Letter From The Editor
The April issue of aeqai contains a good number of reviews of shows in this region, but also a few more essays and letters. Many aeqai writers are interested in pursuing issues which may grow out of reviews they write , or of general issues and ideas in the general area of contemporary cultural analysis. We offer two letters this month: Kevin Ott’s Letter from New York, all of it one sentence, mirrors the speed one feels in a city of that size, when you’re trying to do and see and experience as much as possible in a very short time: Ott’s writing in this Letter reminds me of Jack Kerouac’s in speed and intentionality. And Cynthia Kukla returns with Part II of her Letter from Chicago about the great Picasso exhibition there: the Art Institute seems to have some really astute and original observations about Picasso’ s influences, and Kukla, a painter herself, exhibits an extraordinary understanding of how Picasso worked both as an artist and as a master image appropriater.
Christopher Hoeting is one of the organizers/volunteers/conceptualizers of the kind of programming that may make The Emery Theatre in Over-the-Rhine a model for interdisciplinary arts programming, and both reviews an art exhibition there and offers us his thoughts on what The Emery can be; it’s a first person account and a superb overview of a new kind of arts programming, so the article is a combined review/journalistic essay.
Future issues of aeqai will include Rick Bennett’s analyses of contemporary landscape painting, and Sheldon Tapley’s thoughts on the nature of drawing and of painting. Look for more writing of this kind in future issues of aeqai.
Kevin Ott also explains who the American Historical Print Society people are, and gives an explanation/overview of their upcoming annual meeting in Cincinnati, and a mini-interview with Allen Bernard, who has devoted a great deal of time to the world of prints and The Graphic Arts Forum for the Cincinnati Art Museum. Other non-review articles this month include an profile by Laura Hobson of the women who run the Gallery at the Women’s YWCA downtown, which has become a very prestigious exhibition spot for women area artists. Dustin Pike continues to build upon his recently completed series, Geometrically Ordered Design, with an analysis of ideas and imagery he posits under the title of Magick; Pike will continue in further issues of aeqai with these overviews of the historical origins of the field of design and how it impacts on the fine arts historically and in contemporary culture. And Saad Ghosn continues his extremely valuable and popular series on Art and Social Justice with a focus on artist Jan Brown Checco and the multi-talented Fran Watson, who also writes criticism for aeqai.
We continue to show the conceptual photographs of Lexington Renaissance man Louis Zoeller Bickett (and aeqai will continue this series monthly). Bickett also reviews a painting show in Carmel, Indiana, by Hanover College faculty member/painter Rick Bennett.
Other notable reviews this month include Shawn Daniell’s excellent thoughts on Sara Pearce’s mixed media works at l305 Main Street; Pearce is both a superb artist/craftsperson and her imagery is full of wonderful satire. Fran Watson reviews the work of both of the contemporary Indian artists at Contemporary Arts Center, and her enthusiasm for the work is very affirming. Larry Watson looks at a new show at Marta Hewett Gallery, which includes a glassmaker and a painter, and he finds their work inspiring and meditative. Jane Durrell’s review of Milton Glaser’s new work, rugs, at Carl Solway Gallery is exemplary, and the show and review remind us of the expansive nature of contemporary art, and its inclusion of many things once relegated to the world of “craft”.
The interest in photography continues unabated, and Jonathan Kamholtz writes a superb analysis of the new photographs of Elena Dorfman at Phyllis Weston Gallery, and Karen Chambers does the same with the more photojournalistic work of Elaine Ling at Iris Book Cafe and Gallery, curated by William Messer.
Emil Robinson reviews a show at The Reed Gallery at UC/DAAP, paintings by William McGee, whose abstract work range through numerous styles, and although the exhibition just came down, we think it’s an important look at an artist who once taught at UC, and will provide a context for the return to abstraction in contemporary art, which is popping up all over town and which Fran Watson will look at next month for aeqai.
Maxwell Redder offers us three of his new poems, and I give two book reviews , and urge everyone who loves to read to try Joyce Carol Oates’ probable masterpiece, The Accursed. And our occasional collector and flaneur, Susan Amis, wandered around Fairfield Ave. in Bellevue, and discovered a newly restored area of shops and restaurants which feature a lot of art and is replete with discoveries.
We want to remind everybody that The Carnegie in Covington is hosting a benefit party for aeqai on Thursday, May 16 from 5-8; admission is $25 per person, and will include nibbles and drinks as well as a silent art auction. We acknowledge the ubiquity of these auctions, and have some regrets about asking area artists, yet again, to donate their work for us, but hope and believe that artists get direct and indirect benefit from the very existence of aeqai and its thoughtful monthly reviews and letters and essays. You can either pay in advance or at the door: we will be posting an e-vite soon, with all of the relevant information on this site. We hope that as many of you will attend as possible, but please feel free to make a contribution anyway. This benefit is our first real fundraiser, and that you can deduct whatever you give to aeqai. Most of the money raised will be divided amongst our very loyal writers, who have been writing free for as long as three years, along with the rest of us who create and produce a monthly aeqai. We appreciate your help and support.
We will be back again in May and June, and we post around the 20th of each month. If you want to receive this e-blast/Letter from the Editor each month, just click onto “subscribe” on the aeqai site and add your e-mail address. Subscribing is free.
Daniel Brown
Editor, AEQAI