Author Archives: Dr. EMS

Earth Matters at the National Museum of African Art

Next week a new exhibition opens at the Nat. Museum of African Art. Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa April 22, 2013-January 5, 2014 It opens on Earth Day (April 22).  Ecology is a theme of the show as explained by the curator in the preview video seen HERE. Continue reading “Earth Matters at the National Museum of African Art”

Aesthetic Distance: Some thoughts on “Torn First Pages” from Amar Kanwar

What is Aesthetic Distance?  According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, it is defined, in part, as: “the frame of reference that an artist creates by the use of technical devices in and around the work of art to differentiate it psychologically from reality.”  I find the implementation of devices to establish aesthetic distance by contemporary artistsContinue reading “Aesthetic Distance: Some thoughts on “Torn First Pages” from Amar Kanwar”

A Choice Selection: John Chamberlain’s “Choices” Show at the Guggenheim

As mentioned in a previous post, I attended the John Chamberlain show “Choices” at the Guggenheim.  (See the press release.)  Indiana-born Chamberlain was well regarded for his bringing the movement and energy of Abstract Expressionism into three-dimensions.  He brought color and texture into his works, violating some of the unwritten rules of Formalist sculpture whichContinue reading “A Choice Selection: John Chamberlain’s “Choices” Show at the Guggenheim”