Category: Essays


Remembering Gail Bradford 1951 – 2010 by Diane Thodos

March 1st, 2010 — 10:37pm

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I remember Gail as a slight and frail figure with very long dark curls and a shy, enigmatic expression that made her seem as though she was trying to peer beyond the substance of things. This certainly was true of her art: I witnessed her drawings as she built them up slowly, Continue reading »

8 comments » | Essays

Around the Coyote: Is it Dead? by Norbert Marszalek

January 11th, 2010 — 4:54pm

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There is an interesting article in this week’s Chicago Reader: The Endangered Coyote: After a disappointing benefit, the Around the Coyote arts org contemplates extinction by Deanna Isaacs (here) which states that the 20-year-old organization is in Continue reading »

20 comments » | Articles, Essays

“Subjectivity and Robert Henri” by Matthew Ballou

November 28th, 2009 — 8:36am

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All quotes by Robert Henri and found in The Art Spirit.

“The object, which is back of every true work of art, is the attainment of a state of being, a state of high functioning, a more than ordinary moment of existence. In such moments activity is inevitable, and whether this activity is with brush, pen, chisel, or tongue, its result is Continue reading »

6 comments » | Essays

To the Vault by William Dolan

October 17th, 2009 — 1:21pm

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A while back, a friend and I were discussing music that had been overplayed over the years and had determined that some of it should be locked up in a vault; to be released at a later date when it might be fresh again. We both agreed that the Beatles should be vaulted.

Well, the same is true of the art world. Continue reading »

9 comments » | Articles, Essays

“A Few Days With Wyeth” by Matthew Ballou

September 26th, 2009 — 8:11pm

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In June of 2006 I spent three days in Philadelphia visiting the Andrew Wyeth Retrospective, dubbed “Memory and Magic,” at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The trip was many things for me, and brought out many thoughts, but I have to say that what I loved most was seeing Continue reading »

5 comments » | Essays

“Has Anyone Answered ‘Kimler’s Complaint’ Yet?” by William Dolan

September 4th, 2009 — 7:22am

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Eleven years ago, I read the Chicago Reader article “Kimler’s Complaint.” At the time, I only had a vague notion of how the Chicago art scene worked. I knew there was a lot of conceptual work out there. I frequently read New Art Examiner, with all of its pseudo-sociology. I was also Continue reading »

5 comments » | Articles, Essays

“Some Thoughts on Loving Diebenkorn’s Work” by Matthew Ballou

July 24th, 2009 — 5:49pm

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One of the first artists whose work I fell in love with was Richard Diebenkorn, a master of methodology as artistic project. His art, encapsulated in three distinct multi-year missions, has been a consistent source of inspiration and visual joy for me. I am especially fond of the late works on Continue reading »

4 comments » | Essays

Some Thoughts on NEXT and Art Chicago, 2009 by William Dolan

May 6th, 2009 — 5:39pm

The Merchandise Mart

I love the idea of the Chicago art fairs being housed at the Merchandise Mart. It’s an impressive building. It’s massive and elegant. It is an important historical landmark. It’s very accessible by whatever means of transportation you choose. Continue reading »

4 comments » | Articles, Essays, Reviews

PooL Comes To Chicago

March 30th, 2009 — 9:09am

PooL Logo

PooL, a perennial alternative hotel art fair in New York and Miami is coming to Chicago. It promises “…to create a meeting ground for artists, art dealers and curators with the pupose of advancing the career of the participating artists.” It “…also provides the public with access to art and Continue reading »

23 comments » | Articles, Essays

A Fine Art Stew by William Dolan

March 20th, 2009 — 11:31am

Stew

The world is getting so small, it’s going to implode. Communication and economies of globalization are causing a homogenization of cultures. Much attention has been given to the globalization of the art world. Artists are supposed to enlighten the unwashed masses of the problems Continue reading »

9 comments » | Articles, Essays

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