When I asked Cleveland photographer Steven Mastroianni why he still makes photographs the traditional way, his answer was all about silver. For Mastroianni, it’s that moment when the image miraculously appears on the paper that counts. Alone in his darkroom, under the amber glow of the safelight, light causes a chemical reaction on the paper that produces a thin layer of silver – seemingly […]
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Shortly after leaving his graduate painting program in 1966, Bruce Nauman had an epiphany: “If I was an artist and I was in the studio, then whatever I was doing in the studio must be art. At this point art became more of an activity and less of a product.” When artists in the late 1960s such as Nauman, Lynda […]
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“Monumental” and “Architectural” are words that come to mind when you walk into the Morgan Conservatory and see the first of Iowa-based Julie McLaughlin’s paper garments there, hanging from the rafters, larger than life, as if standing on a pedestal between floor and ceiling. Bathed in natural light from the windows of the south wall, it seems to glow with […]
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You may have seen Michelle Murphy’s work recently in the NEO Geo exhibition at the Akron Museum of Art, fitting comfortably amongst artists that use geometry and formal elements as a means of expression. Indeed, Murphy does have definite connections to the famed Op Art school of thought espoused by Julian Stanczak and others at the Cleveland Institute of […]
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The Plain Dealer’s editorial board generally doesn’t weigh in on the subject of art, unless the cigarette tax is on the ballot, or unless one of the neighborhoods revitalized by arts activity has some significant moment. And even in those cases, they tend to avoid taking up the art itself, preferring instead the discussion of economic impact. They don’t fancy […]
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It’s always a thrill to see Cleveland’s best artists pursuing national careers. Over the past several years the abstract paintings of a homegrown favorite, Dana Oldfather, have been snapped up by private collectors and public venues from Philadelphia to Las Vegas. Now one of Chicago’s sharpest galleries has joined the list. From May 5 through July 2, Zg Gallery opened […]
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Among the most adventurous things an artist from Cleveland can do is join the joyous printmakers’ haven called Zygote Press, then apply for one of the exchange residencies that Zygote sponsors in far-flung places. Zygote’s Ohio Arts Council-funded exchange with Dresden, Germany (the longest-running international residency in the state) is one possibility. Another is the chance to be an ambassador […]
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Sure, some printmakers are traditional practitioners of a craft: They cling to techniques like rote prayers which, properly recited, will deliver them to the Promised Land, and Bless Them for that. But something about printmaking drives another set toward experimentation. It’s like the pursuit of alchemy, trying different ingredients and ways of mixing them, hunting some new recipe for gold. […]
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We were sorry to learn that Arthopper.org, an online source of reviews, essays, and other writing about the region’s art, is taking a break. We got word yesterday via an e-mailed announcement that the blog, which sought to “provide high quality arts journalism in the Greater Lake Erie region in specific cities including Cleveland, Columbus, Akron, Cincinnati, Dayton, Detroit, Pittsburgh, […]
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The vast majority of the murals recently painted along the Red Line between the Airport and Tower City are completely devoid of politics. That’s remarkable, especially as the city prepares for the Republican National Convention. With broad support from the Cleveland Foundation and several public entities, and with board approvals required even before the artists’ names were released (let alone […]
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