Testaments and Thoughts of Appreciation On the passing of Daniel Brown
The opportunity to write for AEQAI came at a time when I was feeling isolated in a new city (Houston, Texas) and felt an urgent need to connect to artists around me, but was having trouble finding a pathway. Daniel enthusiastically welcomed me and my writing to AEQAI, and his appreciation for my ideas, […]
The Taft Museum: In a New Light
In early June 2021 a Cincinnati treasure, the 200-year-old Taft house, closed for a year of renovations. Approximately 80 of the collection’s seminal works can be enjoyed in the Fifth Third Gallery. The exhibition is titled “In a New Light” and covers a broad range of cultures, eras, and artifacts that were collected by Charles […]
Desert as Muse: Agnes Pelton at the Palm Springs Art Museum
The resort city of Palm Springs and its surrounding conurbations boast stylish modernist houses with gleaming swimming pools; carefully arranged plantings of cycads improbably protected from excessive heat by semi-permanent sunshades; and touristic enticements such as a giant, flashy statue of Marilyn Monroe. The trappings of this artificial oasis could hardly contrast more with the […]
A History of Protest
On the Getty Center’s sprawling picturesque campus, one room contains the small but powerful exhibition In Focus: Protest – on view until October 10th. The exhibition collects images from crucial points throughout US political history. Bound together, the images generate a patchwork history. I say patchwork, of course, because photography – by way of distilling […]
“Filling the Void”: Rick Mallette at the Summit Hotel
“Filling the Void” by Rick Mallette at the Summit Hotel Gallery is an agoraphobic’s nightmare. The aptly titled show perfectly describes the vast and spartan 5700 square foot gallery space, met by ambitiously scaled artwork that attempts to tackle that vastness with claustrophobic forms, blazing colors, and palpable energy. The artist presents twenty-three abstract paintings […]
Robert Harris, 75, a Black, Disabled Community Activist and Artist
Robert Harris, 75, said he was a misfit – Black, disabled and an artist. He never let that stop him. Some people thought he was crazy to make a living as an artist, especially Black. He has a positive, ebullient personality that shines as he describes his work. A long-term resident of Cincinnati, he has […]
Bodies Impossibly Merged: Kent Krugh’s “Under the Influence: Beauty and the Surreal in France”
Kent Krugh is a long-time contributor to the Ohio art scene, bringing a sophisticated historical sensibility to his work as a photographer and curator. After taking physics degrees from Ohio Northern University and the University of Cincinnati, he spent forty years developing his camera craft, winning a range of accolades including a gold medal at […]
Paintings, Politics and the Monuments Men: The Berlin Masterpieces in America Cincinnati Art Museum July 9–October 3, 2021
The backstory is important here. The movie The Monuments Men brought to light the very intriguing and powerful story of mostly middle-aged men and women – primarily art experts – who volunteered for the Army to rescue and hide art masterpieces, books and rare documents from the Nazis during WWII. These efforts were led by […]
Niki de Saint Phalle’s Figures of Life
MoMA PS1’s “Structures for Life” is the first major US exhibition of the Nouveau Réaliste artist Niki de Saint Phalle. French-born and American-raised, Saint Phalle is something of an “outsider artist”—entirely self-taught, Saint Phalle is known for her unconventional, characteristically whimsical, and at times childish sculptures, public artworks, artefacts, and drawings. MoMA PS1’s sprawling, impressive […]
The Failed Promise of 2021
SOS ART 2021 EXHIBIT Curated by Saad Ghosn, the 19th annual SOS show with a cohesive theme of peace and justice showcases 94 works from student artists to professionals. With the year 2020 behind them the artists were obviously drawn to the subjects of racial oppression, isolation, fear and mortality. It is interesting to see […]