“Human Zoos, Surrealism, and André Breton’s Advocacy for Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’”
I presented a paper during another annual ISSS conference (International Society for the Study of Surrealism, October 28-30, 2024 at the American University of Paris), on why André Breton was eager for his boss, collector and fashion designer Jacques Doucet, to buy Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. (Contrary to current ideas about Picasso, it was about progressive politics.)
I presented a paper during another annual ISSS conference (International Society for the Study of Surrealism, October 28-30, 2024 at the American University of Paris), on why André Breton was eager for his boss, collector and fashion designer Jacques Doucet, to buy Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. (Contrary to current ideas about Picasso, it was about progressive politics.)
Publication (10/4/24) of “Gender Complexity in Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’: The Precedent of the ‘Sleeping Hermaphroditus’ Sculpture’
My first peer-reviewed article (it's in English) in the long-term project of reinterpreting Picasso’s Demoiselles -- “Gender Complexity in Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon: The Precedent of the Sleeping Hermaphroditus Sculpture” -- has been published in a special issue of Boletín de Arte, an art history journal based in Málaga, Spain. The editors created this Picasso-themed issue (in the city of Picasso’s birth!) to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the artist’s death, though it was not possible for the journal to publish this material during the year of anniversary observances in 2023. Many thanks to the Core Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (and the associated Glassell School of Art) for the fellowship that made this step possible.
My first peer-reviewed article (it's in English) in the long-term project of reinterpreting Picasso’s Demoiselles -- “Gender Complexity in Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon: The Precedent of the Sleeping Hermaphroditus Sculpture” -- has been published in a special issue of Boletín de Arte, an art history journal based in Málaga, Spain. The editors created this Picasso-themed issue (in the city of Picasso’s birth!) to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the artist’s death, though it was not possible for the journal to publish this material during the year of anniversary observances in 2023. Many thanks to the Core Program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (and the associated Glassell School of Art) for the fellowship that made this step possible.
“Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ As a Surrealist Sociopolitical Theater”
I presented a paper during the annual ISSS conference (International Society for the Study of Surrealism, November 9-11, 2023 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) about additional possibilities for interpreting details in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon that are generally tied to Picasso’s appropriation of African masks.
I presented a paper during the annual ISSS conference (International Society for the Study of Surrealism, November 9-11, 2023 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston) about additional possibilities for interpreting details in Les Demoiselles d’Avignon that are generally tied to Picasso’s appropriation of African masks.
Laid Line Drawings in "Currents" at Basket Books & Art, Houston
Owner-curators Edwin Smalling and Laura Hughes, at Basket Books & Art in Houston, included four Laid Line Drawings in the "Currents" group exhibition (July 29 – September 2, 2023). The solid lines in these drawings trace the creases in Fabriano paper; broken lines also reveal the thicknesses of that paper. The images above are details of the four selected drawings from the series.
Owner-curators Edwin Smalling and Laura Hughes, at Basket Books & Art in Houston, included four Laid Line Drawings in the "Currents" group exhibition (July 29 – September 2, 2023). The solid lines in these drawings trace the creases in Fabriano paper; broken lines also reveal the thicknesses of that paper. The images above are details of the four selected drawings from the series.
Watercolors featured on Paul Carey-Kent's IG feed
Once upon a time, I met curator Paul Carey-Kent at a Richard Tuttle opening in London. Years later, when I was in London again, we visited galleries together. And years after that – summer 2023 – he asked to feature my "Pixellages" on his Instagram feed. Grateful for the chance to put these watercolors into words, and for the chance to talk with Paul again (about them and much else) on Zoom.
Once upon a time, I met curator Paul Carey-Kent at a Richard Tuttle opening in London. Years later, when I was in London again, we visited galleries together. And years after that – summer 2023 – he asked to feature my "Pixellages" on his Instagram feed. Grateful for the chance to put these watercolors into words, and for the chance to talk with Paul again (about them and much else) on Zoom.
Drawing featured in "100 Days 100 Women" blog
About five years ago, this drawing was posted on Henry Martin's blog #100Days100Women, which he generously created alongside the publication of his fascinating biography, Agnes Martin: Pioneer, Painter, Icon. (Martin and Martin are not related, except in the sense that Henry was very interested in Agnes, as was I, so we met on the research trail in Taos.)
