KC - April on Art and Music

The pain of the Dying Gaul

10/23/2019

The Roman original of the Dying Gaul, a copy of the Hellenistic original, is in the Capitoline Museum, Rome.

It started with an argument. My friend of mine insisted that Hellenic art was far superior to Hellenistic art. A teacher in the humanities, she was talking about classical Greek art produced when city states like Athens flourished. Of course, I had to admit the Acropolis is beautifully proportioned...But overall, I had to say, "No," to her infatuation with classical Greek sculpture. "Maybe the drawings on Greek vases are lovely," I added. "But nothing can compare to certain Hellenistic statues. At least not until the Renaissance produced Bernini. Just take a look at the Dying Gaul created in Hellenistic Greece, Alexander the Great's time."

Detail of the Dying Gaul.

To prove my point, I searched online for the original of this statue, shown here, and actually a Roman copy of the Hellenistic statue. It is magnificent. And it is the reason I was so, so disappointed when I saw a lesser version three years ago. It was in New York City where the Metro Metropolitan Museum of Art had opened its blockbuster Pergamon exhibition July 2016. They actually bragged that the exhibit included the Dying Gaul--with no admission that it was a "copy of a copy" with very little of the emotional force of the original (at least to me.)

The copy of the Dying Gaul statue shown in the Met's exhibit of Pergamon and Hellenistic art...

Just go back and look at the original at the top of my blog post. There is an elegance to the young man. He is wearing only one thing, a torque--a stiff metal neck ring worn by Celtic nobles who went into battle. The statue captures our hearts as see life fading out of this heroic man's beautiful body. Just examining it catches our breath and reminds us of the shortness of life; how life can end suddenly, even when at its fullest and most magnificent as personified in the beautiful body and spirit of this warrior.

"Opera is the Olympics of Singing"

6/4/2019

That's what I learned that Jessica E. Jones believes when I interviewed her for a profile in the Boca Observer (June/July 2019). And I agree, as an enthusiastic opera lover. This young lyric coloratura is very sought after for roles in both traditional and new American operas. She was in south Florida last spring to sing in the American opera "Frida," with Florida Grand Opera when I interviewed her.

Audiences are transfixed by her singing. When Jones sang Lucia in "Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," the Houston Review called her voice "full of dazzling radiance." Last year her career took a big step forward when she won a Grammy in the Best Opera Recording category for her soloist role as Christine Brennan in "The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs" with the Santa Fe Opera. Check out my article in the June/July issue of the Boca Observer to read more about this fascinating young opera singer. bocaratonobserver.com/observed/la-vida-boca/on-a-high-note/

Early Music Rocks with Charpentier!

4/5/2019

.Triumphal trumpets surprised us; kettle drums stirred us. It was the Te Deum by 17th c. French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier--a glorious piece of music. I heard it Saturday March 29th at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach. It was the centerpiece of an Early Music Concert beautifully conducted by John Weatherspoon (conductor/artistic director of the expressivosingers.com).

Early Music Concert in the DeSantis Family Chapel featuring Chapentier's Te Deum (March 29, 2019)

There were echoes of Handel in this glorious piece of music. But rather than religious overtones, Charpentier's famous polyphonic motet sounded secular, at least to my ears. That may have reflected the fact that many believe it was composed to celebrate a French military victory--the Battle of Steenkirk in August, 1692. Three hundred years later this composition still stirs minds and souls!
Palm Beach Atlantic University

Artist Grants and Opportunities

1/22/2019

These grants can provide YOU as an artist with
more time and freedom to be creative.

Take a look at this list--a great resource

"Applying for artist grants is a great way for artists to supplement their income to ease the financial burden that often comes as part of being a working artist. These grants listed help artists pay for materials, studio space, or even their rent, allowing artists the time to make work without the day-to-day pressure of paying bills—giving them the freedom to make work in an unrestricted manner and dedicate their time to being fully creative. "--artworkarchive.com (Jan. 22, 2019)

FULL LIST HERE:
www.artworkarchive.com

Edward Steichen's Glamour Photography at the Flagler Museum

1/5/2019

Actress Marlene Dietrich

Edward Steichen was an amazing artistic talent! He was the man who transformed portrait photography into a dramatic art. He did this through his black and white celebrity photos for Vanity Fair and Vogue in the 1920s and 1930s. In the hands of conventional photographers of the day, these portraits would have resulted in stiff conventional poses.

