Review of “No Soul For Sale” at the Tate Modern on Canadian Art online
The Tate Modern held a 10th anniversary celebration last weekend called “No Soul For Sale: A Festival of Independents” that featured 70 nonprofit and artist-run organizations from around the world, all organized like some crazy family fun fair-meets-art carnival in the institution’s famous Turbine Hall. I was lucky enough to go check it out on Friday afternoon before the huge crowds descended on Saturday (when I stupidly went back, only to force my way through the corridors like I was at a rock concert at El Mocambo) and to spend some time with some of the installations.
Two Toronto Reviews out in esse: Adrian Blackwell at Justina M. Barnicke Gallery and Katie Bethune-Leamen at MKG127
Traveling through many of London’s contemporary art galleries over the past few weeks, I find myself continuously visiting the gift shops, often to check out which (if any) Canadian art publications they carry. So far, the news has not been great and the only Canadian mag I’ve found has been the Montreal-based, bilingual esse in the Tate Modern’s shop (though I am told Fillip should be there by now and I got there just before they were restocking).
23rd Images Festival roundup
I am shocked and a bit appalled that I have not posted on here for more than a month. But now that course work is over and I'm grounded in Toronto indefinitely because of that weird Icelandic volcano incident, I'm pledging to be a much more dutiful and regular...
Betty Goodwin, from the collection of Salah J. Bachir, at Oakville Galleries
I was recently very kindly asked to write the essay to accompany an exhibition of Betty Goodwin's work gathered from the collection of Salah J. Bachir and on display this month at Oakville Galleries. It was a daunting task, especially to write about such a prolific...
Update on Stan Douglas’ “Abbott and Cordova, 7 August 1971”, courtesy Shaun Dacey
Though I still haven't had a chance to see it (made a failed attempt this summer, but Woodwards still wasn't open at that point), Stan Douglas' highly anticipated photomural Abbott & Cordova, 7 August 1971 is finally up in the lobby of the former department store,...
C magazine Panel Discussion of Feminist Practices
I know it is rapidly becoming that super busy time in the late-winter, early-spring art season where openings, fundraisers and festivals abound, but if you have time this Tuesday evening, C magazine is hosting a panel discussion on feminist practices in contemporary...
Jerry Saltz’s “An Open Letter to (starving, idle, hungry, ambitous, etc.) Art-Critics about Starting their own on-line Art Magazines”
New York magazine art critic Jerry Saltz wrote a fantastically ranting letter to one of his readers and commentators on his Facebook page addressing blogs, online and anonymous criticism and the general lack of funds in the world of art magazines in a post titled "An...
Extra-curricular: Between Art and Pedagogy at the Justina M. Barnicke gallery
This event is still more than a month away, but I'm already excited about the upcoming symposia series "Extra-curricular: Between Art and Pedagogy." While the JMB closes for renovations until the end of March, their curator-in-residence, Maiko Tanaka, has organized an...
Interview with Lex Vaughn
This week at my day job at Canadian Art, I got the opportunity to interview artist and performer Lex Vaughn about her residency and installation at Saskatoon's AKA Gallery as the "geriatric dandy" character Peanut Brittle. Vaughn has performed with The Second City...
Top Tens of 2009
I should be doing the last of this term's schoolwork, but instead I'm doing this: compiling my list of top ten, favourite art-related exhibitions and events from 2009. Both Canadian Art and akimblog published theirs last week, and Sally and LM have just started their...
Highly Recommended: Jen Hutton’s article, “Lady Gaga and ‘the Gaze'” in C magazine
I didn't think I liked or "got" Gaga until I read this article by Jen Hutton on Lady Gaga and the gaze/gays. It's not available online (except through a digital version of the mag on Zinio), but is well worth the newsstand price. Extra kudos should go to newish editor...
Art Criticism and/as/vs Judgment
I am shocked and also sort of ashamed to see that I haven't updated here in almost 2 months (!?). I blame contemporary art, as well as the first year of a PhD program. I've also been working hard on freelance stuff (writing, The Leona Drive Project, a tiny bit of...