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11/14/2018 0 Comments

NOTABLE NOTES | NOVEMBER

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1) Intermedia, Fluxus and the Something Else Press: Selected Writings from Dick Higgins
A little known contributor to the art world, Dick Higgins was a poet, composer, artist, writer, performer and theorist who published the legendary Something Else Press. Higgins and his publishing press produced singular books by icons such as Gertrude Stein, John Cage, Dieter Roth, and George Brecht, as well as the Great Bear Pamphlet series and the Something Else newsletter. These published works sustained a mission statement that supplied audiences with avant-garde writings and art that was rarely promoted within the mainstream. Dick Higgins restored "intermedia" to the art world, the fuzzed boundary line between traditional art forms and new forms that could not be defined. Higgins used his writings and that of his contemporary peers to explore this space and expand its presence. In this selection of his work, Higgins can be seen as a modern visionary, one who explored theory and practice, experimentation, and intellect.
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2) Fray: Art and Textile Politics | Julia Bryan-Wilson
In the first expansive survey of fine art and the handmaking of fiber and textile art, Wilson examines textile art from the 1970s - 90s and their part in sociopolitical movements. Namely looking at both fine artists and amateurs,  Wilson argues that both turned to textiles during a time of rapid global manufacturing, feminist empowerment movements, and gender identity awareness. These parallel events construct numerous scenarios that include fiber and textile art as protest material, as well as fine art. Wilson discusses textile art as a tool that can be seen within decades of political events and movements. As a rarely discussed medium that is integral to our everyday lives, Wilson's observations and connections prove a fresh viewpoint on historical events that are so familiar.
3) Social Forms: A Short History of Political Art | Christian Viveros-Faune
Renowned art critic and curator, Christian Viveros-Faune examines 50 representative pieces of artwork from the past 150 years, and their historical framework. Each entry is accessible and provides art history foundation of the piece, the artist and their historical references, and the iconography that showcases the political intention. Looking at examples such as Picasso's Guernica (1937) or Jenny Holzer's Truisms (1977-79), each examination offers a glimpse into the time period and the artist as reactionary and icon. In doing so, Viveros-Faune creates a comprehensive survey of 150 years of artists as agents of social change at the forefront of political movement.
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11/2/2018 0 Comments

FRESH FRIDAY | LUCHITA HURTADO

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At the age of 97, Los Angeles-based artist Luchita Hurtado has been painting surreal compositions for 80 years, but only recently has she garnered fame, thanks to a recent biennial, Made in LA 2018, at the Hammer Museum. As the only deviation from the contemporary, the 11 paintings included in the show were all painted in the 1960s and 70s. Although these paintings are decades old, the content remains modern in the midst of the #MeToo campaigns.

Hurtado was born in Venezuela and moved to New York City as a child, but has since lived in Mexico City, San Fransisco and now, Santa Monica. Her life has ironically been filled with artistic inspiration. Married to two artists and collectors, Wolfgang Paalen and Lee Mullican, Hurtado has a son, Matt Mullican, who is also an artist. Familiar friends with modern giants such as Man Ray, Rufino Tamayo, Agnes Martin, and Isamu Noguchi, Luchita Hurtado watched as other careers flourished while continuing to paint. Although, Hurtado showed at multiple exhibitions, her professional career did not take off.
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Luchita Hurtado, Untitled, 1969. Courtesy of Hammer Museum.
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Luchita Hurtado, Untitled, 1976. Courtesy of Hammer Museum.
Many of Hurtado's works are self portraits that appear foreshortened at the edges of her canvas, looking downwards. In contrast with her nude body, Hurtado utilizes patterned rugs and blue skies as backdrops. This perspective is rarely seen compositionally and even more unique aesthetically. However, Hurtado's perspective and the perception tools she uses provides a more feminist viewpoint. Particularly in tune with women's movements of the 1960s and 70s, Hurtado's representation of her own body is a statement of her personal presence and power. Amidst the ever changing backdrops, her body is the only constant. She also employs symbolism such as fruit; referring to sexuality, and traditional pattern work seen on baskets and blankets, referencing domestic labor and family. Hurtado was also interested in environmental movements during her life, which can be seen in her more surrealist landscapes. Within desert landscapes and mountains, Hurtado merges the human body. Breasts become sand dunes, feet become hill tops, and implied body parts connect with the natural world. Hurtado proposes that the earth is as much a living thing as the human body and we are ingrained as its presence as an organism.

