‘Bathers and Landscapes’ at Gross McCleaf |
September 08 2012 |
Kurt Moyer’s work is easy on the eyes and soothing to the nerves— which, lest we forget, is an important purpose of art.
Kurt Moyer: “Bathers and Landscapes.” Through September 30, 2012 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Robert Heilman’s shadowy nocturnes at F.A.N. |
September 08 2012 |
Robert Heilman’s landscapes and cityscapes manage to convey drama regardless of their size, and without human figures.
Robert Heilman: “Recent Paintings.” Through September 29, 2012 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215\) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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| ‘Visions of Arcadia’ at the Art Museum (1st review) |
June 18 2012 |
Arcadia calls to mind pastoral visions of shepherds playing their pipes while their sheep graze peacefully in the pastures. The Art Museum’s “Visions of Arcadia” shows how this vision persisted among artists long after everyone else stopped taking it seriously.
“Visions of Arcadia: Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse”: Through September 3, 2012 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benj. Franklin Pkwy. & 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Three noir novels by Manchette |
May 08 2012 |
In Jean-Patrick Manchette’s short, jazzy, ultra-violent thrillers, chaos reigns and moral codes count for very little.
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| Carlo Russo at F.A.N. Gallery |
May 08 2012 |
Most of Carlo Russo’s current show consists of still life painting, but it's a certain type of still life in which the precision of the rending is shot through with visual poetry.
Carlo Russo: "Recent Paintings." Though May 26, 2012 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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| Group show at Artists’ House |
May 08 2012 |
This month Artists’ House offers a group of small exhibits with something for every taste.
Group Show. Though May 27, 2012 at Artists’ House Gallery, 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| Education and ‘The Wild Bunch’ |
March 20 2012 |
What motivates kids to learn? Sam Peckinpah’s violent 1969 Western is as good a place as any to seek the answer.
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| ‘Beyond Ordinary Still Life’ at Artists’ House |
March 13 2012 |
The current witty and occasionally dazzling show at Artists’ House attempts to restore the still life genre to its former glory: as a type of philosophical painting offering allegories of the transitory nature of life and the brevity of perfection.
"Beyond the Ordinary Still Life." Through April 1, 2012 at Artists' House Gallery, 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| Henry O. Tanner at Pennsylvania Academy (2nd review) |
February 21 2012 |
Henry Ossawa Tanner’s work takes us back to a time when Art was expected to be readily accessible to the public and not a puzzle to be solved.
“Henry Ossawa Tanner: Modern Spirit.” Through April 15, 2012 at Hamilton Hall, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 128 N. Broad St. (at Cherry). (215) 972-7625 or www.pafa.org.
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| 'Van Gogh Up Close’ at the Art Museum (1st review) |
January 28 2012 |
Though he probably never heard of Zen, “Van Gogh Up Close” reveals the Dutch master as a very Zen artist. He’s as interested in grass growing in a field as he is in a starry night sky, the face of an aged peasant or a pair of old boots.
“Van Gogh Up Close. ” Through May 6, 2012 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben. Franklin Parkway and 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘The Romantic Impulse’ at Gross McCleaf |
January 17 2012 |
What does it mean to be a Romantic in 2012? Forget nymphs and poets. It’s more a matter of taking a Romantic approach to everyday subjects.
"The Romantic Impulse: Currents in Contemporary Art, Part I." Through January 28, 2012 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| ‘Washington’s Crossing’ as it really was |
December 31 2011 |
A Long Island artist has created a new, more accurate rendition of Washington crossing the Delaware. Surprise: It lacks the emotional punch to the iconic 19th-Century original. Can Americans bear to confront truth in art?
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| Kevin Muente and Phyllis Purves-Smith landscapes at Gross McCleaf |
December 13 2011 |
Phyllis Purves-Smith is one artist who doesn't need faces; she can wring emotion from the very stones themselves. Kevin Muente adds a haunting dimension to his D-Day landscapes.
Kevin Muente, "Traces." Phyllis Purves-Smith, "Being There: Connections with Nature." Through December 30, 2011 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Scot Borofsky at Jules Goldman Books |
December 05 2011 |
Scot Borofsky’s work varies from totally abstract imagery to abstract-with-traces-of-figurative motifs, always with nervous energy
Scot Borofsky: "Work Since the Fall of the East Village." Through January 5, 2012 at Jules Goldman Books and Antiques, 29 N. Second St. (215) 923-2203 or www.julesgoldmanbooks.com.
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| Lesa Chittenden Lim at F.A.N. |
November 15 2011 |
Give Lesa Chittenden Lim two trees and a moon and she'll create an image to haunt your dreams.
Lesa Chittenden Lim, "Recent Paintings." Through November 26, 2011 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.thefangallery.com.
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| Hamlin and Armstrong at Gross McCleaf |
November 15 2011 |
In a new show, Louie E. Hamlin and Martha Armstrong offer divergent approaches to landscape painting.
Louise E. Hamlin, "By the Mascoma: Recent Pastel Paintings." Martha Armstrong, "Landscapes." Through November 23, 2011 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th Street. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Five centuries of caricatures at the Met in New York |
November 15 2011 |
When we bemoan the loss of civility in our current political discourse, along comes a show like "Infinite Jest" to remind us that French cartoonists used to portray their King as a giant pear.
"Infinite Jest: Caricature and Satire from Leonardo to Levine." Through March 4, 2012 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue (at 82nd St.), New York. (212) 535-7710 or www.metmuseum.org.
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| Larry Fink’s ‘Vanities’ at Schmidt-Dean |
November 01 2011 |
Larry Fink’s latest exhibition is like an extended browse through the "Parties" pages of Vanity Fair. The show probably holds more interest for movie fans who want to see some of their favorite stars with their guards down.