L to R. Actress Gloria Swanson; dancer and choreographer Martha Graham; dancer Fred Astaire

Amelia Earhart

But not through the eyes of Edward Steichen. He had a different vision. At these Conde Nast publications he broke from his "soft focus" style of the past and captured the essence of his subjects with dramatic black and white hard edge images. He had an uncanny knack of posing his subjects in ways that captured their total personalities--or even, one might say, their souls.

Winston Churchill

We were fortunate to have over 80 of his portraits on exhibit at the Flagler Museum this winter that included Steichen's iconic photographs of Gloria Swanson, Fred Astaire, Churchill and many others. The exhibition ran from October 16, 2018 through January 6, 2019.

The Cornell’s Intriguing Flora Exhibit

8/21/2018

(l.) "Mandela Grid" by Miya Ando; (c) Cornell Museum; (r) "Windbown" by Hayley Sheldon

Flora presents a garden of sensory delights

"Windblown" by Hayley Sheldon

As you enter the atrium of the Cornell Art Museum, you will be greeted by huge golden paper dandelions hanging from the atrium ceiling. Called “Windblown” by Hayley Sheldon, this artwork is the exhilarating opening act of Flora--the museum's summer-long exhibition. The exhibit has provided viewers with a surprisingly fresh look at a traditional subject—flowers—put together by the museum’s very creative curator, Melanie Johanson. She challenged artists to present their own conception of flowers in any medium they chose. The results are both varied and fascinating.

Walk through a "Floating Garden".......

"Floating Garden" by Amanda McCavour

The exhibition contains two very impressive large installations: "Enchanted" on the second floor and Amanda McCavour's “Floating Garden” on the ground floor in a corner room. This floating garden is composed of delicately embroidered flowers like buttercups held up by lines of string hanging from the ceiling. The flowers bend and bow their heads graciously like real plants as you walk down the path in the middle of the room.

Andy Warhol here!

"Untitled" by Andy Warhol

On the first floor you'll also find an pen and ink flower drawing
by the most famous artist in the show--Andy Warhol.
It's a delicate, almost whimsical
sketch--completely unlike his later
silkscreened flower prints.

A jolt to Buddhist tranquility

"Forget Me Not Featuring Warhol" by Metis Atash

On the second floor, however, you'll get a feeling for those silk creened prints by Warhol. Just take a look at the small bejeweled statue of Buddha by Metis Atash. It's entitled “Forget Me Not Featuring Warhol.” The statue glitters with colorful Swarovski crystals set in patterns from Warhol’s silk screened flower prints; but the spikes covering Buddha's head almost look like a warning. The statue seems to ask: Is glittering beauty better than Buddhist tranquility? It’s up to us to decide.

A forest both "Enchanted" and threatened

In a corner room on the second floor you'll find the installation entitled:"Enchanted." It's a room of mystery-- an indoor forest with a pond in the middle co-created by Diane Arrieta and photographer/video artist Cheryl Maeder. The center of the room takes on the appearance of a pond which Arrieta has filled with colorful animals huddled atop columns.

(l.)Cheryl Maeder (C.); Wall videos and animals from "Enchanted"
(R) Diane Arrieta and April Klimley outside the "Enchanted" installation

On the far wall, Maeder’s largest video transports viewers deep into a forest. Additional videos on the side walls show show people in inner tubes riding down a river. At first, the scene conveys a feeling a paradise. But there is an undercurrent of menace. The animals seem scared by the rising waters below them, and the inner tubes of the swimmers appear stuck in murky, swampy water. Something seems to be encroaching on the harmonious world of nature and threatening it. It's easy to conclude that the "something" lurking behind this scene and threatening it is the work of humans and civilization.

