A beige canvas rectangle on the floor topped with a human-size, plush stick figure of the same color greeted visitors to the second floor hallway of 319 North 11th Street on First Friday. Seeing that the hallway of this multiform art destination is a severely underutilized space, the regulars stopped in their tracks as much […]
Article · December 18, 2014 by CSchwartz
The motif that recurs in the Archive Space at Crane Arts is a product of Gregory Labold–or perhaps just as accurately, the product of a humble little mushroom. A radial pattern of lines emerges from the center point of a circular shape, which is subsequently repeated countless times in the small space on the walls, […]
Article · December 16, 2014 by CSchwartz
The atmosphere of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is as viscous as it is visceral – at least for the time being. Since mid-September, PAFA has been taking a look back at the long visual history of filmmaker, painter and all-around artistic anomaly David Lynch. By examining the past and present of […]
Article · December 11, 2014 by CSchwartz
Have you ever seen a ghost? Kristopher Benedict has. And for your viewing enjoyment, he has surreptitiously sneaked them into Tiger Strikes Asteroid as part of his solo show “Kristopher Benedict: Happy Ghost,” curated by Will DiBello. Each painting he includes in the seven-piece exhibit is a pastiche of personal and found photos, images from […]
Article · December 9, 2014 by CSchwartz
Cheryl Harper takes her cues from America, but not the idealized Americana or patriotic invocations that so often find a place in folk art and popular culture. Instead, this artist produces a brand of ridiculous, self-conscious commentary on the state of the country and our collective obsessions. At James Oliver Gallery, both the political landscape […]
Article · December 4, 2014 by CSchwartz
Having recently completed their Fall Experimental Music Festival which included a retrospective of early electronic musician Bruce Haack and a night of avant-garde compositions curated by Thomas Patteson, North Philadelphia’s <fidget> performance space shows no signs of standing still, as its rather apropos name might suggest. On December 12 and 13, <fidget> will host “There, […]
Article · December 2, 2014 by CSchwartz
If the third time is the charm, then the Philadelphia Sculpture Gym‘s “Process: Wood III” show is surely the enchanted culmination of its two predecessors. This Knight Arts grantee acts as the reliquary for a number of artifacts, many of which seem to cast a spiritual slant on one of the most time-tested mediums. Even […]
Article · November 25, 2014 by CSchwartz
The mind of Tim Eads must be an astonishing place. Fortunately, by setting foot in Pentimenti Gallery right now, it is possible to wade through the extraordinary imagery of this prolific patternmaker, and catch a brief glimpse of the fantastical features that pepper this artist’s outlandish imagination. In “Vector Forms,” we find an exuberant place […]
Article · November 20, 2014 by CSchwartz
At Da Vinci Art Alliance, the dedication and curiosity inherent in Mike Pavol‘s figurative oil paintings is unmistakable. His collection of recent works for “Portaits and Such” is heavily based on the human body, but Pavol also takes liberties with his art that twist traditional portraits beyond mere representation. Delicately perceptive and at times experimental, […]
Article · November 18, 2014 by CSchwartz
Lewis Colburn is the sort of historian that creates history. Through the images of antiquity and memorial that he harnesses to fabricate his show, “On This Site,” at Napoleon, Colburn departs on a monumental farce that is comical yet philosophically challenging. By recognizing the present as an integral step toward the narrative of historical hindsight, the artist allows […]
Article · November 13, 2014 by CSchwartz
Looking to add some new original works to your art collection? Would you like to donate to a reputable Philadelphia art organization? How about doing both without breaking your budget at the same time? If so, you are in luck, because this weekend Fleisher Art Memorial, a Knight Arts grantee, will be hosting its sixth […]
Article · November 11, 2014 by CSchwartz