Larry Fink, "Vanities." Through November 26, 2011 at Schmidt/Dean Gallery, 719 Chestnut St., 4th floor. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Ruth Bernard and David Brewster at Gross McCleaf |
October 11 2011 |
Ruth Bernard’s houses and trees tug at the canvas as if desperate to escape. David Brewster’s visual fantasies aspire to the state of music.
Ruth Bernard, "Landscapes"; David Brewster, "Celebrating 20 Years: 1991-2011." Through October 29, 2011 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Nine artists at Rosenfeld Gallery and Artists’ House |
September 30 2011 |
Georganna Lenssen’s portraits leap at you with an almost Expressionist panache. Anne Marble Caramanico’s monotypes reflect a sort of primitive grandeur. Artists’ House Gallery’s seven-person show offers something for everyone.
Anna Marble Caramanico, “Monotypes,” and Georganna Lenssen, “Recent Oils.” Through October 2, 2011 at Rosenfeld Gallery, 113 Arch St. (215) 922-1376 or www.therosenfeldgallery.com.
Group show. Through October 2, 2011 at Artists’ House Gallery, 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| Guna Mundheim’s watercolors at Gross McCleaf |
September 13 2011 |
Unlike most floral watercolors, Guna Mundheim’s works are never visually boring. A closer examination reveals that even more is going on here than a cursory glance might have revealed.
"Times & Places: Watercolors" by Guna S. Mundheim. Through September 30, 2011 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| ‘Rembrandt and Jesus’ at the Art Museum (1st review) |
July 30 2011 |
Was Rembrandt a rebel genius or a model of excess? You might find the answer in his paintings of Jesus. Like his subject, the great Dutch artist was simultaneously dated and timeless, defying easy categorization.
“Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus.” Through October 30, 2011 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and Benj. Franklin Parkway. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Information packaging, Victorian style |
July 10 2011 |
How did anyone live before Google? In Victorian times, books like Goodykoontz’s Manual and Collier's Encyclopedia told people everything they needed to know. They made useful doorstoppers, too.
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| ‘Ecstatic Landscape’ at the Gershman Y |
May 24 2011 |
Charles Burchfield believed in the call of nature; in this show, three very different artists respond to Burchfield's vision in ways that the master might not have imagined.
"Ecstatic Landscape": Works by Susan Pasquerelli, Peter Kinney and Helen Mirkil. Through August 14, 2011 at Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. (at Pine). (215) 545-4400 or www.gershmany.org.
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| Tezh Modarressi’s ‘Hard Times’ at F.A.N. Gallery |
May 14 2011 |
Tezh Modarressi turns what could be a downbeat exhibition of old cars and trucks, less-than-thriving rural settings and run-down urban areas into a symphony of pleasant melancholy.
“Hard Times: New Paintings By Tezh Modarressi. Through May 28, 2011 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Old movie lobby cards at the Free Library |
April 30 2011 |
The Free Library’s vastly entertaining exhibit of old movie theatre lobby posters remind us anew just how varied and creative a place Hollywood’s oft-maligned studio system really was.
"Foyer Entertainment: Movie Lobby Cards from the 1930s-1960s." Through June 17, 2011 at Rare Book Department, Free Library of Philadelphia, Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine St. (215) 686-5416 or libwww.freelibrary.org.
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| ‘Health for Sale’ at the Art Museum |
April 04 2011 |
William Helfand has been collecting medical posters for decades, and he has a fine eye for the beautiful and/or arresting image. Some score political points, but others are really magnificent works of art.
“Health for Sale: Posters from the William H. Helfand Collection.” Through July 31, 2011 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Parkway and 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘Of Elephants and Roses’ at the Philosophical Society (1st review) |
March 28 2011 |
A new show at the American Philosophical Society recalls a pre-Google time in the France of Napoleon and the Bourbons when folks traveled miles to see or paint an elephant, a giraffe or an Australian black swan.
"Of Elephants and Roses." Through December 31, 2011 at Museum of the American Philosophical Society, 104 S. Fifth Street. (215) 440-3440 or www.apsmuseum.org.
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| Charles Newman at F.A.N. Gallery |
March 05 2011 |
Charles Newman is a 21st-Century heir to the Impressionists: In place of sharp detail, he offers gentle atmospheric effects.
Charles Newman: “Recent Paintings.” Through March 26, 2011 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Chagall’s Paris at the Art Museum |
March 01 2011 |
Chagall’s art is certainly wondrous. It can be joyously wondrous or wondrously sad. For the young artist from Eastern Europe, the effect of Paris at the dawn of modern art must have been nothing short of intoxicating.
“Paris Through the Window: Marc Chagall and His Circle.” Through July 10, 2011 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. and 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| The poetic return of Theophile Gautier |
February 14 2011 |
The best reason to welcome Theophile Gautier's return is that he's so damned entertaining as a poet. When times get hard, we need a little gentle enchantment in our lives.
Theophile Gautier: Selected Lyrics. Translated by Norman R. Shapiro. Yale University Press/Margellos Republic of Letters. 526 pages, $35. yalepress.yale.edu/book.
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| Young Kang’s Pottery at Lansdale’s Water Gallery |
December 14 2010 |
The potter Young Kang doesn't just "do pottery"; everything seems to have its reason.
Young Kang: "Timeless Vessels." Through December 26, 2010 at Water Gallery, Dresher Arcade #5, 319 Main St., Lansdale, Pa. (215) 393-7180 or www.watergallerylansdale.com.
