Articles by Jenifer Mangione Vogt
Leonardo Lost & Found
Leonardo Lost & Found- South Florida Opulence/SPRING 2014
South Florida Opulence, Spring 2014
Rosenbaum Contemporary at Art Wywnood 2014
http://rosenbaumcontemporary.wordpress.com/2014/02/24/rosenbaum-contemporary-at-art-wynwood-2014/
February 24, 2014
Beautiful Letters: The Art of Calligraphy
Beautiful Letters: The Art of Calligraphy PDF
Art + Culture Magazine of Palm Beach County, Winter 2013
Armory Exhibit An Impressive Look at Local Black Artists
http://palmbeachartspaper.com/index.php/2263-armory-exhibit-an-impressive-look-at-local-black-artists.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, November 24, 2013
View From the Top: Leading Art Dealers Share their Thoughts on Art Basel Miami Beach and Art Miami
JetSet-2013-Art Basel and Art Miami Preview
JetSet Magazine, November 2013
Resident Experts: Visiting Artists Bring Knowledge, Experience and Inspiration to Palm Beach
Resident Experts: Visiting Artists Bring Knowledge, Experience and Inspiration to Palm Beach
Art + Culture Magazine of Palm Beach County, Fall 2013
Gallery Crawl #1: Exhibits Showcase County’s Contemporary Bent
http://palmbeachartspaper.com/index.php/2200-gallery-crawl-no-1-exhibits-showcase-countys-contemporary-bent.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, October 3, 2013
Two Artists of the Fleeting at Boca Museum
http://palmbeachartspaper.com/index.php/2166-two-artists-of-the-fleeting-at-boca-museum.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, August 30, 2013
An Inspired Artist (about Jeff Hein)
http://www.jetsetmag.com/categories/art/jeff-hein-inspired-artist.html#nav
JetSet Magazine, Issue 4, 2013
Art, Peace & Harmony at Hong Kong’s Imperial Museum (as ghostwriter)
http://www.jetsetmag.com/categories/art/hong-kong-imperial-museum.html#.UfZOyW0phhE
JetSet Magazine, Issue 4, 2013
History and Art Meet on Clematis Street
http://palmbeachartspaper.com/index.php/32-news-a-commentary/2106-history-and-art-meet-on-clematis-street.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, June 13, 2013
Always in Style: Art in Retail Spaces in Palm Beach County
Art in Retail Spaces in Palm Beach County
Art + Culture Magazine of Palm Beach County, Spring 2013
At the Liman Gallery, Emily Zuch Emerges
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1987-at-the-liman-gallery-emily-zuch-emerges.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, March 6, 2013
Art Fairs Take New York
NY Art Fairs Jet Set
JetSet Magazine, Issue 2, 2013
SEE// Annie Leibovitz Celebrity Portraits
http://www.artlog.com/2013/759-see-annie-leibovitzs-celebrity-portraits#.UQvgz2fQuo8
ArtLog, Feb 1, 2013
New Curator Brings Fresh Eyes to Norton’s American Collection
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1930-new-curator-to-bring-fresh-eyes-to-nortons-american-collection.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, Jan 29, 2013
Palm Beach Art Fairs: Art Away From the Maddening Crowds
Click to download: Palm Beach Art Fairs: Art Away From the Maddening Crowds
JetSet Magazine, Issue 1, 2013
Sylvia Plimack Mangold: An Artist of the Hudson Valley Beautiful
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1880-an-artist-of-the-hudson-valley-beautiful.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, Dec 13, 2012
How Basel Put Miami on the Art World Map (as ghostwriter)
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD ABMB 2012 JetSet Magazine
JetSet Magazine, Nov/Dec 2012
Restoring Italy’s Treasured Art
Italian Tribune Oct 11-2012
Italian Tribune, October 11, 2012
Palm Beach County Art Season 2012 – 2013 Season Preview
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1828-season-preview-2012-13-palm-beach-county-visual-art.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, October 7, 2012
Camilla Ancilotto at the Freedom Tower in Miami
http://www.knightarts.org/community/miami/camilla-ancilotto-at-the-freedom-tower
Knight Arts Blog, September 4, 2012
Boetti Exhibit Shows Italian Art Still Resonates
http://www.niaf.org/blog/default.asp?post=365
Tutto NIAF (the blog for the National Italian American Foundation), August 13, 2012
Edward Gorey, the gentle curmudgeon: at the Norton
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1784-edward-gorey-the-gentle-curmudgeon-at-the-norton.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, July 21, 2012
Spiritual Wanderlust in Cuba, Mexico, and Miami
http://www.artlog.com/2012/311-spiritual-wanderlust-in-cuba-mexico-and-miami#.T9MiVbBYt20
ArtLog, June 8, 2012
The Palm Beach Story, or Whatever Happened to Baby Jane
http://artdistricts.com/the-palm-beach-story-or-whatever-happened-to-baby-jane/
ArtDistricts, June 1, 2012
Open Engagement at the Harn Museum
http://artdistricts.com/open-engagement/
ArtDistricts, June 1 2012
ReFocus: Art of the 1970s
http://artdistricts.com/refocus-art-of-the-1970s/
