Open Studios in Boston

One of the things I dearly miss in San Francisco is Open Studios that happens twice a year (which started off in Bayview but has expanded to so many neighborhoods). I finally checked out the Fort Point Open Studios here in Boston this past weekend.

Two highlights from touring various artist's spaces and art, were Lara Loutrel and Luther Price.

I love Loutrel's work and am a proud owner of a Russian eye chart-like screenprint. Loutrel's work is really arresting - abstract black and white prints. Her more recent pieces are more sculptural and 3-D which extends her very structural lines in her pieces. I really love this evolution she's embarking on with her work.

Luther Price is an experimental film maker whose studio was this enormous warehouse that featured his installation, The Sound of Singing through Dust. There were hand-made slide projections that was a combination of old personal photographs, found film stills that had various music pieces accompany them. His process is so interestingly different in that he really deconstructs the concept of mainstream film and physically collages these found-objects and reshoots them on Super 8mm. After turning them into slides, he manipulates and destroys the slides with mold, dust and overexposure. To me, they seem rough, sometimes perverse, but somehow delicate and poetic at the same time.

Infinite Pictures and Sound at the ICA

There were two exhibits that I found thrilling on my first visit to the ICA (Institute of Contemporary Art). The first was Some Pictures of the Infinite by with Josiah McEhleny. In a large room, there were gigantic galaxy-like chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. The highly stylized planets, stars and galaxies were mesmerizing to walk around in and see various reflections in the shiny mirrored materials.

The Center Is Everywhere by Josiah McEhleny

Another aspect of McEhleny's exhibit was the sculptural and performance piece called the Infinite Repetition of Revolt, performed by Maggie McBrien. While McBrien stands planted in front of a blackboard like structure with silver drawings of boxes, she poses the question of how revolt should be pursued – lead by a small group of trailblazers or built on consensus? She turns around and erases all remnants of the silver boxes and leaves a black reflection of us, the audience's faces.

Infinite Repetition of Revolt Performance  by Maggie McBrien

A few months ago, there was a lot of outcry from the Boston public regarding a mural painted at Dewey Square because people interpreted it as the main figure as a terrorist by the Brazilian artist duo, Os Gemeos. To me, I see a vivid painting of a boy with a shirt wrapped around his head in a playful manner. What do you think?

By Os Gemeos

This mural complimented the full exhibit of paintings, sculptures, and interactive sound organ that was on display at the ICA. The Os Gemeos style has an underground graffiti-tone that is also playful, whimsical, and bright – like they are throwing a Carnival party with their artwork. Os Musicos was a sonic sculpture that had a piano or organ placed in front of a wall of yellow painted speakers. Apparently, each key creates an analog sound that pumps through the speakers. I missed the performance and couldn't convince the Gallery Docents to let me bang on the keys to see what sounds came out.

Os Musicos