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| Spanish drawings at the Frick in New York (1st review) |
December 07 2010 |
Color and shadows allow fakery, but a drawing is unforgiving. This perception was confirmed for me anew by the Frick’s current exhibition of drawings by the Spanish masters, especially Goya.
"The Spanish Manner: Drawings from Ribera to Goya." Through January 9, 2011, at The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street, New York. (212) 288-0700 or www.frick.org.
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| Barnes and Martenson at Gross McCleaf |
November 16 2010 |
Victoria Barnes spices up her still life paintings by turning them into whimsical assemblages. Douglas Martenson, by contrast, is strictly Old School.
Victoria Barnes: "Curious Incidents." Douglas Martenson: "Places, Light and Observation." Through November 30, 2010 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Six artists at Artists’ House Gallery |
November 16 2010 |
In what’s not so much a group show as six small exhibitions under one roof, Artists' House offers something for everyone, with figurative works on both canvas and paper, still lifes, landscapes and interiors.
Artists' House Gallery: Works by David Palumbo, Katherine Fraser, Brian Burt, Dori Spector, Ed Bronstein and Stephen Takats. Through November 28, 2010 at 57 N. Second St. (215) 923-8440 or www.artistshouse.com.
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| Lesa C. Lim at F.A.N. Gallery |
November 12 2010 |
Lesa Chittenden Lim deals in a sort of visual perfume. It’s a very subtle fragrance— a harmony of colors, the lightning strike of a line across the paper’s surface.
Lesa Chittenden Lim: Recent Paintings. Through November 27, 2010 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Pistoletto: ’60s survivor at the Art Museum (1st review) |
October 30 2010 |
Michelangelo Pistoletto’s work is a sort of time capsule of the ’60s in the Italian arts. Like that tumultuous period, he’s a man for whom art is a raging fever. He is totally involved in it, and he wants to involve other people in it.
“Michelangelo Pistoletto, From One to Many, 1956-1974.” Through January 16, 2011 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Parkway & 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Keith Crowley paintings at Bridgette Mayer Gallery |
October 12 2010 |
Keith Crowley’s landscape images convey the instantaneous feel of snapshots taken on the fly.
“Basin”: Paintings by Keith Crowley. Through October 30, 2010 at Bridgette Mayer Gallery, 709 Walnut St. (215) 413-8893 or www.bridgettemayergallery.com.
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| Sadloch and Hannah at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
October 05 2010 |
Csilla Sadloch’s sure hand confers an aura of timelessness on life’s ephemeral moments. Mixed media artist Hannah Hannah creates visual effects that contrast luxury and privation.
Csilla Sadloch, “New Paintings,” and Hanna Hannah, “New Paintings.” Through October 23, 2010 at Schmidt/Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Charles Burchfield at the Whitney in New York (1st review) |
September 21 2010 |
Can a man be born again? Charles Burchfield knew that he couldn’t, so he found a way, both artless and ingenious, to recover the vital spark of his youthful revelations.
“Heat Waves in a Swamp: Painting of Charles Burchfield.” Through October 17, 2010 at Whiney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave. (at 75th St.), New York. (212) 570-3600 or www.whitney.org.
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| Carlo Russo’s paintings at F.A.N. Gallery |
September 04 2010 |
In the great 19th-Century tradition, Carlo Russo’s works are splendidly theatrical, always hinting at greater mysteries lurking beneath the surfaces that Russo so loves.
“Carlo Russo: Recent Paintings. ” Through September 25, 2010 at F.A.N. Gallery 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Why the 'U.S.S. Olympia' matters |
August 16 2010 |
I was shocked to learn that scuttling may be the fate of the cruiser Olympia, Admiral Dewey’s flagship at the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. It’s the world’s oldest steel warship afloat. It’s also the sole surviving example of a turning point in America’s life as a nation.
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| Charles Burchfield at the Whitney in New York (preview) |
July 13 2010 |
For Charles Burchfield, it's not enough to paint a moonlit forest; he wants you to hear the stray birdcalls and feel the whirring of the cicadas on your skin.
“Heat Waves in a Swamp: Painting of Charles Burchfield.” Through October 17, 2010 at Whiney Museum of American Art, 945 Madison Ave. (at 75th St.), New York. (212) 570-3600 or whitney.org/Exhibitions/CharlesBurchfield.
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| 'Late Renoir' at the Art Museum (2nd review) |
July 13 2010 |
The Art Museum’s "Late Renoir" show teaches us two things: All revolutions tend to run out of steam; and after great disasters, people tend to fall back on mental comfort food.
“Late Renoir”: Through September 6, 2010 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and Benj. Franklin Pkwy. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Kate Kern Mundie’s recent paintings, at F.A.N. |
June 12 2010 |
Kate Kern Mundie’s style hearkens back to the work of the “Ashcan School” of early 20th Century artists.
Kate Kern Mundie: “Recent Paintings.” Through July 24, 2010 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Stuckey and Cope at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
May 15 2010 |
Tracy Stuckey offers a fantasy image of the New West, where the girls are curvier, the bikinis are briefer and the guns are bigger and shinier. Steve Cope paints gorgeous landscapes with a gimmick added.
Tracy Stuckey: New Work. Through May 29, 2010 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.Schmidtdean.com.
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| Ahlsted and Bernard at Gross McCleaf |
May 04 2010 |
David Ahlsted's work invites you to indulge in dreamy reveries; Ruth Bernard's work meets you head on and says, "Let's talk."
David Ahlsted, "The Shore, the River, the Barrens and Home," and Ruth Bernard "In and Out." Through May 19, 2010 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Soviet posters at Arthur Ross Gallery |
April 20 2010 |
Soviet propaganda may have been heavy-handed under Stalin, but under Khrushchev it lightened up, even mocking Soviet science and industry.