ArtDistricts, June 1, 2012
Tacita Dean at the Norton Museum of Art
http://artdistricts.com/tacita-dean/
ArtDistricts, June 1, 2012
Miami’s Spring Standouts
http://artlog.com/posts/410-miami-s-spring-standouts
ArtLog, April 23, 2012
Jason Shawn Alexander: Undertow
http://artpulsemagazine.com/jason-shawn-alexander-undertow
ArtPulse, Spring 2012
Looking Towards the Future of Contemporary Art in Jacksonville: An Interview with Marcelle Polednik
http://artdistricts.com/looking-toward-the-future-of-contemporary-art-in-jacksonville-a-conversation-with-marcelle-polednik/
ArtDistricts, April/May2012
Florida Exhibit Showcases Significant Renaissance and Baroque Art
“Offering of the Angels”
ArtDistricts, April/May 2012
Francesco Simeti at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens in Miami
http://www.knightarts.org/community/miami/vizcaya-unveils-installation-by-italian-artist-francesco-simeti-as-part-of-contemporary-art-series
Knight Arts Blog, April 5, 2012
Botticelli in Your Own Backyard
Botticelli in Your Backyard by Jenifer Mangione Vogt | Ambassador| National Italian American Foundation
Ambassador: The Magazine of the National Italian American Foundation, Spring 2012
VIP Art Fair: E-commerce comes to the Salon
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1667-the-vip-art-fair-e-commerce-comes-to-the-salon.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, Feb 29, 2012
Through One Collector’s Eyes: A Conversation with Martin Margulies
http://artdistricts.com/through-one-collectors-eyes/
ArtDistricts, Feb/March, 2012
Koch’s collection an unequaled Western treasure trove
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1649-kochs-collection-an-unequaled-western-treasure-trove.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, February 13, 2012
The art of anxiety: Dana Schutz’s disturbing visions
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1637-the-art-of-anxiety-dana-schutzs-disturbing-visions.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, February 4, 2012
Artist Saville makes beauty out of flesh
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1630-artist-saville-makes-beauty-out-of-flesh-the-rawer-the-better.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, January 29, 2012
Illustration show at Four Arts also chronicles shift in national identity
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1608-illustration-show-at-four-arts-also-chronicles-shift-in-american-identity.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, January 6, 2012
NADA’s collaborative style proves boon for new art, audiences
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1592-nadas-collaborative-style-proves-boon-for-new-art-audiences.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, December 19, 2011
Noteworthy exhibits and events surround 10th edition of Art Basel Miami Beach
2011 Miami Art Week Preview
ArtDistricts, December 2011
Zadok exhibits complement Miami Art Week
Zadok Gallery Article
ArtDistricts, December 2011
The weight of Maurizio Cattelan’s “All”
http://cosibuono.com/2011/11/29/the-weight-of-maurizio-cattelan-all/
Italian New York, November 28, 2011
Whitespace: A space where life meets art and talent emerges
http://artdistricts.com/whitespace/
Art Districts, October/November 2011
Photo Salon show offers fresh take on Florida views
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1526-photo-salon-show-offers-fresh-take-on-florida-views.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, October 2011
Norton Museum of Art unveils congenial set of changes
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1513-norton-unveils-a-congenial-set-of-changes.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, October 2011
Boca Raton museum director looks to community for inspiration
http://artdistricts.com/boca-raton-museum-director-looks-to-community-for-inspiration/
ArtDistricts Magazine, August/September 2011
‘Pop-up’ show reveals health of area contemporary art scene
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1448-pop-up-show-reveals-health-of-area-contemporary-art-scene.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, June 2011
Vickrey’s world too fragile for the real one
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/1434-vickreys-world-too-fragile-for-the-real-one.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, June 2011
Writing poetry with his camera lens
http://italiansouthflorida.com/2011/05/05/writing-poetry-with-his-camera-lens/
Italian South Florida, May 2011
Hudson River painters captured glory of a rising nation
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Hudson-River-painters-captured-glory-of-a-rising-nation.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, March 2011
Fine art fair draws different crowd to the Convention Center
