Newest Features
By JACQUELINE HOUTON The idea that all art is propaganda captured quite a few devotees during the 20th century. Seen in writings of George Orwell, Upton Sinclair, and W.E.B. Du Bois, this sentiment would be further refined later in the century by French philosopher Jacques Ellul, who reacted to the unprecedented proliferation of mass media technologies with the assertion that the goal of modern propaganda “is no longer to transform opinion, but to arouse an active and mythical belief.” Yet an exhibition currently on display at the Museum of Fine Art suggests…
By MATTHEW NASH It has been a few weeks since the Boston Foundation’s “Vital Signs” report (pdf) was released, and it is still a topic of conversation and heated debate. Among those who are on the lower-budget end of the non-profit spectrum, the report inspires passionate outbursts every time it is mentioned, with many angry over its conclusions and research methods. Artists, of course, are not ones to lie down quietly. Last night, a group of visual and performing artists staged a “Die-Off” in mockery of the report’s conclusions. They drank Kool-Aid…
Edward Winkleman had a piece yesterday about the arts under Obama, and what kinds of expectations people have about what this will mean. Will it simply be an expansion of the NEA? Will an Obama administration be more aggressive in funding arts programs, education, outreach? What about funding artists themselves, or offering tax incentives to collectors and philanthropists? There is currently a strong push for President Obama to create a Secretary of the Arts, and musician/producer Quincy Jones is actively collecting signatures on a petition to pressure Obama on the issue. As…
The nice weather has encouraged me to get out of the house more than I usually would in January, so I’ve seen a lot of art recently and thought I’d share some of my favorites and encourage everyone to get out and see a few of these shows before the weather turns ugly again. In the South End I really enjoyed Peter Evonuk’s “Dystopian Polemetrics (fun with bricks & bulbs)” at Laconia Gallery. James Hull always curated fun and funny shows at Green Street, and now that he is curating for Laconia…
The hot topic in the art blogs for the past few days has been collector Eli Broad’s decision to retain control of his vast and coveted art collection. It was widely expected that he would donate the body of work to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and it is considered a humiliation for that museum after their long history of courting Mr. Broad. In the New York Times, Edward Wyatt points out: Long assumed to be at the top of the list of potential recipients was the Los Angeles…
In a controversial decision, the Phoenix City Council has decided to proceed with a large public sculpture by Boston-based artist Janet Echelman. You can read the full story here. The short version, though, is that art and culture won out over the objections of those who do not see value in art. Here are two great quotes from the piece: “Attention citizens of Phoenix,” one resident wrote to the newspaper, “our city government is run by morons!” “I’ve always said that you can’t have a great city if you don’t have the…
By DANIEL GRANT Museums were much in the news in 2007, not necessarily for the happiest of reasons. Would-be donors of valuable artworks complained that limitations on what are called “fractional” gifts (time-sequenced donations with no defined end date and the opportunity for escalating annual deductible valuations) enacted in the 2006 Pension Protection Act took away their incentive to donate these pieces to museums. Donations of these types of gifts declined sharply. Legislation to restore most of the donor benefits (“Promotion of Artistic Giving Act of 2007”) was introduced into Congress last…
By HANNAH COLE I am a reasonably good audience for art. I’m an artist, I go to lots of shows, I occasionally buy art, I’m not overly cynical about the art world, and I’m capable of having the occasional profound experience in the midst of madness. But the Miami art fairs made me feel embarrassed about myself as a viewer. Looking at 2000 artworks per hour has a dulling effect on one’s perception. Even taking notes doesn’t stop it. By the end of a long, oversaturated day, hopped upon two-dollar diet cokes,…