“Laughing Matters: Soviet Propaganda in Khrushchev's Thaw, 1956-1964.” Through June 27, 2010 at Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 South 34th St. (215) 898-2083 or www.upenn.edu/ARG.
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| Randy Bolton’s new prints at Schmidt Dean |
March 23 2010 |
Unlike Picasso, Randy Bolton’s art openly invites engagement. It wants to debate you— or perhaps, to bait you.
Randy Bolton, “New Prints.” Through April 24, 2010 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| The vanishing art postcard |
February 23 2010 |
These days fewer art museums are offering postcard reproductions of artworks. Whatever the short-term economic reason, society— and the museums themselves— will suffer in the long run.
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| ‘Picasso and the Paris Avant-Garde’ at the Art Museum (1st review) |
February 19 2010 |
Picasso and his friends had one hell of an idea: to explode the image in analytic manner. But eventually, this show reveals, they had to pick up the pieces.
“Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris.” Through May 2, 2010 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Fritz Lang’s ‘Metropolis,’ restored |
February 13 2010 |
Fritz Lang’s futuristic 1927 silent masterpiece, Metropolis, isn’t for everyone. But the recent discovery of a missing hour’s worth of footage will help untangle some of the film’s conundrums.
Metropolis. A silent film directed by Fritz Lang (1927). www.imdb.com/title/tt0017136.
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| Eileen Goodman/Scott Noel at Gross McCleaf |
January 19 2010 |
On the surface, Eileen Goodman’s flowers and fruits have little in common with Scott Noel’s nudes. Yet both artists unabashedly celebrate the sensuous.
Eileen Goodman: "New Works"; Scott Noel: "New Pastels." Through January 27, 2010 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16th St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| David Thomson’s ‘Moment of Psycho’ |
December 04 2009 |
Through its first half, David Thomson’s incisive study of Psycho reads almost like a novel. Then Thomson confesses that he’s not all that fond of Alfred Hitchcock’s horror classic, and he contends that Hitchcock himself lost interest about halfway through the film.
The Moment of Psycho: How Alfred Hitchcock Taught America to Love Murder. By David Thomson. Basic Books, 181 pages, $22.95. search.barnesandnoble.com.
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| Treacy Ziegler’s ‘Before An Ocean’ at F.A.N. |
November 14 2009 |
In this large new exhibit, my old favorite Treacy Ziegler seems to be moving from stark rural settings into the surreal world of dreams.
“Treacy Ziegler: Before an Ocean.” Through November 28, 2009 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| ‘Kandinsky’ at the Guggenheim in N.Y. (1st review) |
October 27 2009 |
Wassily Kandinsky’s art is not so much abstract as it is other-directed. It’s about capturing the music of the soul. But when you’re looking at hundreds of his works, sensory overload sets in.
“Kandinsky.” Through January 13, 2009 at Guggenheim Museum, 1071 Fifth Ave. (at 89th Street), New York. (212) 423-3500 or www.guggenheim.org/new-york.
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| Gorky retrospective at Art Museum (1st review) |
October 19 2009 |
Arshile Gorky was a resolutely modern artist whose personal approach made every piece an adventure. He missed the mark with me, but he may well hit a home run for you.
Arshile Gorky: A Retrospective. Through January 10, 2010 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Mystic Seaport: Is recreated history authentic? |
October 13 2009 |
The once decaying maritime and mill town of Mystic, Connecticut has reinvented itself as a tourist attraction: a thriving 1850s seaport chock-full of jolly shanty men and widows of clipper ship captains. Like Independence National Historic Park in Philadelphia, Mystic Seaport is best described as a “sweet cheat of history.”
Mystic Seaport. Mystic, Connecticut. (860) 572.5315 or www.mysticseaport.org.
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| James Ensor at Museum of Modern Art (1st review) |
September 14 2009 |
When you see the great Symbolist artist James Ensor “in bulk” at MoMA, you see him in full for the first time— which is to recognize that he represents Symbolism’s angry side.
“James Ensor.” Through September 21, 2009 at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 West 53rd St., New York. (212) 708-9400 or
www.moma.org.
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| Hagen and Newberry at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
September 14 2009 |
In two engagingly idiosyncratic shows, Susan Hagen offers teenage figurines while Tina Newberry inserts herself into America’s colonial past.
Susan Hagen: “Teenager Project”; and Tina Newberry: “New Paintings.” Through October 17, 2009 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Carlo Russo still lifes at F.A.N. Gallery |
September 06 2009 |
Carlo Russo’s still life paintings exude a cool elegance that’s well worth experiencing. He gets more mileage out of simple objects than any painter I’ve seen.
“Carlo Russo: Recent Paintings.” Through September 26, 2009 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Sweeney and Martenson at Gross McCleaf |
September 01 2009 |
Two new shows at Gross McCleaf Gallery demonstrate the ways in which a particular locality— in this case, Maine and Philadelphia— can inspire artists.
“Paintings of Maine” by Douglas Martenson, and “New Pastels,” by Joseph Sweeney. Through September 16, 2009 at Gross McCleaf Gallery,127 South 16th Street. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| A few kind words for 'genre' films |
July 25 2009 |
Like Rodney Dangerfield, genre films— Westerns, say, or crime films, horror films, musicals or screwball comedies— get no respect from critics. Yet the various genres of poplar film constitute a nation’s great family tree book of national fables.