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Fine-art-fair-draws-a-different-crowd-to-Convention-Center.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, February 2011
California Impressionists captured optimistic moment in time
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/California-Impressionists-captured-optimistic-moment-in-time.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, February 2011
Art Palm Beach offers trip down rabbit hole into art Wonderland
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Art-Palm-Beach-offers-trip-down-rabbit-hole-into-art-Wonderland.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, January 2011
Art fairs bring aesthetics, learning to Palm Beach
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Art-fairs-bring-aesthetics-learning-to-Palm-Beach.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, January 2011
Art world converges on Miami Beach for Art Basel ‘party’
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Art-world-converges-on-Miami-Beach-for-Art-Basel-party.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, November 2010
For Adami, everything is allegory
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/For-Adami-everything-is-allegory.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, November 2010
Boxer exhibit shows painter’s love affair with abstraction
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Boxer-exhibit-shows-painters-love-affair-with-abstraction.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, May 2010
Norton’s contemporary art deserves its own space
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Nortons-contemporary-art-deserves-its-own-space.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, March 2010
Exhibit of works on paper shows another side of Cassatt
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Exhibit-of-works-on-paper-shows-another-side-of-Cassatt.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, February 2010
Erbe show offers reminders – good and bad – of bygone America
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Erbe-show-offers-reminders-–-good-and-bad-–-of-bygone-America.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, September 2009
Lyrical Abstraction show demonstrates resilience of American painting
http://www.palmbeachartspaper.com/Art/Lyrical-Abstraction-show-demonstrates-resilience-of-American-painting.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, June 2009
Andrew Stevovich/Cleve Gray at the Boca Raton Museum of Art
http://www.pbartspaper.com/2009/04/art-review-gray-stevovich-offer.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, April 2009
American Impressionism at The Four Arts Society
http://www.pbartspaper.com/2009/03/art-review-four-arts-show-brilliant.html
Palm Beach ArtsPaper, March, 2009
It’s All About Things/Luis Maldonado
The Scarsdale Inquirer, April, 2005
April Gornik: Mid-Career Survey at The Neuberger Museum of Art
The Scarsdale Inquirer, January, 2005
A Beautiful Gift from Andrew Stevovich
Chocolate Truffles, 2013, Andrew Stevovich
If you follow my blog and writing, you know that Andrew Stevovich is one of my favorite American artists. I was first introduced to Andrew’s work in 2009 when I reviewed his show at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. It was love at first sight. I sat on the bench in the center of the exhibit fascinated. I even recall the conversation I had with the museum docent where we spoke about Andrew’s work, the stillness and surface aspect of it, in comparison to early-Renaissance artists, like Giotto.
A few months ago, I posted about one of Andrew’s new works, “Chocolate Truffles.” From the moment he began posting the preliminary drawings for this work on his Facebook page, I was entranced. For me, capturing that moment before the woman puts the truffle in her mouth is representative of so many issues. I wonder if she’s feeling guilty? I wonder if she’s savoring the moment? I wonder if she’s torn between desire and self-discipline? I wonder if the truffles were a gift from a lover?
A few days ago, I received the best gift an art writer could ever get. Andrew sent me one of the preliminary sketches of “Chocolate Truffles” (pictured here). This lovely gift brought tears to my eyes. First, it’s incredibly kind and thoughtful of him, and I’m finding as I get older that thoughtfulness, kindness and appreciation mean so much to me. Second, for me as a thyroid cancer survivor who battles weight issues, there doesn’t seem to be a more perfect gift than a work that embodies the momentary dilemma between indulgence and restraint. I fight this battle every day! And then, there’s a little bit of the silliness factor: I just happen to love truffles. I really do. I used to order them from New York when I discovered I couldn’t get my favorite brand here in Florida.