IF YOU GO: “Flora” remains open through September 9 at the Cornell Art Museum at 51 North Swinton Ave., in Delray Beach, Fl. Summer Hours: Thursday through Saturday 10 am to 5 pm Sundays 1 to 5 pm. For more information go to www.oldschoolsquare.org/about/cornell-museum/

Palm beach welcomes Cellist Andrei Ionita and Pianist Naoka Sonoda

4/21/2018

Cellist Andrei Ionita and Pianist Naoko Sonoda April 17 in Holy Trinity Churchh, West Palm Beach

Twenty-four year old Andrei Ionita proved that the cello is the most romantic of all instruments last Thursday April 17th at Trinity Church in West Palm Beach. From the first moment of the concert, Ionita hypnotized the audience. The cello he was playing sang, soared, moaned, and flirted. The sound he elicited appeared to depend not just on what was written by the composers, but even more on the emotions he generated playing each piece.

The concert was part of the Young Artists Series sponsored by the Chamber Music Society of Palm Beach. Ionita was accompanied by Naoko Sonoda on the piano in her first performance in the United States.

Right from the joyful opening of the first selection—18th century composer Pietro Locatelli’s Sonata in D Major—Romanian-born Ionita showed complete of his instrument and the ability to vary moods as if the cello were alive in his hands. It is no wonder he won a Gold Medal at the 2015 XV International Tchaikovsky Competition and was on his way to perform April 19 at Carnegie Hall.

Pianist Naoko Sonoda and cellist Andrei Ionita with artistic and executive director Michael Finn.

The Locatelli was in some ways the showcase piece of the evening. It was followed by two 20th century pieces followed—Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne and Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata in D minor, Op. 40. Of the two, the Shostakovich was the most satisfying, perhaps because of its plaintive and brooding first movement—or the way in which the piano melodies intertwined so completely with the cello at certain points. No matter, all three pieces captured the hearts of the audience.

As the evening drew to a close, it was clear the audience wanted more. Fortunately, there was only two weeks to wait until the next performance in the 2017-2018 season of the Young Artists Series. It will take place Wednesday, April 25 at 6 pm at the Breakers in Palm Beach, and feature a new trio composed of violinist Arnaud Sussman and pianist Orian Weiss, both winners of the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. They will be joined by cellist Colin Carr.

For further information on this event call 561-379-6773 or
email the CMSPB at info@cmspb.org.

Viennese music captures the heart of a delray audience

3/28/2018

Symphonia brings music of Mozart and Beethoven to Delray!

The Symphonia--South Florida's world class chamber orchestra--presented an enticing selection of classical music pieces--with Viennese origins and connections--on Tuesday March 27 at Delray's Crest Theatre. Dramatic conductor Alastair Willis tied the music selections together throught a fictionalized and engaging narration which transported the audience to 18th and 19th c. Viennese concert halls where composers such as Mozart premiered their own work.

Alastair Willis conducted the Symphonia's Viennese concert Tuesday March 27.

The engaging Mr. Willis began the evening in 18th century Vienna. He assumed the role of a nephew of Signmund Haffner der Elder, once mayor of Salzburg and head of a family close to the Mozarts. In this role, from a podium in Vienna, Mr. Willis described some of the great music events of the time, while two digital screens projected pictures of that delightful baroque city on either side of the stage. The first event was the moment when Mozart conducted the first performance of his famous Symphony No. 35, "The Haffner" (named after the mayor's family), while Emperor Franz Joseph sat in the royal box above.

Naturally, Mr. Willis brought the evening to a close with a composition of Vienna's most famous 19th century musical family--the Strausses--
"The Blue Danube" waltz, which still delights and hypnotizes us today.

Alastair Willis and Charles Wetherbee

It was an evening of joy for both newcomers to the classical music scene, and afficionados who knew the music by heart. The conductor gave the audience the feeling they were sitting in gilded concert halls of over two centuries ago listening to music that remains as powerful and enjoyable today as it did when it was first performed.

This was the first time The Symphonia has performed in the Crest Theatre. The performance was part of a new series entitled "Symphonia Squared" being sponsored in partnership with Old SchoolSquare. For more information on The Symphonia, go to www.thesymphonia.org/

Let's fight the Met's New Out-of-Towner $25 Entry Fee

1/7/2018

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is
one of America's Greatest Treasures--
It should be open to everyone for whatever they can afford to pay

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of New York's greatest attractions. It also contains some of the best art in the world...Its treasures should be accessible to everyone without a fee (if they can't afford it)--not just "free" to those who live in New York City itself.