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| ‘Skyscrapers’ at the Art Museum |
June 25 2009 |
Are skyscrapers “documents of progress,” as the Art Museum’s new show suggests? That notion short-changes the almost religious awe in which these modern ziggurats were held not very long ago.
“Skyscrapers: Prints, Drawings and Photographs of the Early Twentieth Century.” Through November 1, 2009 at Berman Gallery, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Parkway and 25th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘Spectacle’ at the Art Museum |
June 25 2009 |
“Spectacle” is all about looking—but who is photographing the photographers?
“Spectacle: Photographs from the Collection.” Through September 7, 2009 at Stieglitz Gallery, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Parkway and 25th St.. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Charles Newman oils at F.A.N. Gallery |
May 16 2009 |
Not every artist can view the world through Edvard Munch’s eyes, or Picasso’s. Charles Newman’s oils present an unadorned image of what the artist sees.
“Charles Newman: Recent Paintings.” Through May 30, 2009 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215)922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Gregory Prestegord's Philadelphia paintings at F.A.N. Gallery |
April 07 2009 |
Gregory Prestegord’s Philadelphia is a town where the vacant lots outnumber the factories. Is he a despairing artist, or an artist who celebrates a despairing city?
Gregory Prestegord: “Recent Paintings.” Through April 25, 2009 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Martha Armstrong at Gross McCleaf |
March 07 2009 |
Martha Armstrong’s new exhibition at Gross McCleaf shows where she has been and where she is going— namely, from Expressionism to abstraction and back again. Her journey offers a nice emotional contrast to the drier, more intellectual vision of Cézanne.
“Martha Armstrong: Up to Now.” Through March 14, 2009 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16 St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| ‘Cézanne and Beyond,' at the Art Museum (1st review) |
February 20 2009 |
"Cézanne and Beyond” lets you in on a little secret—Impressionism’s Lonely Man had his admirers. Based on the evidence at the Art Museum, the pre-eminent Impressionist painter apparently inspired many of them to outshine the master himself.
“Cézanne and Beyond.” Through May 31, 2009 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘Grand Scale: Dürer and Titian’ at the Art Museum |
January 31 2009 |
These works of Dürer and Titian take viewers to a level of existence that they could never hope to experience on their own. This was art that was meant to evoke awe, pity and terror in the eye of the beholder. It was not Muzak Art.
“Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian.” Through April 26, 2009 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| John Winship paintings at F.A.N. Gallery |
December 16 2008 |
John Winship redoes the photograph, adding a touch of mystery to the enigma. You enjoy this show in proportion to your feeling about nostalgia.
John Winship: Recent Paintings. Through December 27, 2008 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Félix Fénéon Teaches You How To Write |
December 14 2008 |
The art critic and anarchist Félix Fénéon was above all a man who understood that brevity is the soul of wit. His collection of three-line novels, circa 1906, is an exercise in style that belongs on every bookshelf.
Novels in Three Lines. By Félix Fénéon; translated by Luc Sante. New York Review Books, 2007. 208 pages; $14. www.amazon.com
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| Naomi Chung at Gross McCleaf Gallery |
November 04 2008 |
Naomi Chung is an artist of considerable ability who breathes new life into the tired formulae of Impressionist landscape art.
Naomi Chung: New Works. Through November 26, 2008 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16 St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Kate Javens at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
October 28 2008 |
The ancient Assyrians’ bull- and lion-headed sculptures were figures of mythic power. Kate Javens does much the same thing, but her creations are at rest, threatening no one.
“Father Ram and the Green Darner,” new paintings by Kate Javens. Through December 5, 2008 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| James Castle retrospective at Art Museum |
October 19 2008 |
Born profoundly deaf, James Castle reached out with his eyes and trained his hands to reproduce what they saw. What he achieved with any scraps he could find represents a triumph as moving as Helen Keller’s.
“James Castle: A Retrospective.” Through January 4, 2009 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th St. and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org/exhibitions/328.html.
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| Joan Becker and others at Gross McCleaf |
October 07 2008 |
Joan Becker’s eight large images of people, mostly couples, have a certain timeless quality. Like those couples sculpted on Etruscan sarcophagi lids, these are “in repose,” even when tapping away on their laptops.
"Nature/Human”: Works by Joan Becker and others. Through October 27, 2008 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16 St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Thomas Chambers paintings at Art Museum |
September 27 2008 |
Thomas Chambers was an itinerant artist who traveled Jacksonian America’s back roads, offering his works for sale in second-rank cities and prosperous towns. Yet his images corkscrew their way into your brain and remain there.
“Thomas Chambers, American Marine and Landscape Painter.” Through December 28, 2008, at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or http://www.philamuseum.org .
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| André Breton’s ‘Martinique’ |
September 02 2008 |
Humphrey Bogart may have outwitted the Nazis on screen, but the real world of the Caribbean, circa 1941, was more depressing. André Breton’s slim volume is an intriguing memento of a hectic stopover in the tropics.
Martinique: Snake Charmer. By André Breton; translated from the French by David Seaman. University of Texas Press. 96 pages; $19.95. w
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| The Harmony Society, revisited |
September 02 2008 |
Alchemy was supposedly consigned to the dustbin by the Age of Enlightenment. But a group of prosperous 19th-Century Pennsylvania Pietists revived it— not for wealth, but for eternal life. Too bad they were undone by a female lab assistant.
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| Liberal arts, Balkanized |
August 12 2008 |
Tenney L. Davis was a noted chemist who took pleasure in attending lectures on non-scientific subjects like aesthetics. Today he’s forgotten, which says something about how far along the road of compartmentalizing knowledge we have traveled.
