Though artists rarely develop in a straightforward manner, Modernist thought likes to pretend that there is an “onward and upward” ascent toward some kind of perfection. In reality, however, most artists make small incremental moves (sometimes forward, sometimes back), while, every now and then, experiencing a sudden spurt ahead–a jump that, without the benefit of
Lines of Connection: A Conversation with Chiharu Shiota
Chiharu Shiota’s work comes from a very spiritual place. Though she followed an unusual path to arrive at her now-recognizable style, this history is vital to her installations. In these environments, line, in the form of yarn, and the human body, represented by shoes, keys, suitcases, or beds, are woven together in visually stunning displays.
Bojana Ginn
ATLANTA Whitespace Gallery
Documenta 14
ATHENS GREECE At the opening press conference of Documenta 14, “Learning From Athens,” artistic director Adam Szymczyk stated, “The great lesson is that there are no lessons.” These elusive words may well have been a disclaimer for an exhibition that rambled on without aim. Such large events are difficult to manage in general, but Documenta’s Athens endeavor required viewers to accept much of the responsibility for realizing the show’s potential and to make a sizable time commitment to text-based art.
Rachel Beach
CHARLOTTETOWN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND, CANADA Confederation Centre of the Arts Much discussion about the history of 20th-century sculpture has focused on its emergence from under the shadow of painting. With Minimalism’s return to the object, the conversation with painting suddenly seemed irrelevant. Yet, as with so much in art, conversations never truly end, they evolve and spiral in new directions. The work of Brooklyn artist Rachel Beach appears, at first glance, to be a manner of painting in threedimensional space.
“/spek-tr m/ variance of sculpture and form”
KANSAS CITY Studios Inc The best group shows spark conversations between artworks, revealing new dimensions and offering fresh insights. “/spek-tr m/ variance of sculpture and form,” which showcased works by many of Kansas City’s best-known sculptors, did just that. Studios Inc is a nonprofit studio complex and residency program located just east of KC’s Crossroads Arts District. It maintains a collection consisting of works donated by resident artists as a condition of their three-year tenure. Studios Inc’s associate director, Robert Gann, drew from these holdings for “/spektr m/.”
Cody VanderKaay
ROCHESTER, MICHIGAN Oakland University Art Gallery The best group shows spark conversations between artworks, revealing new dimensions and offering fresh insights. “/spek-tr m/ variance of sculpture and form,” which showcased works by many of Kansas City’s best-known sculptors, did just that. Studios Inc is a nonprofit studio complex and residency program located just east of KC’s Crossroads Arts District. It maintains a collection consisting of works donated by resident artists as a condition of their three-year tenure. Studios Inc’s associate director, Robert Gann, drew from these holdings for “/spektr m/.”
Documenta 14
KASSEL AND MUNSTER Skulptur Projekte Munster Summer 2017 marked an art world trifecta, the Venice Biennale coinciding with Documenta (held every five years) and Skulptur Projekte Münster (held every 10 years). In Kassel and Münster, what began as modest municipal undertakings to reconnect postwar Germany with the global art community have become internationally recognized for their influence. Sources of great civic pride, these shows depart from Venice and the art fair model with their refreshing non-commercial slant.
Second Skins: A Conversation with Marcela Astorga
Marcela Astorga, an Argentine artist born in the province of Mendoza, creates work with both visual and conceptual impact. For the last 20 years, she has used art as a means to face issues of importance to her: violence, memory, identity, and construction/deconstruction as represented through architecture, as well as the marks that we leave
A Conversation with Sam Durant: Political Art Has Consequences
Los Angeles artist Sam Durant is accustomed to shining a spotlight on the sins of the world in his installations, sculptures, and gallery-sized drawings and photographs, but recently the spotlight turned on him. The creator of End White Supremacy (2008) and Proposal for White and Indian Dead Monument Transpositions (2005) found himself under attack by
