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How to Rescue Yourself From the Ice Cold Claws of Perfectionism
In the late spring of 1987, I stood in the art book section of a large bookstore in Arnhem, the Netherlands. I was 23 years old, my hair was dyed bright purple, and tears were streaming down my face....
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10 Lesser-Known Fairy Tales That Should Get More Love
Note: Certain fairy tales, like "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella," have been told and retold so often in mainstream American society that they're deeply ingrained in our minds. "Cinderella,"...
View ArticlePeace Behind Barbed Wire
As media ownership converges and technology "unites" us, the concept of national identity grows ever easier to exploit -- and therefore, I fear, increasingly, and dangerously, simplistic. This is the...
View ArticleHard Work, Talent and Adventuresome Youth
The Gershons saw Hamilton and The Lion (February 2015). Two new musicals. Each one has only one author. Each musical also has, as its star, the author! Hamilton is written by the same man who portrays...
View ArticleAdrift in the Floating World at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum
I've just spent a day savoring two related exhibitions at San Francisco's Asian Art Museum. I lived in Japan for a year after college and have a particular interest in the arts and traditions of that...
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At RISD, an Artisan Who's Now President
The Rhode Island School of Design's (RISD) new president sees her administrative duties through the eyes of an artisan. She should - Rosanne Somerson is a graduate of RISD who earned her degree in...
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The August San Francisco Ballet Spotlights Young Dance Maker
San Francisco Ballet in Myles Thatcher's Manifesto. (Photo: Erik Tomasson) San Francisco Ballet unleashed 24-year-old corps dancer Myles Thatcher's latest creation on a wildly enthusiastic audience...
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Fembots, Robots, and Aliens Arrive Today On Planet Earth
Fembots, robots and aliens arrive on planet Earth, and they are here to stay. Get used to it! They are fierce and powerful. Do visit them at the Mia Fonssagrives Solow show at Kasher Potamkim Gallery...
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John Currin - No Fairy Tale
John Currin at Gagosian Gallery opening night. Photo by EMS. "I find I can't get rid of my trashiness as an artist. A lot of my themes in painting, to the extent that there are intentional themes, are...
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Climate Change: A Conversation About Art, Investment and Science
Ice Cave Sculpture by Henry Richardson As temperatures drop to recording breaking lows, climate change is once again pushed to the forefront of our global conversation. I recently spoke to three...
View ArticleMusic I (Mostly) Hold Dear: Concertos of Jaffe, Tower, Albert and Rouse
In this article I discuss a number of wonderful recent concertos. This is not to suggest that the composers of these works haven't written many other meritorious pieces in other genres. I simply want...
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Susanna Mälkki Conducts the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 'Alice in Wonderland'...
Susanna Mälkki, Chief Conductor of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, effective from the 2016/17 season, is coming to Walt Disney Concert Hall February 27 and 28 to conduct the Los Angeles...
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The Record Shop, Episode #2: "Vinyl"
"The Shop follows the day-to-day life of Lewis, its one and only clerk. His daily interactions with the regular and one-time customers often resembles group therapy mixed with a southern revival....
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Elusive Personae and Embedded Critiques: "Surround Audience" Opens at the New...
Juliana Huxtable, "UNIVERSAL CROP TOPS FOR ALL THE SELF CANONIZED SAINTS OF BECOMING," 2015. Courtesy the artist. It's strange to pause and think about how much everyday life has changed in just the...
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Another Opening, Another Show
I began my writing career in 1977 when I was given an opportunity to write an opera column for Bay Area Reporter (one of San Francisco's gay newspapers). In recent years, I've often wondered how...
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On "Visual Leverage"
Jacqueline L. Patten-Van Sertima is a photographer with work spanning the past 30 years, major exhibitions and a feature among 100 New York Photographers, with peers including the likes of Annie...
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Bua-ism and the Matrix: Art Meets MMA
Imagining a Venn diagram of combat sports and painting, it's difficult to conceptualize any logical correlation between the two art forms. Martial arts favor heavy, powerful strikes, while visual arts...
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This Singer From Amsterdam is the Best Artist you Don't Know
Dutch recording artist Benny Sings The UK has a major influence on popular music, and it has been that way for decades. From Sam Smith and Amy Winehouse to Elton John, David Bowie and The Beatles, the...
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(R)evolution in Film: Brett Morgan's 'Cobain: Montage of Heck'
Kurt Cobain has been called the canary in the coalmine of American youth, as well as the icon of the dying Age of Pisces. Yet, there was a legend built around the artist's entrance into "the 27 club"...
View ArticleLost in the Crowd: Surviving Kickstarter's Emotional Rollercoaster
Crowdfunding is everywhere. Movie stars and directors are doing it for their films. Tech wizards are using it to introduce new inventions. Even a portable cooler brought in more than $13 million in 30...
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