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| Mayakovsky and the Russian soul |
August 12 2008 |
At a time when Russia is beating up on the Republic of Georgia, it helps to know that Vladimir Mayakovsky, the brawling boisterous laureate of Russian Futurism, is as Russian as Pushkin.
Night Wraps the Sky. By Vladimir Mayakovsky; translated and edited by Michael Almereyda. Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2008. 304 pages, $27.00. www.amazon.com
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| Red Grooms in Yonkers |
June 08 2008 |
Red Grooms approaches art with the pure creative joy a four-year-old feels playing with Lego blocks.
“Red Grooms: In The Studio.” Feb. 9-May 25, 2008 at Hudson River Museum, 511 Warburton Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. (914) 463-4550 or www.hrm.org.
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| ‘Fashioning Kimono’ at Art Museum |
April 29 2008 |
The last generation of Japanese to wear the kimono as an everyday garment sent the custom out with a bang, and with surprising Western influences as well.
“Fashioning Kimono: Art Deco and Modernism in Japan.” Through July 20, 2008 at Perelman Building, Joan Spain Gallery, Philadelphia Museum of Art. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Gregory Prestegord at F.A.N. Gallery |
April 11 2008 |
Gregory Prestegord’s city scenes get right down to business. He doesn’t do the sort of work that you have to stare at and stare at, trying to decipher its message.
“Recent Paintings” by Gregory Prestegord. Through April 26, 2008 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or wwwfanartgallery.com.
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| 'Cecilia Beaux' at Pennsylvania Academy |
March 08 2008 |
Cecilia Beaux was a society painter in a buttoned-up society. These vanished men and women stare out at us with all the seriousness of Roman funerary portraits. But Beaux, or at least her patrons, seems to have recognized the value of understatement.
“Cecilia Beaux: American Figure Painter.” Through April 13, 2008 at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Hamilton Building, 118-128 N. Broad St. (215) 972-7600 or www.pafa.org.
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| Juan Soriano at Art Museum (1st review) |
February 19 2008 |
As the subject of the bottom-half of an all-Mexican double feature at the Art Museum, the theatrical Juan Soriano more than holds his own against the majestic Frida Kahlo.
“Fragile Demon: Juan Soriano in Mexico, 1935 to 1950.” Through May 11, 2008 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘Frida Kahlo’ at Art Museum (1st review) |
February 19 2008 |
The passage of time and changing canons of taste have elevated the iconoclastic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo to the realm of celebrity. But do we really understand her any better?
Frida Kahlo. Through May 18, 2008 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or
www.philamuseum.org.
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| Lee Miller photographs at Art Museum (1st review) |
January 27 2008 |
Lee Miller was not one of the world’s great photographic artists, but she was an artist capable of producing works of surprising resonance. Everyday life bored her; it took a world war to bring out her best work.
“The Art of Lee Miller.” Through April 27, 2008 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway and 26th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| ‘Rooms and Voices’ at Gross McCleaf |
January 19 2008 |
Interiors— with and without people— are the subject of this intriguing show, which offers us private dramas and not-quite-empty spaces.
“Rooms and Voices.” Through January 29, 2008 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16 St. (215) 665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| ‘There Will Be Blood’ |
January 15 2008 |
Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood demonstrates what happens when Life’s Little Pieties fail to measure up. Whatever it is that makes humans human, the protagonist Daniel Plainview lacks. Neither wealth nor good works will solve that problem.
There Will Be Blood. A film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. At the Ritz Five, 214 Walnut St. (215) 925-7900 or www.ritzfilmbill.com.
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| Renoir landscapes at Art Museum (3rd review) |
January 07 2008 |
To paint a landscape is to ape God in the process of creation. But Renoir was content to reproduce what he saw. He was a tourist, albeit a happy one.
Renoir Landscapes: 1865-1883. Through January 6, 2008 at Philadelphia Museum of Art. (215) 235-7469 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Antonio Mancini at Art Museum (2nd review) |
January 07 2008 |
Antonio Mancini was one of those poor fools touched by the gods, then left to stew. He and his fellow minors—minor painters, minor poets, minor composers—may not define an age, but they add richness and flavor to that age.
“Antonio Mancini: 19th-Century Italian Master.” Through Jan. 20, 2008 at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Galleries 153 & 155, Benj. Franklin Pkwy. & 26th St. (215) 684-7500 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Cassidy and Worthington at Schmidt Dean |
December 18 2007 |
Two mind-bending shows at Schmidt Dean Gallery balance each other nicely: Scott Cassidy’s work invites active comment from the viewer while Samuel Worthington’s images lull you into a dreamy meditative state.
Scott Marvel Cassidy, “New Work” and Samuel Worthington, “Mordencage Prints.” Through February 3, 2008 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Jamestown 1607, reconsidered |
November 20 2007 |
Why did America’s original 1607 Jamestown settlement fail? Not, as were taught in school, because the settlers sat around smoking and drinking.
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| Medieval books at Arthur Ross Gallery |
November 20 2007 |
A new exhibit takes us back to a time when books were highly valued commodities, painstakingly transcribed by hand, illustrated by artists in bright colors and sometimes even embellished with real gold.
“Treasured Pages. Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts from the Free Library of Philadelphia.” Through January 6, 2008, at Arthur Ross Gallery, University of Pennsylvania, 220 South 34th St. (215) 898-2083 or www.upenn.ed
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| Felice Frankel at Haverford College |
November 17 2007 |
Even when she deletes the Petri dish from her photograph of a yeast flower, Felice Frankel’s photographs are all about discovery and learning. Science never looked so inviting.