As with all of Andrew’s work, what appears on the surface belies greater depth and mystery. I love that Andrew refers to himself as an abstract painter because I really get what he means with this. On his blog, he writes, “I’ve always said I’m fundamentally an abstract painter, that the narrative is an important level to be enjoyed or contemplated, but that it’s not the only level to see.” I find it interesting that Andrew is a “surface” painter in the sense that he has mastered the use of oil-on-linen to such a degree that his painting is near-perfect, to the extent that it almost seems like a perfection that could be achieved with graphic design software, not the human hand. I’m awed by this mastery. I’m equally awed by the fact that so much goes on beyond the “surface” of Andrew’s narratives.
As an interesting coincidence, Andrew Stevovich is represented by Adelson Galleries. Shortly after I graduated from college, I assisted Jan Adelson with an exhibit she created called, “The Idyll, The Real,” at Lyndhurst Manor in Tarrytown, NY. She was incredibly nice and generous with me. I’ve always remembered her fondly. After that, I lost touch with her and didn’t hear about her, or the gallery, again until Andrew’s exhibit came here to the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
It’s funny to me how everything in life comes full circle, doesn’t it?
Slapping God’s Hand
HBO has been replaying one of my all-time favorite films, “Six Degrees of Separation.” Have you seen it? I suppose the reason I love this film so much has a lot to do with the fact that art plays a starring role and it was released the same year I graduated from college with an art history degree.
I could tell you about the film’s plot, but I wont, because you should see it. I’ll tell you why it’s on my mind today. I’m recalling the scene where Stockard Channing’s character, Ouisa, triumphantly walks away from her shallow money and image-obsessed husband. “We’re a terrible match,” she tells him. I always get the chills when I watch this scene.
I’m not recalling this today because of a man or because I’m fleeing a bad marriage. Fortunately, I dodged that bullet. I’m recalling this scene as quintessentially representative of those moments in life when one feels truly liberated, as if a veil has been lifted. As well as those moments where one feels, with such certainty, that there is a greater purpose or power at play. Some call it God, or fate or karma.
As she flees, Ouisa flashes back to a visit that she and her husband, an art dealer, made to the top of the restoration scaffolding at the Sistine Chapel. The Italian restorer tells her, “Go ahead, slap it!” She hesitates, but he insists. Giddily, she succumbs to the temptation to slap the hand of God.
I saw the Sistine Chapel restoration exactly when it was halfway through in 1987. On the right, Michelangelo’s imagery was filtered through a Vaseline like layer of soot, grime and candle wax, years of accumulated debris. But on the left, the images were crisp, clear and vibrant. As if overnight, Michelangelo suddenly became touted as a “colorist” in the art trades.
Life often imitates art, or perhaps art imitates life. Years of debris, grime, cloudiness and fuzz can suddenly be lifted and everything can change. Have you slapped the hand of God today?
The Cat Show @ White Columns
How could I not post about this ?
Cats are finally getting their day at an exhibit that opens on June 13th at White Columns in New York City. I have to admit that when I first got the email about this show, I quickly deleted it. I love cats, but I thought it was some kind of contemporary art world statement/joke. Luckily they sent it again and I read it. It’s a real show. And I’m delighted.
It will help a good cause, too, the Social Tees Animal Rescue, a 501c3 non-profit that, every year, takes over 3000 at risk animals from kill shelters, gives them veterinary care and finds them loving homes.
Cats should be the subject of an art exhibit because cats are great. Most creative people have cats, especially writers. Just think of Ernest Hemingway. I visited his house in the Keys just to see the descendents of his famous six-toed cats. And they were everywhere. I really could’ve cared less about the house. Or Hemingway.
We creatives aren’t as drawn to dogs, not that they’re not also great. But dogs are so, well, doggy and messy and excitable and irksome when you’re trying to sleep. Cats are cool, confident and discerning. And contrary to what many people say, cats are not aloof if they own the right person. If their person is genuine, cats are affectionate, loyal and will come when called. Honestly, cat people just don’t get the “My Cat From Hell” show.
