"Here and Now' at the Art Museum (2nd review)

Have you felt that breath of fresh air coming from the Art Museum? "Here and Now," celebrating Philadelphia's rich artistic diversity, displays prints, drawings and photographs by ten local artists, ranging in age from 26 to 50 and with diverse reputations and approaches to making art.

The ten chosen by curator, Innis Shoemaker, follow their own dreams and goals— an exciting exercise that raises plenty of questions and could be endlessly expanded.

The exhibition begins with a huge multipart in-your-face anti-war etching, When Photographers Are Blinded, Eagles' Wings Are Clipped, by Daniel Heyman and printed by Cindi Ettinger. The viewer stops, looking at the poor victim hanging by his heels, trying to cover his genitalia in the presence of the lower legs and boots of soldiers, three with prostheses, plus the vomiting prisoners and crippled eagles. But relax; it's all low-key after this. A good exhibition, worth seeing, but you won't have to hold your breath anymore.

Nature's patterns, in stages

The Dufala Brothers, whose work was so exciting in the Pennsylvania Academy's recent exhibition, have some very nice watercolors on paper, such as String Bottle and Fog, plus a few inspired by their stint as artists in residence at Revolution Recovery, an industrial recycling company.

Astrid Bowlby's etching suite, Round Robin, is an excellent example of her mandate to print each stage of her study of nature's patterns on a single etching plate. Her installation, Drawing Pile, is a seemingly random assortment of multi-shape papers, each outlined in dark ink. Untitled "“ Lichen 213.10 (ink on paper), is a poetic evocation of nature's artistry.

Photography might be the current hot item in Chelsea galleries, but even here, in its more traditional version, it's relevant. Isaac Tin Wei Lin embellishes his photographs, as well as the wall behind them, with colorful painted patterns that might be his own versions of calligraphy or just design run amok. But this device works, lifting rather studied photographs out of the standard repertoire into a new region of expressive patterning.

Like entering a building

Vincent Feldman's photos of striking buildings by noted Japanese architects, such as Kisho Kurosawa's Nakagin Capsule Tower (a series of detachable apartment capsules, fitted into a core) was revolutionary in its day (1970-72) and remains so.

As was the case in his earlier series on Philadelphia architecture, Feldman demonstrates a singular ability to somehow convey the core sense of feel to an architectural detail, whether in a derelict building or an exciting innovation. Just imagine walking up the steps of Reiykai Shakaden under the shade of that multilayered projecting roof.

Nor can you ignore Hannah Price's photographs from her series, "City of Brotherly Love." Her well-composed portraits of individuals reveal far more than intended. And the derelict environment of Marian Anderson's portrait raises many questions about the urban cultural scene today.

Virgil Marti is known for his wry comments on contemporary social mores, but his two photographs here, intended to be viewed through the 3-D eyepieces provided, just didn't work for me. You might have better luck.

I would like to see this exhibition turn into a continuing project with fewer artists on view at one time but illuminating the multiplicity of fine artists of Philadelphia. We have the resources; why not make use of them? ♦


To read another review by Marilyn MacGregor, click here.