Machete
The movie Machete, currently playing all over the place and directed by Ethan Maniquis and Robert Rodriguez is by far one of the most awful films that I have seen in years. Its only redeeming quality is that it allows the use of the word "Mexploitation," which is a very cool new word which showcases the ever amazing muscularity of the Englisg language.
Even though it is full of very talented and/or big name actors (De Niro, Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Steven Segal, Lindsay Lohan, etc.), it is not much more than a Mexicanized storyline (written by the director's cousin) along the lines of the gory, pre-Machete films (Planet Terror and Death Proof) by Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino.
No vale la pena. Please don't make a hit out of this movie or we will be seeing an unending series of sequels.
Read Tricia Olszewski's review in the CP here and Michael O'Sullivan's review in the WaPo here.
Monday, September 06, 2010
Sunday, September 05, 2010
Thor Halvorssen on Cuba's Ladies in White
Thor Halvorssen is President of the New York-based Human Rights Foundation and founder of the Oslo Freedom Forum. He has a terrific article in the Huffington Post about Cuba's courageous Las Damas de Blanco and the repressive machinations of the Castro brothers.
"The freedom granted to those who should have never had it robbed from them is a welcome step. But the heart of the problem remains: the Castro brothers' tyranny is no different and international actors mustn't be fooled into believing that Raúl is any less of a despot than Fidel. He has inherited his brother's house of tyranny, and has changed nothing but the window dressing. And the curtains aren't white. They're red."Read it here.
Saturday, September 04, 2010
Some good shows at the Katzen
I'm going to be visiting the Katzen later today to see RE-VISION: American University Alumni, which was one of the exhibitions opening the 2010-2011 fall season of the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center last Tuesday, August 31.
The exhibition, which closes with the end of AU’s family and alumni weekend on Sunday, October 24, showcases alumni across several generations—from those who graduated this year to those who studied under Luciano Penay (also opening an exhibition at the museum), Robert Gates, Helene Herzbrun, Ben L. Summerford, Robert D’Arista, and others in the AU Art Department’s first wave of faculty.
The exhibition includes more than 97 works of by 60 artists, each of whom is an AU alum. Jack Rasmussen, curator and director of the Museum, was one of the individuals tasked with jurying the show. To be considered, the work had to have been created no earlier than the year 2000.
"We were impressed by the 120 alums who submitted work," said Rasmussen, himself an AU alumnus. "Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough space to include them all, but the enthusiastic response by our alumni tells me this is a project to be revisited in the not-too-distant future."
In addition to RE-VISION: American University Alumni, three other exhibitions opened at the American University Museum on August 31: Luciano Penay: Time, News, Paintings, and Natural Forms, BG Muhn: Love Affair of the Empress and Alan Binstock: Way-Stations. Binstock is a former NASA architect who has been showing around the East Coast for the last two decades.
Norse Soul: the legacy of Edvard Munch, social democracy, old myths, anarchy, and death longings, which opened earlier this summer, is also be on display.
New drawing
Eve Running Away from Eden. 10 x 25 inches. Charcoal on paper, c. 2010 by F. Lennox Campello
This is "Eve Running Away from Eden." This is a new piece just finished, which will either be exhibited at the "Myth & Transformations" show at the School of Art & Design at Montgomery College's King Street Gallery, located in the beautiful Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Arts Center at 930 King Street in the Montgomery College, Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus (Opening on Thu., Sept. 23, 2010) or at the McLean Project for the Arts Aartfest, which is a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of 40 local and regional visual artists. McLean Central Park will reverberate with the sights and sounds of art and music on Sunday, October 3rd at the 4th annual MPAartfest. Last year’s event drew 6,000 art and music devotees. Details here.
Eve Running Away from Eden (Detail). 10 x 25 inches. Charcoal on paper, c. 2010 by F. Lennox Campello
Friday, September 03, 2010
Gopnik on the Trawick Prize
The Washington Post's chief art critic reviews the Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards, a.k.a. the Trawick Prize.
Sara Pomerance of Washington won the $10,000 "Best in Show" award. Read Gopnik's excellent take on the prizewinners here.
FYI to Blake: "Best in Show" is the usual award given in most of these type of competitions where the actual winner is selected from a "showing" of their actual work.
The show is at the former Heineman Myers Gallery space at 4728 Hampden Lane in Bethesda. A public reception will be held on Friday, September 10, 2010 from 6-9pm in conjunction with the Bethesda Art Walk. The Gallery hours are Wednesday - Saturday from 12-6pm.
No Artist Left Behind
The WPA's No Artist Left Behind (NALB) Workshop Series (in partnership with New York Foundation for the Arts), presents: Independent Artist.
This is a one-day professional development workshop with Rory Golden, Program Officer, New York Foundation for the Arts on September 25, 10am-5pm.
Hosted by Cultural Development Corporation at the Source Theater (1835 14th St., NW Washington, DC). Register here.
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Camilo Sanin at Orchard Gallery
Camilo Sanin, who is currently a graduate student at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) and also the winner of prestigious 2009 Bethesda Painting Award, is currently showing in an exhibition titled Underlying Structures at Bethesda's Orchard Gallery.