With remarkable content still very relevant to the current sociopolitical environment, Hurtado's unique perspective is finally being  rightly launched into a more mainstream eye. In comparison to her peers, Hurtado stands alone, showcasing a surrealist foundation but with a strong central feminist theme.
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Luchita Hurtado, Encounter, 1971. Courtesy of Hammer Museum.
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11/1/2018 0 Comments

EXPLORE THIS MONTH | NOVEMBER

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1) Laurie Simmons: Big Camera/Little Camera | Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth
In this major survey presentation, Laurie Simmons' showcases her definitive work from the 1970's to present, and in doing so, highlights their prevailing nature of today. Simmons' photographs utilize scale and props to discern scenes of "domestic bliss", or rather observe the settings in which this would occur. These orchestrated scenes subtly describe observations about life, the American Dream, and especially that of archetypal gender roles. This decades-long exploration has allowed Simmons to expand her fictional narratives and numerous themes. The survey also presents a selection of newer projects including The Love Doll (2009 - 2011), which features life-size Japanese dolls in various scenarios. With her distinct style and world-renowned addition to the feminist ideal, Simmons continues to redefine the genre.
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Laurie Simmons, Woman Opening Refrigerator/Milk to the Right, 1979. Courtesy of Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
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Ruth Smith, Self Portrait, 1955. Courtesy of The Phillips Collection.
2) Nordic Impressions: Art from Aland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, 1821 - 2018 | The Phillips Collection
Spanning nearly 200 years and featuring over 50 artists, the Phillips Collection successfully attempts to describe what distinguishes Nordic art. Covering a vast landscape of incredibly diverse nations, Nordic artists have centered on themes such as light vs. dark, nature and folklore, and liberalism. Within these various themes, the exhibition aims to highlight the native pioneers such as Helene Schjerfbeck, who championed the Golden and Romantic era, and Franciska Clausen, who discussed French influence and nationalism. The show also presents contemporary giants who are inspired by these past greats, and are honoring the cultural traditions of their predecessors. This exhibition presents an opportunity to view art that is rarely shown from these numerous nations that are rich in history and singular in style.
3) Charline Von Heyl: Snake Eyes | Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
A multinational exhibition in conjunction with the Deichtorhallen Hamburg in Germany, presents the largest museum survey on Charline Von Heyl's work. Featuring thirty large-scale paintings, this exhibition showcases the contemporary painter and her redefining of abstract painting. Her rethinking of the genre offers a different perspective on composition, color and narrative. Famous for her colorful, stream of consciousness painting, Von Heyl is first and foremost interested in the act of painting itself and consequently flirts with the line between abstraction and figuration. The resulting product is inspired by many real-world sources such as her personal life, pop culture and literature, however the paintings themselves do not offer a path in reaching those signals. Her evolving practice creates a visual language for the viewer, one that relates to the overarching human condition in general, but also offers an individual standpoint nonetheless.
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Charline Von Heyl, Bluntschli, 2005. Courtesy of Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
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Jim Nutt, Front Cover of Hairy Who (cat-a-log), 1969. Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago.
4) Hairy Who? 1966 - 1969 | Art Institute of Chicago
Six graduates of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago transformed the Chicago art landscape over a period of four years. The Hairy Who was neither a movement nor a style, but merely a group effort to display bright graphic work inspired by advertisements, comics, posters and catalogs. Although the group had some similarities, each artist presented a personal viewpoint on the figurative work. The Hairy Who included Jim Falconer, Art Green, Gladys Nilsson, Jim Nutt, Suellen Rocca and Karl Wirsum, all of whom grew up during a period of national turmoil; the Vietnam war, political leader assassinations, student protests, civil rights movements, and chiefly the expansion of a consumer-based economy. Progressive and unique, Hairy Who was well known for their visual spontaneity, sense of humor, puns and inside jokes that presented ideas through a strategic game. This exhibition is presented on the 50th anniversary of the final Hairy Who Chicago show and features 225 works accrued from both public and private collections, in the very first major survey on the group. 
5) Enrico David: Gradations of Slow Release | Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
Through introspection and observation of the human form, Enrico David has spent the last decades exploring the endless imagery of the body. Within various medium including sculpture, painting and installation, David explores and categorizes this vast theme. His representations of the body can be seen as tortuous, fragile, grotesque and vulnerable, and is ultimately presented as unstylized and singular. Although a contemporary artist, David successfully creates images that sometimes appear archaic or archival, something ancient that presents a timeless narrative. Within his work, David aims to establish an empathetic relationship between his beings and the viewer, creating a connection that is familiar and relative, but also revealing. His focus on themes such as introspection and disembodiment demonstrate the real human condition that actively makes the viewer relate, and in turn, wonder.
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Enrico David, Tools and Toys III, 2014. Courtesy of Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
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10/20/2018 0 Comments