Apparently a lot of famous artists agree because the White Columns show, curated by writer and artist Rhonda Lieberman, features work from: Michele Abeles, Rita Ackermann, Antonio Adams, Bill Adams, Laura Aldridge, Graham Anderson, Araki, Cory Arcangel, Atelier E.B. (Lucy McKenzie, Beca Lipscombe, Marc Camille Chaimowicz), Michel Auder, Lisa Anne Auerbach, Matthew Barney, Will Benedict, Olaf Breuning, Janet Burchill, Kathe Burkhart, Carter, Antoine Catala, Cole, David Colman, Cynthia Daignault, Lucky DeBellevue, Jake Ewert, Bella Foster, Magdalena Frimkess, Jeff Funnell, Rainer Ganahl, Paul Georges, Eric Ginsburg, Karin Gulbran, Tamar Halpern, June Hamper, Daniel Heidkamp, Robert Heinecken, John Hiltunen, Ann Cathrin November Hoibo, Jonathan Horowitz, Marc Hundley, Gary Indiana, Matt Keegan, Mike Kelley, Wayne Koestenbaum, Barbara Kruger, Ella Kruglyanskaya, Sadie Laska, Elad Lassry, Mark Leckey, Cary Leibowitz, Rhonda Lieberman, Cassandra MacLeod, Alissa McKendrick, Ryan McNamara, Siobhan Meow, Marilyn Minter, Dave Muller, Takeshi Murata, Eileen Neff, Laura Owens, Elizabeth Peyton, Richard Prince, Rob Pruitt, Eileen Quinlan, Jennifer Rochlin, Sam Roeck, Ruth Root, Kay Rosen, Jason Rosenberg, Theo Rosenblum and Chelsea Seltzer, Gus Van Sant, Joe Scanlon, Steven Shearer, David Shrigley, Patti Smith, Frances Stark, Amy Taubin, Nicola Tyson, Andy Warhol, Jordan Wolfson, B. Wurtz, Rob Wynne, and Freecell with Gia Wolff.
I’m curious to see what Matthew Barney submits. Somehow I envision a cat dressed as a satyr, if that’s even possible. And Rob Wynne, who has an amazing installation currently on view in the lobby of the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Cats will also be present during the White Columns exhibit through the “Cats-in-Residence-Program.” That’s right. You can meet Meowrina Abramovic, Bruce Meowman, Jeff Maine Coons, Claws Oldenburg, Alex Katz, Frida Kahlico and many others. (no joke. that’s what the press release said.) But this is New York and it’s an art gallery opening, so scratch what I said earlier because they actually might act aloof and disinterested while they nurse their Chardonnay, unless James Franco wanders in. The cats will be available for adoption.
I’m sensitive and I’m a writer, so of course I have a cat and he’s the love of my life. He’s a big, furry ball of orange fur and love and joy and therapy. Cat therapy is the best kind because it costs less than professional analysis and nothing boots your ego better than unconditional love. I must post a picture. He’s really not fat. It’s just the way he’s sitting. Here’s Yang….
The Cat Show opens at White Columns on June 13th with a reception from 6-8pm and will run until July 27th. The “Cats-in-Residence Program” will be on view on June 14/15 and July 19/20.
Filling the Void: Fabiano Parisi in Miami
Fabiano Parisi, “Il mondo che non vedo” (“The world I do not see”)
There are a few days left to catch the exhibit Fabiano Parisi: Empire of Light at the Diana Lowenstein Gallery in Miami. The show ends this Saturday, May 31st.
Empire of Light is a series that Parisi began in 2007 and in which he photographs abandoned buildings throughout the world – Italy, Poland, Germany Belgium and the U.S. Parisi was born in Rome in 1977. You can learn more about him on his website at http://www.fabianoparisi.com/.
There’s something fascinating, or at least to me, about abandoned buildings. I’m not sure why, but this theme recurs in my life. I recently watched (well, honestly, I only made it through the first 15 minutes) Chernobyl Diaries, a film inspired by eerie photos of Pripyat, the abandoned village found on this blog. I saw the recent James Bond flick more than once and that was filmed at the abandoned Hashima Island. A few weeks ago, I was mesmerized by Villa Epecuen, a town in Argentina that emerged from the ocean after being underwater for 25 years.