Furthermore, this $25 out-of-towner entry fee is not only wrong in terms of art itself, it is also elitist and regressive. The trustees are clearly stating that "art is for the rich" or "art is for who can afford it." The donors gave these treasures to the museum so the public could see them and not be excluded by this type of entry fee.

Finally, as I understand it, the irony is that these fees will not put a big dent in the deficit faced by the Museum. So, the trustees should find other ways to close the gap.

As an art lover and critic, I say -- LET'S FIGHT BACK!

Colorful sculptural ceramics light up Boca Museum

11/20/2017

Classics by Ohr, plus works by 15 modern ceramicists

An joyful mixture of contemporary sculptural ceramics, along with influential works by George Ohr, "The Mad Potter of Biloxi," are on display at the Boca Museum from November 7, 2017 to April 8, 2018. Entitled "Regarding George Ohr: Contemporary Ceramics in the Spirit of the Mad Potter," this unique exhibition shouldn't be missed. Seen above, left to right are: A Single Joy of Song by Betty Woodman; center and right, Stella and Nestoris II, both by Nicole Cherubini.

Ohr's work still startles us, but he opened doors!

George Ohr, "The Mad Potter of Biloxi" (Biloxi, MS)

Enter this amazing exhibition at the Boca Museum and you will be hit with a double whammy. The strange abstract art pottery of the "Mad Potter of Biloxi," George Ohr, is waiting for you in the opening hall. Many of these pieces are glazed in surprising, starling, dark and moody colors; and some of them even project a sense of hesitancy or underlying conflict. But the work in the last case, most of it created in the 1890s, has a different aesthetic. It projects strength and power, and an abstract look far ahead of its time.

Walk a few steps further and you're in for a surprise: A large airy gallery, filled with colorful, happy sculptural ceramic installations. These burst forth with beauty, joy, and bright colors--very different from Ohr's work. But at the same time, they are clearly influenced by him. That accounts for the title of the show: "Regarding George Ohr: Contemporary Ceramics in the Spirit of the Mad Potter."

Rare Ohr ceramics on display in opening hall

Two pieces--above left--on display in the exhibition illustrate Ohr's ability to combine traditional shapes with with startling colors and glazes. On the right, you can see the jump he made in the 1890s. He collapsed those shapes, twisted them, created thin walls, and came up with an abstract effect. The Arts and Crafts Movement of the day scorned these stange-looking pieces. But 50 years later artists like Jasper Johns and others consider him a forerunner of Abstract Expressionism. Today, it's hard to find these 1890s pieces for sale, and their prices keep rising. The most iconic pieces on display here come primarily from the collection of Marty and Estelle Shack, local collectors.

Ceramics expert Garth Clark sought out the artists

Looking at one of Takura Kuwata's glorious giant-sized tea bowls, I squeal with delight!

Garth Clark, the guest curator who put toether the show, says that he looked for artists "whose work continues the legacy of Ohr without copying it." He certainly succeeded.

Plus, he managed to pull together a group of ceramic artists whose work today is considered "fine art"---not just decorative or utilitarian, as ceramics were thought of in Ohr's day.

Indeed, today many artists and critics believe that Ohr's abstract art pottery hastened the transition of American ceramics from the world of utilitarian function to that of "fine art." The Boca Museum offers visitors an unusual opportunity to examine the work of many of these outstanding contemporary ceramic sculptural artists in one venue. The show runs from from Nov. 7, 2017 to April 8, 2018. For more details, see the my PalmBeachArtsPaper Ohr preview posted on my website, www.klimley.com.

CALENDAR
Fall Update to come

Dear Culture Lover:
Art and music nourish our souls and imagination. So it is fortunate for those living on the Gold Coast of Florida that we have so much music and art around us--all year long.

But sometimes the problem is just finding out where it is. Where can you find "the best" of these genres? If that's what you are thinking, you've come to the right place. I cover local and global art, classical music, and traditional jazz. Come here to read my reviews and recommendations.

Sincerely,
April
June 4, 2019

NOTE: April has a talent for life drawing and sketching; she is the daughter of two professional artists, and has been writing about art since she reviewed modern Chinese art when living in Taiwan.

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