“Envisioning Science: Photographs by Felice Frankel.” Through December 2, 2007 at Cantor Fitzgerald Gallery, Whitehead Campus Center, Haverford College, 370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford. (610) 896-1287 or www.cantorfitzgeraldgalle
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| Zhukov and Gury at F.A.N. |
October 06 2007 |
In the long shadow cast by Renoir, examples of landscape painting, plain and fancy, are on display at F.A.N. Gallery.
Serge Zhukov and Al Gury. Through October 27, 2007 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. 215-922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Identity crisis in Salem, Mass. |
September 29 2007 |
A relatively inexperienced minister named Samuel Parris was woefully out of his depth in dealing with a communal psychological crisis that hit Salem Village in 1692. His descendants in “Witch City,” like Philadelphia’s tourist boosters, can’t seem to decide whether to embrace their past or reject it.
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| National Gallery tour— Part 5 |
August 04 2007 |
All of Rococo art was a celebration of the high life and the holy life—both represented with great brio and style. I sometimes think latter generations have hated Baroque and Rococo Art because they made life seem so much better than it actually is.
National Gallery of Art, Fourth St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| National Gallery tour— Part 4 |
July 28 2007 |
It took an anonymous 15th-Century painting to stop me in its tracks with a vital truth about art, history, and life itself: namely, that our store of knowledge does not remain constant, nor does it endlessly expand. Rather, like the tide, it advances and falls back.
National Gallery of Art, Fourth St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| National Gallery tour— Part 3 |
July 21 2007 |
Continuing his idiosyncratic tour of the National Gallery, Andrew Mangravite wonders: What makes a painting Impressionist? ? If it looks Impressionist, does it matter that the artist didn’t set out to create an Impressionist work?
National Gallery of Art, Fourth St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| National Gallery tour— Part 2 |
July 14 2007 |
Where other painters are content to offer us a representation of life, Leonardo da Vinci strives to capture reality itself. Plus other insights from Andrew Mangravite’s continuing idiosyncratic tour of the National Gallery of Art.
National Gallery of Art, Fourth St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| Critic’s tour of the National Gallery— Part 1 |
July 10 2007 |
Our critic, “amazed and delighted” by his first visit to “The Nation’s Picture Gallery,” offers his own idiosyncratic tour.
National Gallery of Art, Fourth St. and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| 'Foto’ at National Gallery of Art |
July 10 2007 |
If an image is worth a thousand words, this collage of images constitutes a moving history lesson, in which the vanished European world of 1918 to 1945 comes alive again.
“Foto: Modernity in Central Europe, 1918-1945.” Through September 3, 2007 at the National Gallery of Art, Fourth Street and Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. (202) 842-6799 or www.nga.gov.
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| Carlo Russo paintings at F.A.N. Gallery |
June 08 2007 |
Carlo Russo doesn’t blow you away with painterly touches. He just gives it what it needs to get the job done.
“Recent Paintings” by Carlo Russo. Through June 30, 2007 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch St. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Marlene Rye’s paintings at Gross McCleaf |
May 19 2007 |
Unlike most woodland scenes, Marlene Rye’s employ hot colors to engage rather than lull the viewer.
Marlene Rye: New Paintings. Through May 25, 2007 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16th St. (215) 656-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| ‘Four Play’ at Lineage Gallery |
May 12 2007 |
“Four Play” offers twisting perceptions of the real from a quartet of artists (plus a few guests). These pieces arise not from visual stimuli but from ideas, concepts, wordplay, jokes.
“Four Play.” Through May 20, 2007 at Lineage Gallery, 21 N. Second St. (215) 928-0980 or lineagegallery.com.
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| Japanese Masters at Art Museum |
May 01 2007 |
Ike Taiga and his wife Tokuyama Gyokuran may have painted life as a dream, but when their brushes touched the paper, every stroke was life-or-death. You come away with the conviction that this 18th-century couple sat with and studied each subject until it became a part of them.
“Ike Taiga and Tokuyama Gyokuran: Japanese Masters of the Brush.” Through July 22, 2007 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. 215-763-8100 or Thomas Chimes at the Art Museum (first review) |
February 24 2007 |
Thomas Chimes has attended various schools in his artistic evolution, but none quite as fruitful and amusing as the College of Pataphysics.
“Thomas Chimes: Adventures in Pataphysics.” Through May 6, 2007 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Ben Franklin Parkway and 267th St. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Alida Fish at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
February 06 2007 |
As with the sideshows of old, whose professed intent was educational, Alida Fish lovingly recognizes that people like looking at strange things.
Alida Fish: From the Cabinet of Curiosities. Through March 3, 2007, at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom St. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Daniel Garber at PAFA and the Michener |
January 30 2007 |
Daniel Garber's work reminds us anew that there's something to be said for beauty in art. Far from trying to capture life on the run, Garber slowed life to a halt with his simple but carefully worked out poses.
Daniel Garber: Romantic Realist (1897-1925).
Through April 8, 2007 at Pennsylvania Academy of the Arts, 128 N. Broad Street (at Cherry). (215) 972-7600 or www.pafa.org.
Daniel Garber: Romantic Realist (1930-1955). Through May
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| Lesa C. Lim at F.A.N. Gallery |
December 16 2006 |
Lesa Chittenden Lim combines draftsmanship and color to create ethereal landscapes fit for poets to dream in.
Lesa Chittenden Lim, “Paintings.” Through December 23, 2006 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch Street. (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Fritz Dietel at Schmidt Dean Gallery |
December 09 2006 |
Fritz Dietel’s work simultaneously celebrates vision and craftsmanship, nature and art.
Fritz Dietel: Recent Work. Through Jan. 20, 2007 at Schmidt Dean Gallery, 1710 Sansom Street. (215) 569-9433 or www.schmidtdean.com.