My first encounter with an abandoned location was during a kayaking trip on the Hudson River where I learned about Bannerman Castle. A few years ago an Italian photographer, Carlo Tardani, sent me a link to photos he’d taken of abandon building in Tuscany. In Freudian terms, I guess there’s a parallel to being abandoned as a child by my father and being attracted to the emptiness of abandoned locations, the longing for more, the sense of loss for something that was solid and once provided security. I wonder if people that don’t have similar psychological baggage are equally entranced?
In Parisi’s work, there’s a sense not only of abandonment, but also of destruction. There’s this sense that what was was once vibrant, breathing and full of life, but is now devoid of life and breath. However, it could be argued that this absence of life is actually more compelling because the remnants invite the viewer to write a story in their mind. My story will be different than yours. I might project something entirely different. When I look at the photo at the top of this post, I think immediately of the Kirstin Dunst film, Marie Antoinette. What do you think of?
When you view Parisi’s abandoned theater below, there are so many images that surface and superimpose themselves on it figuratively in your head. Our brains store images the way a computer files them away in File Manager, associating them with words, ideas and emotions. Parisi titles his photos, “Il mondo che non vedo,” which translates as “the world I do not see.” That accounts for the absence of life, but not for our desire to fill the void with our own associations, memories and emotions. And when you look at an image like this, it’s hard not to see the ghosts of past occupants. Although the building is empty and decrepit, there’s an impression that remains of the life that was once there.
There is the sense of loss and the mind’s desire to fill the void.
Fabiano Parisi, “Il mondo che non vedo”
Solo Show for Elle Schorr
Elle Schorr, “Contra Jour”
Tomorrow night, Saturday, May 25, 2013, a one-woman exhibit of the work of Palm Beach-based artist Elle Schorr will be on view from 7 till 11 pm at Project Fine Art by Helium Creative in the FAT arts district in Fort Lauderdale. For more info visit www.projectfineart.com or call 954-333-8900.
Schorr is an artist I have a great deal of respect and admiration for. I’ve written about her work before. I met her in 2011 when she organized a photography exhibit at the Armory Arts Center in West Palm Beach and I wrote about the exhibit and her work for Palm Beach ArtsPaper.
I mentioned her again in the Palm Beach 2013 season preview for art that I wrote for the paper back in the fall because she runs these wonderful art salons, also at the Armory. There are two different salons. The Mixed / Multi Media Salon is held on the first Tuesday of the month from 6:30pm until 8:30pm. The other is the Art, Women and Culture Salon, which is held on the third Tuesday of the month from 6:30 till 8:30pm. They explore artists who have been influential and inspirational, and discuss participants’ own contemporary art practices. Schorr has lectured on her photography, and organized several group presentations. (Read more about Schorr’s salons here: http://www.armoryart.org/ArtSalons )
Elle Schorr, “Water View”
My admiration for Schorr is the result of both her talent and her commitment to art in South Florida. She’s the most in-the-know-about-art person I know here. Not only does she organize the salons, but she supports all of the major art events and exhibits by other artists in the county at galleries and museums. If I want to know about interesting art events happening anywhere in between Palm Beach and Miami, I know that Schorr is the right person to ask.
Her commitment to art is complemented by the fact that she supports others. She gives back to the artistic community and I admire that. Her salons give many local artists the opportunity to showcase their talent and their expertise and that’s something that was really needed here in Palm Beach before she began. So, she’s also helping to shape a supportive community for artists, and even art writers like myself.
And her work is excellent. She’s an extremely talented photographer who sees the world in her own unique way and brings that vision to her viewer. Her photographs look like collages, but they are not. Rather, they are reflections of images in windows and those images are often full of interesting people and objects, color and composition. In many ways, Schorr’s work reminds me of the photo-realist paintings that Richard Estes did in the 60s. Yet, Schorr attributes her use of reflections to being spurred by an exhibit she saw of the work of Lee Friedlander, who also did many photos of reflections in his car’s rear-view window.
Schorr also references Walker Evans, Berenice Abbott and Diane Arbus as artists that have influenced her. What makes her work so unique is her penchant for capturing a reflection at precisely the moment when there’s something very interesting happening. Often, you’ll think she’s incorporated multiple images into the work when it’s really just one reflection that was caught at a moment when the light shone a certain way to creative multiple reflected images. Schorr says that she’s fascinated by the interplay of light and shadows and watching, “…different things emerge and disappear.”
