Art Talk
Art Talk
Subscribe to this Podcast:
Art reviews, news and announcements from KCRW's resident art critic, Edward Goldman. Both fearless and fun, Edward offers a unique "accent" on art. Formerly employed by the famed Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and a favorite on-air presence, he offers impassioned views on what he sees in the galleries and museums and at events throughout the world, and he isn't afraid to "speak truth to power."
Photo credit: Marc Goldstein
RECENT SHOWS
President Lincoln Speaks Again
Week after week may pass without any surprise while I'm dutifully visiting numerous gallery and museum exhibition. So you can understand why last week turned out to be particularly rewarding – I stumbled upon four good exhibitions, each appealing in its own way...
'American Stories' Beats Renoir's Tired Nudes
When I went to New York last December, I rushed to the Metropolitan Museum to see the exquisite small exhibition of 18th century French painter Antoine Watteau. It was the closing day of the show, and I expected it to be packed, but luckily for me, that was not the case. There was another show at the Met that Sunday that drew a big crowd: a sprawling display of American paintings telling stories of everyday life here, in this country of ours, from the late 18th to the early 20th centuries...
A Bloody Perfect Time in Madrid
I probably shouldn't, but simply I couldn't...say 'No.' An invitation to go to Spain for the international contemporary art fair, ARCO Madrid, arrived less than three weeks before the opening, but hey, who's complaining?...
Breaking News about...Broken Art
If you're not brave enough to deal with the cold, rainy days upon us here in southern California, I want to suggest a lovely alternative: spend a couple of cozy hours perusing the delicious display of drawings by one of the greatest artists of all time. Several dozen drawings by Rembrandt and his students are on display at the Getty Center in an elegant, imaginatively installed exhibition, where visitors have a chance to participate in an ongoing scholarly debate - which drawings were done by the great master himself, and which by his pupils trying to emulate his style?
And Speaking of Auctions, Fairs, and Presidents...
In Southern California, where most cultural institutions are not more than a few decades old, the upcoming 60th anniversary of the Long Beach Museum of Art is definitely a milestone. Starting on February 5, the museum will present a series of interesting exhibitions drawn from its permanent collection and introducing a new generation of museum-goers to the high points in the Long Beach Museum's history of collecting and exhibitions...
A Stormy Week, in More Ways than One
Last week proved to be quite trying for museums here in LA and even further north. While the Getty and MOCA have had their share of unpleasantries in dealing with the coming and going of their directors, the Fresno Metropolitan Museum of Art & Science literally went belly-up, becoming the victim of a royal miscalculation by its trustees...
Pray That New MOCA Head Won't Become Art World's Sarah Palin
Sometimes when museum directors get hired, fired, or choose to resign, it creates a mild controversy -- a storm in a teacup. But not this time. The announcement by trustees of LA's Museum of Contemporary Art that they selected Jeffrey Deitch, a prominent New York art dealer, as MOCA's new director, created nothing short of a perfect storm, generating headlines nationwide...
All's Fair in LA
Once in a while, or, to be more precise, once each year, one can justifiably say about life here in the City of Angels that All's Fair in LA. Usually it happens in the month of January, when not one, but three art fairs roll into town, causing a lot of happy commotion, confusion, and anticipation. Scheduled literally days apart, these art fairs have names which are easily mixed up, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that even art insiders get somewhat confused.
Reports of My Death Are Greatly Exaggerated (Mark Twain)
Even if you've been only half awake throughout this past year, you could not hide from the grim reality of the financial woes that made life for so many of us extremely unsettling and worrisome. And definitely the art world was not immune to this dramatic downward spiral. Museums were forced to face the tough economic reality by paring down scheduled exhibitions, cutting back staff, and putting a freeze on new hires. Disappointing sales at art auctions and various art fairs reinforced the sense of doom and gloom on the international art scene, and a number of galleries were forced to close their doors. But, as Mark Twain once said, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated..."
Leaving Fashion for Art
It was not what I expected when I went to see the new film, A Single Man directed by fashion icon Tom Ford, but nevertheless, there I was, in a packed theater, following the story of a man about to die and being moved by it, but...only to a point. The acting was superb, but the same could be said about the lighting, the costume design, the sets – and for me this striving for perfection significantly lowered the emotional impact of this movie...
In New York, Drunk on Art
The day after Thanksgiving I took the red-eye to New York, and with hardly two hours of sleep, plunged into the festive madness of Manhattan giddily rushing toward Christmas. The first order of the day was a long walk -- about 40 blocks -- to the Metropolitan Museum to catch a couple small, jewel-like exhibitions before they closed the next day...
Pope Art?
Once upon a time, many many years ago in a faraway land, lived a king who ruled over a country which was very tiny indeed, but he was so powerful and wealthy that other kings felt very envious. This king was also very smart; he knew the power of art, so he searched far and wide for the most talented and famous artists to decorate his castle with the most beautiful tapestries, paintings and sculptures – and paid them handsomely...
Art and Babies, Part II
When a couple of weeks ago, I shared with you the story of my friend Meridee's visit to the Getty with her 2 ½ year-old niece, your response to the adventures of this little girl on her first trip to a museum far exceeded my expectations. She was so cute, asking at the museum information booth if they had any 'pony art,' and it was so touching that the lady behind the desk took this request seriously and actually found for this tiny visitor four artworks depicting horses. And you know what? When Getty officials got wind of this story, they did some detective work and found the wonderful lady who was working the information booth on that particular day. Her name is Ann Erwin, and I want to congratulate her for doing such a splendid job...
Last Week's Trifecta
Last week Los Angeles hosted what sports fans would probably call a perfect trifecta of cultural events. First, the Museum of Contemporary Art celebrated its 30th anniversary with a huge, lavish gala attended by 1,000 art patrons, many of whom flew in just for the occasion...
Art and Babies
Today's program has a simple and wholesome title, "Art and Babies." And the sermon I'm about to deliver has to do with the impact that art can have on the lives of our little angels. Speaking in front of a live audience, I often bring up the issue of the importance of exposing children to art at a very early age. Every young parent knows the benefit of suspending a mobile with bright shiny objects above the crib to activate the child's brain. Therefore, there is no doubt in my mind that bringing these little angels to museums, even before they are potty-trained, is wonderfully stimulating as well...
Program Details
Host
Edward Goldman
Edward Goldman is the fearless art critic who speaks truth to the art world’s power – a must-listen for culture mavens.
Schedule
Live
Tapes & Transcripts
Click the Full Details link to view the complete transcript. Tapes are not available.
KCRW.com thanks our sponsor:
