Cudlin on Gopkinism

Blake Gopnik’s remarks were interesting (yes, I’ll stick with interesting). He claimed that the problem with painting now is that painters don’t address their work directly to art critics. This is an odd thing to say, but it's pretty much in sync with other sorts of observations Blake likes to make about the art world. Like, for example, when he asserted that art is better when developments in the market aren’t leading or influencing museums—and museums can be left to do their job in peace.

At the time, I thought this was simply a bizarre misunderstanding on Blake’s part. But Blake is a smart guy, and hearing this new curious notion has made me realize that he has a remarkably consistent viewpoint — albeit one not even remotely grounded in reality. He seems to be wandering through a utopian socialist shadow art world, one in which painters don’t try to sell their works, and collectors are shooed away from the boardrooms of institutions, or from contact with curators.

Read the whole Jeffry Cudlin post here.

A History of Dogs And Witches

New work by Laurel Hausler opens Thursday October 16, 2008 from 6-9 pm in DC's Nevin Kelly Gallery.

Gallery Nights in Philly

Philly's Center City District will be having one of their fun Gallery Nights this coming Friday, Oct. 17 with 15+ art galleries and art venues hosting events.

I'm particularly interested in the Galleries at Moore College of Art and Design where there's currently a terrific show of drawings by 20th century icon Alice Neel, a Philadelphia native and alumna of Moore College of Art & Design, and a brilliant artist who bucked the abstract trends of her time and established herself as one of the top American artists of the century. And today, Wednesday, October 15, starting at 11:15AM, author and art historian, Sarah Powers, discusses the complexity of artist Alice Neel’s life and process in her drawings and painting.

CHAW Video

True Believer

"True Believer." Charcoal on Paper. c. 2008, framed to 24x18 inches.
By F. Lennox Campello
You can buy this drawing from Projects Gallery in Philadelphia, where it will be part of that Northern Liberties gallery's "Paper" show coming up soon. The show will run from Nov. 19 through Dec. 20 with an opening reception on Friday, Dec. 5, 2008.

Seen on the drive from Norfolk

As you drive up from Norfolk to the Philly area, you drive through the Coastal Highway up through Virginia's eastern shores and into Maryland's eastern shore. And just before you cross the state border into Maryland, the below sign warns you that:


On the other side of the road, as you enter Virginia from Maryland, the same signs tells you that "The South Begins Here."

They should put some signs halfway through all the bridges and tunnels leaving Manhattan saying "The Artworld Ends Here." At least according to Newyorkistas...

Tere Diaz on Hispanic/Latino artists

Read a terrific interview at authentic art visions.