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| Nelson Shanks at the Union League |
November 13 2006 |
Nelson Shanks is “a man for whom the visible world exists,” and his new exhibition at the Union League will demonstrate the reason why.
“Nelson Shanks: Mastery and Meaning.” Through December 17, 2006 at the Union League of Philadelphia, 140 South Broad St. Open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and by appointment. 215-851-8793 or www.unionleague.org/masteryandmeaning.
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| Goya's 'Los Caprichos' at Arthur Ross Gallery |
November 07 2006 |
If you realize how seldom you’ll have the chance to view a complete set of Goya prints, you’ll run, not walk, to the Arthur Ross Gallery, where a complete early edition of “Los Caprichos” is on display.
“Francisco Goya y Lucientes: ‘Los Caprichos’.” Through January 7, 2007 at the Arthur Ross Gallery. 220 South 34th Street. 215-898-2083 or www.upenn.edu/ARG.
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| Art Museum's 'Mexican Printmaking' |
October 24 2006 |
In the wake of the gilded glories of “Tesoros,” the Art Museum completes the story with a look at art for the masses. It’s a testimony to the collective genius of Mexican artists amid war and revolution.
“Mexico and Modern Printmaking.” Through January 14, 2007 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. (215) 763-8100 or www.philamuseum.org.
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| Annemarie Heinrich photos at Arthur Ross Gallery |
September 18 2006 |
Glamour photography is sometimes the victim of artistic snobbery. At the Arthur Ross Gallery, the late Annemarie Heinrich, grande dame of Argentine glamour photography, gets the recognition she deserves.
"Argentine Photographs by Annemarie Through October 15, 2006 Arthur Ross Gallery, 220 South 34th Street. (215) 898-2083 or www.upenn.edu/ARG.
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| 'Tesoros' at the Art Museum |
September 18 2006 |
Spain's empire in the New World lasted 300 years. “Tesoros” asks and answers the age old-question: Who conquered whom? You see "Tesoros" if only to realize how one-sided the North American view of New Spain as a dreary wasteland of gold-hungry Spaniards and enslaved Indians really is.
“Tesoros: the Arts in Latin America: 1492-1820.” Through December 31, 2006, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street. (215) 763-8100
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| Julien Levy's photographs at Art Museum |
July 05 2006 |
The gallery owner Julien Levy collected works by some of the greatest names in photography. But ultimately the photographs he assembled demonstrate the mystery and magic of the ordinary. This show offers countless examples of unforgettable imagery.
“Dreaming in Black and White: Photography at the Julien Levy Gallery,” through September 17, 2006 at The Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Parkway. 215-763-8100 or www.philamus
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| Max Mason's 'Baseball' at Gross-McCleaf |
July 03 2006 |
Mason plays the game the old-fashioned way— full of longing, regret, piss and vinegar. But there’s no sense of urgency, and his images’ contents lack the gravity that Mason’s heavy style imposes upon them.
“Baseball,” a new exhibit of art by Max Mason. Through July 5, 2006 at Gross-McCleaf Gallery, 127 South 16 Street, Philadelphia. 215-665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| Treacy Ziegler at F.A.N. Gallery |
May 08 2006 |
Welcome back to Zieglerville, where the predominant mood is one of perpetually hushed and dreadful expectation.
“When We Got Home,” New Paintings by Treacy Ziegler. Through May 27, 2006 at F.A.N. Gallery, 221 Arch Street, (215) 922-5155 or www.fanartgallery.com.
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| Art Museum's Wyeth show |
March 28 2006 |
At age 25, I was impatient with the sage of Chadds Ford. Thirty years later, the Art Museum’s exhibition lets us see the way Wyeth's ultimate vision emerges.
“Andrew Wyeth: Memory and Magic.” Through July 16 at Philadelphia Museum of Art Dorrance Galleries, Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 26th Street, March 29-July 16, 2006. (215) 235-SHOW or www.philamuseum.org.
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| David Brewster at Gross-McCleaf |
May 15 2006 |
In the juxtaposition of David Brewster and Mary Putnam, we find nothing less than two different approaches to apprehending the world around us. Putnam preserves it; Brewster dissolves it.
David Brewster, "Roiling Light," through June 5, 2006 at Gross McCleaf Gallery, 127 S. 16th St. 215-665-8138 or www.grossmccleaf.com.
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| PAFA's 'Art in Chicago' |
February 13 2006 |
| A great big Norton Anthology of an art show that will introduce you to many fine artists you may never have heard of, from a city that took Surrealism to heart as New York never did.
"Art in Chicago: Resisting Regionalism, Transforming Modernism." Through April 2, 2006 at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Fisher Brooks Gallery, Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building, 118 N. Broad Street. (215) 972-7600. www.pafa.org.
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| Nan Goldin's 'Fantastic Tales' |
February 01 2006 |
| “Fantastic Tales”: Photographs by Nan Goldin. At Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts through Feb. 12, 2006. 118 N Broad St. (215) 972-7600. www.pafa.org
The "hostess of a noisy party" offers a dispassionate analysis of passions at work.
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| Jacob van Ruisdael and the Romantic Impulse |
December 19 2005 |
"Jacob van Ruisdael: Dutch Master of Landscape" at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, through Feb. 5, 2006.
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| The Art Museum Gets Its Munch |
December 19 2005 |
| “Mermaid,” and other paintings by Edvard Munch. At the Philadelphia Museum of Art through Dec. 31, 2005.
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| Surrealism: A Light That Failed |
January 01 2006 |
| Second thoughts about the Art Museum’s Dali show
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