The opening reception, part of the Bethesda Art Walk, is tomorrow, September 3rd from 7-9pm.
Dupont Gallery walk tomorrow
Lori Anne Boocks and Jan Willem van der Vossen open at Studio Gallery with receptions on Friday 9/3 from 6-8pm (for the Dupont Circle galleries First Friday openings) and again on Saturday 9/11 from 4-6pm.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Wanna go to an opening this Friday?
The Gallery at AYN Studio in the Penn Quarter neighborhood, will present an exhibition of collage and assemblage creations by artists Jamea Richmond-Edwards and Amber Robles-Gordon entitled, “Pretty Things, Little Treasures and Hidden Meanings”. The exhibition will open on Friday September 3, 2010 with a public reception from 6:30-8:30 pm. The exhibition will remain on view by appointment until Friday September 17, 2010.
Opportunity for Artists
Deadline: November 12, 2010
Gallery West in Old Town Alexandria has a call for artists for their 14th Annual National Juried Show (Exhibit Dates: February 9–March 6, 2011).
The all media show will be juried by yours truly and awards to total $1,000. Click here to download the prospectus.
Scary Spider
I've got a black spider in my back yard which has the scariest looking spikes on it body and a mean looking stinger underneath... I've been staying away from this beautiful, mean looking machine.
I've never seen a spider which also has spikes on its body. My poor attempt at macro photography without getting too close to this dude is above. A better image of what it looks like is here.
Monday, August 30, 2010
20 Works of Art Missing or Destroyed
There’s a sad truth to art museums that’s not often talked about: sometimes, things just disappear. Over time, countless works of art have gone missing for one reason or another, whether it’s damage, theft, poor stewardship, natural disaster, or the tragic effects of war. For every hundred or thousand paintings or sculptures, there’s one that’s been lost to the ages. Some exist in reproductions or sketches, but some are gone for good. This list is just a small sample of those works of art that can be seen only in photos of what used to be.Read it and weep here.
Life After Art School
Carrie M. Becker just received an MFA in sculpture and she's trying to figure out where to go from there:
Transition is a terrible thing. The transition from life in art school to life in the Great Big Out There. How can it work? As I try to write this, “failure” is the only word to come to mind. Failure. But where to go from there?Read the entire series here.
Failure perfectly describes my state of mind right now. Three years after art school, three states, four jobs, and thousands of dollars of debt later, I’m still nowhere. I once sauntered through the hallways of my alma mater as a god (in my mind at least), and have now been forced, years later, to crawl like a begging dog to interview after interview with no success and no foreseeable future. I wince every time I open my email – surely another rejection is sitting there, mocking me.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Top 20 Movies for Art Buffs
Capturing the creative process on film is almost impossible. Artists work inside their own heads as much as with physical materials, which is why a number of films about artists fall short of the mark. But sometimes, filmmakers get it right, creating rounded portraits of fascinating men and women driven by their passions to create something amazing. Some of the films on this list will be familiar to readers, especially those who've studied fine art at the college or master's degree level, but they're all worth watching no matter your profession. These are the movies that come closer than any others to re-creating the moment of inspiration in an artist's life.Check out the 20 choices here.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wanna do something fun tomorrow?
Tastings: Sample a variety of organic wines and samples of locally grown snacks
Topic: Getting Your Hands Dirty: Food Acitvism in Metro DC, a discussion with the Neighborhood Farm Initiative (NFI)
Date/Time: Sunday, August 29th from 2:30-5:00 PM
Place: Fountain Framing, 3311 Rhode Island Avenue, Mount Rainier, MD 20712
Cost: No charge
What is the alternative food movement and what are people in our area doing to support food activism? Maureen Moodie and Bea Trickett of the Neighborhood Farm Initiative will discuss food access and food security in the metro DC area. NFI recognizes our concern for food security, food access and healthy living and will also discuss ways to successfully grow organic gardens at home. They will bring in produce grown from farms at Fort Totten and Fort Dupont for your sampling. Tax-deductible donations to the organization are greatly appreciated. For more information about NFI, please see their website at www.neighborhoodfarminitiative.org or contact neighborhoodfarm@gmail.com
Opportunity for Artists
Applications are now being accepted from artists interested in participating in the Dupont Circle Fine Arts Show taking place on Sat, Sept 25, 2010, from 2 to 6pm on 17 St., NW.
This event is being sponsored by the Dupont Circle Citizens Association (DCCA) in conjunction with the Area Neighborhood Commission2B (ANC2B). Interested artists should go to this website and download an application form and informational sheet.
Opportunity for DMV Artists
Deadline: October 30, 2010
The BlackRock Center for the Arts has a huge gorgeous gallery space and their call for artists for the 2011 art season is now up.
The 2011 Call to Artists is open to all artists residing in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC over the age of 18 for original artwork only. This call will cover exhibits in the gallery from October 2011 through August 2012. An exhibit may include on applicant or a combination of applicants, based on the judgement of jurors. The jury panel is comprised of Kathleen Moran, Jack Rasmussen and yours truly.
Details here.
