“Abstract” is not a genre, nor is it a style. If anything ties together the various modes of painting called “abstract,” it is the fact that they do not aim to depict things as they look to the naked eye. Abstraction thus encompasses diverse, sometimes oppositional tendencies. It can be as strict as geometry, or as intuitive and formless as […]
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“I am so happy that I stepped out of my comfort zone. In the evolution of artists and painters I admire, change is part of their career dialogue.” I can see that Jenniffer Omaitz isn’t afraid to try new things, as she shows me around her Kent home I spy examples of her early work – works that look very different […]
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I went down to Kent on a humid Thursday afternoon to check out the Kent State School of Art Recent Alumni Show, now in its final days (through August 4). Personally, I love visiting college campuses in the summertime – the sidewalks empty, the quad quiet, it’s tranquil and you can easily get a parking spot. The Galleries at Kent State University […]
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My earlier report on the auction held at Gray’s yesterday anticipated a hubbub over the two excellent examples of Jackson Pollock’s printmaking in the sale (Lots 72, 73) – and while they did sell, they surprisingly did not reach estimate ($4000-6000) – they went to a phone buyer for only $3200 each. A steal! The Frank Stella (Lot 71) went over […]
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If you look at MOCA’s Constant as the Sun as a way to see what is going on in the region’s art world, you would see a sampling of wildly disparate practices. From straightforward documentation to generative exercises in community engagement, to quirky metaphor, the 10 individuals/collectives are all over the map in their motivations, their media, and their concepts. […]
Read moreAre you looking to buy a Jackson Pollock? I’ll wager you didn’t know you could buy one right here in Cleveland tomorrow – well, if you make the winning bid. Most people are familiar with the big name auction houses – Sotheby’s and Christies move original works of art by famous artists like Pollock regularly. But there is a thriving secondary […]
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There is no abstract art. You must always start with something. Afterwards you can remove all traces of reality. There’s no danger then, anyway, because the idea of the object will have left an indelible mark. — Pablo Picasso “It feels very natural and good to be using figures again as the bones of these new paintings,” said Dana […]
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There’s a magical-realist novella by the Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes, in which one of the characters creates dolls in the image of all the members of their family, and moves the dolls through the days of their lives. Keith Mayerson’s My American Dream, on view now at MOCA, along with the regional exhibit Constant as the Sun, is a little […]
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“After the Pedestal” is the Sculpture Center’s tenth exhibition of smaller works. How small? Not small enough to be distracting. This isn’t a competition to see who can make the smallest recognizable image, or to cram the most detail into a compressed space. But even the largest pieces could be carried by one person (save perhaps Mark Rubelowsky’s aptly-named “Table.” […]
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How do you choose the exhibits you go see? Last night I went to 3204 Studios only compelled by the whimsical name of the show there: Some Nice People Made Some Nice Things. That sounded . . . you know . . . nice. The nice people were Grace Frank, Erin Guido and John Paul Costello. If you are familiar […]
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