About five years ago, this drawing was posted on Henry Martin's blog #100Days100Women, which he generously created alongside the publication of his fascinating biography, Agnes Martin: Pioneer, Painter, Icon. (Martin and Martin are not related, except in the sense that Henry was very interested in Agnes, as was I, so we met on the research trail in Taos.)
Presentation on early Picasso, 2 June 2023 in New York City
I delivered a paper, “Subliminal Sexual Positioning: Picasso’s Placements of Texts, Before the Demoiselles,” at the 2023 annual conference of the Society for Textual Scholarship, which took place at The New School in Manhattan. This year’s conference theme was “Design and Text” and my panel was called "Making Texts Visible" (see full conference program [here]).
I delivered a paper, “Subliminal Sexual Positioning: Picasso’s Placements of Texts, Before the Demoiselles,” at the 2023 annual conference of the Society for Textual Scholarship, which took place at The New School in Manhattan. This year’s conference theme was “Design and Text” and my panel was called "Making Texts Visible" (see full conference program [here]).
"Consideration As an Antidote to Critique" discussed in Iceland
A nice surprise! My essay “Consideration As an Antidote to Critique” was chosen by Jóhannes Dagson, a philosopher and a visual artist, for discussion at Nýló (the Living Art Museum) in Reykjavik on March 2, 2023. The moderator was Anna Líndal, who also edited the “Contagion” issue of VIS: Nordic Journal of Artistic Research in which I published an exposition reflecting on drawings I made during pandemic lockdowns. The “Consideration” essay started as a CAA presentation in 2013 (for the panel “Critiquing Criticality”) and was published in the anthology Beyond Critique: Contemporary Art in Theory, Practice, and Instruction (ed. Pamela Fraser and Roger Rothman, Bloomsbury 2017).
A nice surprise! My essay “Consideration As an Antidote to Critique” was chosen by Jóhannes Dagson, a philosopher and a visual artist, for discussion at Nýló (the Living Art Museum) in Reykjavik on March 2, 2023. The moderator was Anna Líndal, who also edited the “Contagion” issue of VIS: Nordic Journal of Artistic Research in which I published an exposition reflecting on drawings I made during pandemic lockdowns. The “Consideration” essay started as a CAA presentation in 2013 (for the panel “Critiquing Criticality”) and was published in the anthology Beyond Critique: Contemporary Art in Theory, Practice, and Instruction (ed. Pamela Fraser and Roger Rothman, Bloomsbury 2017).
Open Studios at the Core program, in Houston -- April 8, 2023
On Saturday, April 8, 2023, 3-5 p.m., the Core program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston held an Open Studios event.
On Saturday, April 8, 2023, 3-5 p.m., the Core program at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston held an Open Studios event.
"Made Strange" at Core exhibition, March-April 2023
“Contact Personalities” was a group show that was part of the annual MFAH Core exhibition, running March 8 through April 14, 2023 in the Orton Gallery on the third floor of the Glassell School of Art at the MFAH. It was curated by my critical studies colleague, Valentin Diaconov, and reflected on various aspects of the “alien” and alienation. I painted a pedestal (using the materials and methods of gallery painting) to defamiliarize viewers’ spatial experience of the pedestal.
“Contact Personalities” was a group show that was part of the annual MFAH Core exhibition, running March 8 through April 14, 2023 in the Orton Gallery on the third floor of the Glassell School of Art at the MFAH. It was curated by my critical studies colleague, Valentin Diaconov, and reflected on various aspects of the “alien” and alienation. I painted a pedestal (using the materials and methods of gallery painting) to defamiliarize viewers’ spatial experience of the pedestal.
Visiting Artist-Critic at MICA, February 2023
On February 21, 2023, I spent an inspiring day with MFA students at the Leroy E. Hoffberger School of Painting, at Maryland Institute College of Art. Individual and group discussions about their work were probing, generous, and thorough. Many thanks to Director Joan Waltemath for inviting me, and especially for requesting an artist’s talk that included art, writing, and how they intertwine.
On February 21, 2023, I spent an inspiring day with MFA students at the Leroy E. Hoffberger School of Painting, at Maryland Institute College of Art. Individual and group discussions about their work were probing, generous, and thorough. Many thanks to Director Joan Waltemath for inviting me, and especially for requesting an artist’s talk that included art, writing, and how they intertwine.