OF SIGNIFICANCE | CREATIVE GROWTH ART CENTER

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Established in 1974, the Creative Growth Art Center, was conceived during a time when people with disabilities were being deinstitutionalized in California. Founders, Florence and Elias Katz created the space with the inclusive individual in mind. Creative Growth provides an open area, shared workspace that serves people with developmental, physical and mental disabilities, along with professional exhibition space that presents seven exhibitions annually. With unending limits of artistic expression and an inspired environment, Creative Growth has successfully served artists and led them onto professional careers. Scanning their list of exhibiting artists, Creative Growth boasts an immense list of both longtime artists, such as William Tyler since 1978, and new artists, like Ying Ge Zhou since 2010. With an international focus, Creative Growth has welcomed individuals from all over the world to participate in their open studio programming.
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Julie Swartout, Untitled, 2017. Courtesy of Creative Growth.
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Ying Ge Zhou, Untitled (YGZ 008), 2012. Courtesy of Creative Growth.
Creative Growth's current exhibition, Matters At Hand, showcases the approaches to three-dimensional works of art through the multimedia use of wood, ceramic, installation and fiber, all by working artists at the Creative Growth Studio. Viewing the dynamic subject matter with the apparent innovative practice, each artist showcases an exploration into their individual medium and inspiration. Past exhibitions such as HOME Show and RE/Configurations have selected artists to discuss issues of identity, displacement, personal connection and the human condition.

Not only do these artists present in-house exhibitions, but have been shown extensively both nationally and internationally. From major art fairs, such as the Venice Biennial and CONDO, to major museums and galleries, such as the Museum of Modern Art, Creative Growth has successfully developed talent that is in high demand across the world. They have also collaborated with corporations such as Anthropologie, Levis, and Target to elevate their artists' exposure within non-art realms. Currently considered very valuable by interested collectors, Creative Growth artists offer a genuine artistic expression that is rarely seen within mainstream art and as our ideals of inclusive spaces expands, these artists, their inspirations and their talented practice are a welcomed departure.

Check out more of Creative Growth Art Center and their artists.
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10/2/2018 0 Comments

TRENDING TUESDAY | THE MUSEUM WORKOUT

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Art museum visitors usually adhere to a certain set of rules while attending exhibitions; keep your voices low and do not touch the artwork. However, upon visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art, attendants might encounter a very different space. As a part of their Fringe Festival, the Philadelphia Museum of Art invited a performance group to showcase the art in a new light. New York-based Monica Bill Barnes & Company has thus created The Museum Workout. Previously a program at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Monica Bill Barnes & Company were invited to create a new program for this specific space. With oldies hits blaring through the intercom system, the participating attending group, led by Artistic Director Monica Barnes and Associate Director Anna Bass, in glittering dresses and running shoes, jog through the gallery space, past masterworks by Titian, Matisse and Picasso. The Museum Workout stops at certain works to do squats and lunges, leading them through a 45 minute workout that doesn't necessarily act as a traditional tour.

Although the interactive performance takes place within the space, it does not point out or discuss specific works. With the voiced aid of children's book author Maira Kalman, the tour features an overhead commentary by Kalman that describes her specific art museum experience. Instead of commenting on artists, mediums or practices, Kalman examines her feelings towards the overwhelming quality of art, how they act as guardians over her, and even when the best time to walk away from the work is. This more personal content acts as a different entry point for some viewers, who may find art museums challenging to connect with and intimidating.

Her commentary paired with the fun oldies hits and the constant movement all aim to create a completely new viewing experience that has more to do with lifting our minds out of the veritable traditions of art viewing; this quiet reflection that we encounter. Museum Workouts wants to tap into the physical side to support a new understanding of the art; one that is perhaps more carnal and initially personal. By physically placing our minds into a different context, Museum Workouts successfully enables the connection of thoughts and feelings associated with the artwork that are rarely seen and even more rarely taught in traditional contexts.

Title image courtesy of Whhy.
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