An artist is always showing the viewer their viewpoint, but when what is being shown is a reflection the work takes on multiple layers of intrigue and that’s what I find most captivating about Schorr’s imagery. I find myself creating narratives in my mind about what I’m seeing reflected back at me and those narratives likely say more about me and my associations than they do about Schorr’s intention, and that’s another layer.
Elle Schorr, “Walk in the Park”
You can see more of Schorr’s work and learn more about her on her website: http://elleschorrphotography.com/presentations.php
Cheryl Maeder in Icons & Images
Cheryl Maeder, Dreamscapes, Everglades I, 4/10, Photograph on Plexiglas, 30 x 45 inches in size. Permanent Collection of the Frost Museum of Art
The exhibit “Icons & Images” opens tomorrow night, Saturday, May 18, at Curator’s Art Voice Projects during the monthly Wynwood Art Walk. The show will feature work from Palm Beach-based artist Cheryl Maeder.
I’m a fan of Maeder’s work where she creates dream-like images, derived from underlying photographs that challenge the viewer’s subconscious response to familiar scenes by literally blurring the line between perception and reality. She calls them “Dreamscapes” and that’s also the title of the series these works belong to. It’s like she’s applied the principles of impressionistic painting to photography and the viewer is left with an impression, rather than a clear-cut image. Yet, enough of the original image is discernible to make out figures at rest, at play and frolicking on the beach.
I derive a sense of joyfulness from Maeder’s work because in blurring reality she brings to the forefront what’s most beautiful about each image – the light, the color, the sense of motion and expression. Before launching her artistic career, Maeder enjoyed a lucrative career as a fine art and advertising photographer. Her work was actually the inspiration for the Dove Campaign onReal Women, Real Beauty that’s been seen all over the world. You can learn more about Maeder and her work on her website at www.maederphotography.com.
Cheryl Maeder, Dreamscapes, Sea & Sky V, 4/10, Photograph on Plexiglas, 30 x 45 inches in size
Two of the works form Maeders’ Dreamscapes series will be on view in Icons & Images. These include, “Dreamscapes: Everglades I” and “Dreamscapes, Sea & Sky V.” The exhibit is curated by Milagros Bello, Ph.D. and will also feature work from 16 other artists. In her description of the show she writes, “Through the intertext of the visual images or through univocal frontal figures, the artists signal and echo societal issues: the critical feminine condition, the chaos of urban life, the money factor, death or war, the critical poverty condition in poor countries, lay underneath some of the works.
Curator’s Voice Art Projects is located at 299 NW 25th St., Miami, FL 33127. You can get more information about “Icon & Images,” including the full schedule of events, at the website at www.curatorsvoice.com or by calling 786-357-0568.
Manet: Portraying Life
Earlier tonight I saw the one-night only documentary, “Manet: Portraying Life” that chronicled the exhibit at the Royal Academy in London. The film’s producers said that they were looking to reach the over 40 crowd. Well, from what I saw in the theater over 60 would probably be more accurate, but that’s one of the reasons I loved it. One of the hardest things about these “blockbuster” exhibits is the wear-and-tear on your body. It can sometimes take over 3 hours to fully digest a big show like this. I have a degree in art history, worked for two years at the Met and I love art, but after two hours even the best shows begin to lose my interest – and, frankly, my feet start to hurt. I can’t imagine how I’ll tough it out at 70.
This clever producer found a way to make viewing a show more comfortable for the masses and considerate of older art lovers. A narrator gave an overview of the exhibit and spoke about Manet’s life and this was interspersed with segments where art historians, artists and even actor Fiona Shaw provided insightful commentary about some of Manet’s most famous works. I really enjoyed it. I think it’s great how museums are embracing technology and social media to reach more people. I also love Manet, so I really enjoyed all the close ups that showed his brilliant brushwork, techniques and colors.
One part of the film that museum visitors never get to see was the work done by the registrar who spoke about how she and the conservator carefully inspect the works prior to mounting the show and record even the tiniest imperfections so they can monitor them.
If you have the chance to see this film, I think you should!
