Comments for Beyond the Exhibition

Comment on Benton and Pollock by Lisa Petrulis

Lisa Petrulis — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:32:09 +0000

Alas, Pollack died just when he was beginning to change his work. Who knows what might have developed had his life not been cut short at the age of 44.

Comment on Benton and Pollock by Philip Koch

Philip Koch — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 01:46:10 +0000

As decades go by, Benton seems to be looking better and better. Pollock served a useful purpose if he got everyone to stop and re-think what it takes for a painting to be truly great. For some, Pollock seems a one-note-wonder, able to build up a rich, layered surface with his big gestural strokes, but unable to go anywhere else. Maybe that’s too harsh, but I can understand why some thoughtful people (I’m thinking of my wife Alice) can feel this.

Any way, if you’re thinking of de-accessioning your Benton, please call me first.

Comment on The Forger’s Spell by Rebecca Lynch

Rebecca Lynch — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:53:56 +0000

The book sounds interesting I am going to have to check it out.

My first thought about the Valazauez was how did they not see that the quality of it was poor due to the conservation efforts. As I read on I think your question of how were they fooled or how is it they did not see that it was due to poor conservation is the better way to ask it.

I am sure that this is not the first time that a painting has been attributed to a Master and demoted because it was later thought that somebody else had done it. I hope this serves as a lesson for them to take another look at those paintings and maybe try some cleaning and conservation efforts on it before they say that it wasn’t done my a Master. As we have seen over the years even the experts can be fooled.

Comment on Interview with Al Pounders by Al Pounders, painter « Bluejean Days

Al Pounders, painter « Bluejean Days — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 21:02:32 +0000

[...] See: http://www.swope.org/sammyblog/2008/interview-with-al-pounders/ [...]

Comment on Preparation and Programming for “Print Shop” by Lisa Petrulis

Lisa Petrulis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:41:55 +0000

I have full confidence in you Stephanie. And you know its time to shed some light on art prints. People often get confused about prints. Even art world professionals misuse words describing prints. There are so many different techniques and medium and every time new technology comes along it adds to the confusion. Throw in “reproduction” and it just becomes totally convoluted. I look forward to seeing some concrete examples from the Swope collection.

Comment on J.R. Cox’s White Cloud Included in Iowa and Pennsylvannia Exhibitions by Philip Koch

Philip Koch — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:51:57 +0000

Cox’s White Cloud is a terrific painting. Obviously Cox was a multi-talented guy get the Swope up and running and manage to produce such refreshing and visionary work in his own studio.

There is a stunning oil painting hanging in the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington of a sun breaking through a dust cloud over a very similar
landscape. It must be a ’30’s or ’40’s piece. Now I’m going to have to go back to SAAM and see if it might not be by our friend Cox.

Comment on by Philip Koch

Philip Koch — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 12:33:52 +0000

When I was a young art student, I was very glad my instructors were using words to at least try to describe the images and colors of the works of my classmates were struggling to create. When they did it right, and they often did, it made me take a second look with fresh eyes. They helped me see a lot of things I had missed.

Comment on My Top Five by Sara C.

Sara C. — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 21:51:41 +0000

My top five:

Drugstore Cowboy
Mall Rats
Beetlejuice
2001: A Space Odyssey
Party Monster

I had to watch The Fountain twice before I understood what was going on. All of the flipping back and forth between past, future and present was somewhat confusing. However, the second time around I realized that it was quite enjoyable.
My feeling is that, if every detail of a book was in the movie, then the movie would be five hours long and unmarketable. Also, why not leave some things up to the reader, who might watch the movie first and then read the book?

Comment on by Old Millot

Old Millot — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:01:57 +0000

Your task and query remind me of a quote by Rainer Maria Rilke from “Letters to a Young Poet”, the M.D. Herter Norton translation.

“With nothing can one touch a work of art so little as with critical words: they always come down to more or less lucky misunderstandings. Things are not all so comprehensible and expressible as one would mostly have us believe; most events are inexpressible, take place in a realm which no word has ever entered, and more inexpressible than all else are works of art, mysterious existences, the life of which, while ours passes away, endures.”

Comment on by john

john — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:46:28 +0000

so in response to the presented question, i believe that if for example you are trying to describe something i feel that you do not need to add value to the words you decide to use, as art is always interpreted differently amongst the people of the art community. I think when going about choosing words to describe something, you should use your first thoughts, the words that bleed with little effort out of your brain, and not necessarily worry about if what you are saying is satisfactory, but more that what you are saying is true to you.