Though the exhibit on gender currently showing at George Eastman House does not seek to lecture its viewers about contemporary socio-politics, its scope and range of representations provide ample opportunity for cultural and self-reflection. The first show presented by the Eastman House team under its new director, Bruce Barnes, “The Gender Show” explores the ways […]
Art
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ART REVIEW: “Alice IN the Looking Glass: Illustrations and Artists’ Books, 1865-2012”
The day after I went to see “Alice IN the Looking Glass,” an exhibit of wonderful illustrations and books currently at the University of Rochester, I was walking to a meeting downtown when I noticed a white rabbit stenciled low on a wall. My attention was piqued, and I instantly began eyeing the vicinity for […]
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ART REVIEW: “Our Cryptozoological Expedition into ‘The Elusive'”
Though we think we’re getting a firmer handle on this world, you could argue that as human beings increasingly set themselves as separate from other species, both in mind an in manner of living, our understanding of the creatures that share this planet has grown shakier and shakier. Some people study these untamed objects of […]
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ART/LIT: “An Early Work Late in Life: The Art and Life of Danny Allen”
It can be difficult, even impossible, for us to see clearly the vital people in our lives while we are living through turbulent, critical moments. We only gain a true sense of things with enough time, distance, and contemplation. Suicide denies us the opportunity of knowing a loved one after we have resolved our issues, […]
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ART REVIEW: “It Came From the Vault”
I was still noticing previously overlooked works and nuances within works on my third visit to the Memorial Art Gallery’s current exhibit, “It Came from the Vault: Rarely Seen Works from MAG’s Collection.” I recently spoke with MAG Director of Exhibitions Marie Via about how more than 200 objects included in the show were selected […]
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“Eat It: Artists Explore Food & Consumption”
During the Industrial Revolution, we moved systematically away from traditional, deliberate ways of feeding ourselves. And as this basic element of survival slipped from ours into bureaucratic hands, we became less reliant on our communities for genuine needs, and our relations grew brittle for lack of practice. There are attempts to reverse this, but we […]
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Man made
If the term “craft fair” brings up imagery of all things sweet, delicate, and pretty, with hair clips, jewelry, knittery, and journals, think again. While it may be true that the local-focusing craft markets have been mini-femme fests, lately there has been an increase in male artists mixed in with the gals. The following article […]
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“Salvador Dalí: Dante’s ‘Divine Comedy'”
Some stories seduce artists throughout the ages. There is a robust tradition of artistic interpretation of Italian writer Dante Alighieri’s epic poem, “Commedia,” known these days as “The Divine Comedy.” The work has been an irresistible subject for such visionaries as Sandro Botticelli, Gustave Doré, William Blake, Franz von Bayros, Tom Phillips, and Robert Rauschenberg. […]
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ART BLOG: JGK Galleries’s “Art Roc Show 2013 Showcase”
Blink and you’ll miss the arrival some new additions to our city’s ever-growing art scene. JGK Galleries, located at 10 Vick Park A, is a gorgeous space comprised of three smallish rooms divided neatly while maintaining the feeling of a hip, open loft. The space has been open for about a year and seven months, […]
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ART REVIEW: “Silver and Water”
The souls of artists and philosophers are never still; their vigilant senses are buffeted by the urgently calling winds and tides of change that they often detect before others. As such, some artists serve as the most honest of social critics. The current exhibit filling the South, Annex, and Brackett Clark galleries of George Eastman […]
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ART REVIEW: Feathers and focus found
The current exhibit at Oxford Gallery showcases the current works of two skillful Rochester-based artists, Ray Easton and Jean K. Stephens, whose gentle reverence for nature lends a breathtaking sweetness to each work. Through their eyes, we see nuance and minutiae as crucial and worthy of our attention. The artists have in common a supremely […]
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Hand-built humble beginnings
This is a year for Rochester’s arts and cultural institutions to celebrate big anniversaries. Both the Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester Museum and Science Center are continuing their 100th year of operation. In addition, a younger institution, the Genesee Center for the Arts and Education, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, and in doing so, […]
