|
Back to school. Especially in New England, this is the true start to the New Year. Even the change from humidity to crispness signals a fresh start. One of the things I love most about September is how everyone comes together again through art. The fall exhibition schedule is my favorite because we are relaxed and refreshed from the summer, ready to see, learn and absorb. It is an especially great time to visit college art museums in your area. Living in Boston we are lucky to have some of the most important academic institutions in the world, and they all have strong curatorial programming and vision. Be sure to check out my recommendations below for some of the best shows opening this fall.
|
|
|
Yoshi Mizutani was encouraged to take up watercolors at the age of 10. By 16, he was highly skilled in the technique, and two years later, he moved to Europe to study the old masters by traveling in Spain, France and Italy. "When I was 18, I saw a Sargent [John Singer] painting for the first time," Yoshi shared with me while we were in his studio, "I'll never forget. And that was the defining moment. If I never saw his paintings, I wouldn't be an artist." As a portrait painter, Yoshi has become especially well-known for children's portraits, in either oil, or graphite (as pictured above). In addition to portraiture, Yoshi paints landscapes and floral still lives.
|
|
|
|
Krakow Witkin Gallery exhibits and represents artists known as part of the movements commonly called “Minimalism” and/or “conceptual art,” along with younger artists who have come to renown since the 1960s with a similar reductivist aesthetic. The gallery’s exhibition program runs three shows simultaneously with six to seven rotations over the course of the September – July season. During each cycle, there is one larger show, one smaller show and one show of a single work. This juxtaposition of types of exhibition gives viewers three different rigorous contexts with which to view work and consider various ideas of presentation. They present some of my favorite artists, including: Tara Donovan, Alex Katz, Ellsworth Kelly, Julian Opie and Sarah Sze.
|
|
|
|
Lavaughan Jenkins's paintings push the boundaries of medium by using oil paint to make three-dimensional work--what he refers to as "3D paintings." He is the recipient of the 2019 James and Audrey Foster Prize awarded annually by the Institute of Contemporary Art / Boston and his work is included in their Foster Prize exhibition that runs through December 31, 2019. We visited Jenkins's studio in August as he was finishing works for the exhibition and his process is fascinating. He begins each piece with a skeleton of wire and molding paste and then applies four or five thick coats of oil paint to flesh them out, building layer after layer of vibrant brushstrokes until his paintings begin to imitate sculpture. The work takes emphasis away from form and focuses on light and color, mapping a journey for the eye across the surface.
|
|
|
|
Lavaughan Jenkin's three-dimensional figure painting in the white dress (far right) was acquired by a Chicago client. The work is currently on view until the end of the year at the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston as part of the 2019 James and Audrey Foster Prize.
|
|
|
A few handy tips for installing artwork
|
|
|
- Consider triptychs and diptychs: works that come in sets of twos or threes are a great way to span a larger space. Remember to account for two to five inches of space between each work, and add a couple additional inches on each side for framing.
- Calculate the perfect width: if you are hanging a painting, drawing, print or any other artwork on the wall over a piece of furniture, such as a sofa, look for artwork that is between 65% and 85% of the furniture's total width. Anything larger will make the furniture look small and anything smaller will leave too much blank space.
- Anchor the room: hang a work with a standard 58 to 60 inch distance from the floor to the artwork's center "60 inches centered". If your ceilings are really high (like so many historic homes in the Boston area), bump that up to 60 to 62 inches. If artwork is over furniture, have the bottom of the piece end 8 to 10 inches above the headboard or back of sofa (so heads don't accidentally bump into it).
|
|
|
Upcoming Exhibitions & Events
|
|
|
|
Installation shot of Fred Wilson's chandelier sculptures at the new Pace Gallery in Chelsea, New York.
|
|
|
Special Exhibitions
- Pace Gallery is celebrating the opening of its new global headquarters in Chelsea, NYC this Saturday, September 14 with various exhibitions throughout the building, including; an exhibition dedicated to twentieth century master Alexander Calder occupying the first floor gallery; a site-specific installation by Yto Barrada in the library; a show of new paintings by celebrated New York-based artist Loie Hollowell on the second floor; an installation of new work by David Hockney on the third floor; an exhibition of portraits by Peter Hujar presented in collaboration with Pace/MacGill on the third floor; and a presentation charting the evolution of Fred Wilson's chandelier sculptures installed on the seventh floor.
|
|
|
|
Sanford Biggers, installation in the Tisch Family Gallery
|
|
|
Back to School Exhibitions
- Harvard Art Museums, Harvard University, "Crossing Lines, Constructing Home: Displacement and Belonging in Contemporary Art," September 6, 2019-January 5, 2020
- Tisch Family Gallery, Tufts University, "Sanford Biggers," October 8-December 15, 2019, artist talk and reception, October 16, 2019, 7pm
- MIT List Center for the Visual Arts, "List Projects: Farah Al Qasimi", July 30 -October 20, 2019
- Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, "Gordon Matta-Clark, Anarchitect," September 21, 2019-January 5, 2020
- Jewett Art Gallery, Wellesley College, "Boston Printmakers 2019 North American Print Biennial," August 26-September 29, 2019
- RISD Museum, "Raid the Icebox Now," September 13, 2019-November 1, 2020
- Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, "Starting Something New: Recent Contemporary Art Acquisitions and Gifts," September 10, 2019-July 26, 2020
|
|
Looking for the perfect piece of artwork for your home or office?
Contact me for details about process and availability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