Gaelin Rosenwaks at the Liman Gallery
I caught a great show last week on my second visit to Palm Beach’s Liman Gallery. This time it showcased work by a young artist named Gaelin Rosenwaks. I was as equally impressed by this show as I was by the Emily Zuch show I’d seen there a few weeks prior. I’m a bit surprised to find such cutting-edge art at a gallery in Palm Beach. I expect to see work of this caliber and creativity in Miami, but not necessarily in SoFla’s sleepiest and most exclusive enclave. Here, I guess, the stereotypical notions I hold in my mind make me think I’ll find pretty seascapes and pictures of Palm trees and hibiscus flowers, not a socio-commentary on the ills and ravages of over-fishing.
But that’s what I found at Rosenwaks exhibit, “Global Catch: Portraits of a Precious Resource.” My friend Elle Schorr was with me. She’s an accomplished and innovative fine art photographer. So, I greatly value her opinion and as soon as we entered the small gallery space, she told me she was impressed. What we saw in front of us, on all of the gallery walls, and hung salon-style cascading up towards the ceiling, were photographs of fish and fish markets. This is how the Liman Gallery’s press release described Rosenwaks’ work:
“As a marine scientist focusing a majority of her academic career on fisheries, Gaelin Rosenwaks
personally witnessed the tremendous declines in fish populations and the devastation happening to
our oceans. Because of this, she set out to document the diversity of fish and how different cultures
approach their consumption of fish and other marine resources. The Food and Agriculture
Organization of the United Nations reports that 47% of major fish stocks in the world are considered
fully exploited, 18% are considered over-exploited and 10% are considered depleted. In total 75% of
the world’s fish stocks are harvested either to their maximum or beyond, an alarming statistic as we
move into the future. However what Rosenwaks found in her quest to document this consumption is
that many of the largest consumers of seafood appreciate the resource in a way she could have never
imagined. The fish are treated as precious jewels, carefully handled and displayed in vivid colors.”
There was a lot to take in, but the photographs told a story and I felt compelled by that story, even though it’s one that I had no knowledge about, or even interest in, until I saw this exhibit. After I stopped marveling at the photos, I began to marvel at the fact that Rosenwaks is a Duke-educated marine scientist. So her art is an extension and expression of her work and studies. It’s admirable that she found a way to use her creativity and intelligence to make a statement about something she clearly feels very passionate about. She’s definitely an artist to watch. She also has created a very interesting company. Please visit Global Ocean Explorations to learn more about her and to watch videos and see more photos.
From left: Ellen Liman, Alexander Dreyfoos and Gaelin Rosenwaks.
Charmed by Palm Beach’s Liman Gallery
Liman Gallery Bookstore, Palm Beach
Last week, I trekked up to Palm Beach — and I mean way up beyond Worth Avenue to near where The Breakers is — to review a show of work by Emily Zuch at the Liman Gallery. I’m so glad I did. I really fell in love with this gallery, which occupies one large gallery space at the corner of the Paramount Building and another smaller exhibition space a few storefronts down.
In both of these spaces, Ellen Liman has created a charming venue for art that includes a nook area for out-of-print and rare art books, as well as ample exhibitions space that is teeming with art work from some very well-known artists, but everything is so jam-packed that if you don’t look closely and take your time, you’ll miss some real gems.
For example, what made this visit even more of a delight, Liman had a work by one of my favorite artists, who I also wrote my senior thesis about, Miriam Schapiro. Schapiro emerged in significance during the 70s when she was recognized as part of a group of feminist artists that included Judy Chicago who helped elevate traditional female crafts, such as needlepoint and quilting, to “high art” status.
Liman has a great eye and is also very well-connected in the art world. She attends all the major fairs in the US and Europe and she’s bringing cutting edge and interesting contemporary art to Palm Beach. Her gallery is not to be missed if you’re visiting or even if you live here and have never been.
“Geometry of Needlework,” 1979, Miriam Schapiro
I also enjoyed Zuch’s exhibit, “The Land of Fake Nature.” Zuch, who is 27, created large-scale oil paintings done on sheets of paper that are colorful and imaginative, as well as smaller drawings that bring to mind the work of Edward Gorey. You can read more about her in my review of the show for the Palm Beach ArtsPaper.
Emily Zuch stands amidst her exhibit, “Land of Fake Nature” on view at Palm Beach’s Liman Gallery until March 16, 2013.
Fine Art Notebook™ 