Untitled (Boom Box, Double-Sided) by Mary Ann Aitken is representational painting of a boom box on an unconventionally long canvas painted on both sides, to mimic the scale and appearance of the actual appliance. Known for going against trends, Aitken often favored dimensions, such as the square, that were otherwise considered out of style in contemporary painting. In this double-sided painting, one side depicts the titular boombox set up—a boxy cassette player, flanked by a pair of stereo speakers in front of wood panelling. The reverse side portrays a more abstract composition in textured and dimensional layers of black and white, with hints of yellow, red, and green. As in most of her work, the paint is layered on thick in an impasto style. Because of the slow-drying nature of oil paint, Aitken would wait days at a time for a single layer to dry before working the next layer, demonstrating a degree of patience with the medium similar to that of old masters. Time and effort are evidenced in her strokes, the visible brushwork reminds the viewer of the labor of its construction, rather than presenting a seamless representation of its subject.
Mary Ann Aitken was known to be very private about her art practice; she was considered somewhat of an outsider by her peers affiliated with the second wave of Detroit’s Cass Corridor arts movement. Aitken created observational paintings that transcribed ubiquitous imagery of still lifes and street views, some from near her parents’ home and others looking out the window of her studio. She typically employed colors reminiscent of everyday objects in ways that rendered her abstracted views of quotidian scenes unfamiliar. Aitken always followed the same routine in building up her paintings, beginning with flat strokes, then adding numerous layers over the course of months or years. Aitken’s paintings are immensely personal, yet approachable because of her use of images from everyday life.
London’s Middle Eastern art sales have defied tensions Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Israel-Hamas war news London’s Middle Eastern art sales have defied tensions Auction purchases by Arab cultural entities overcome early uncertainties of Israel-Hamas war Melissa Gronlund 7 December 2023 Share Samia Halaby’s Seventh Cross No...
Proyecciones Espacio Odeón (Bogotá, Colombia) y Museo La Tertulia (Cali, Colombia) ¿Cómo enfrentamos la incertidumbre de estos tiempos? ¿Puede el juego, los sueños, o incluso las alucinaciones ayudarnos a imaginar otras posibles trayectorias? ¿Qué tipo de prácticas nos permiten relacionarnos con los territorios que habitamos? Tomando como punto de partida el potencial de lo inquietante en medio de una amenaza invisible, Sigo esperando es una serie de proyecciones en las fachadas del Espacio Odeón (Bogotá) y del Museo La Tertulia (Cali)...
That $4 Thrift Shop Painting Finally Does Sell for Big Bucks - The New York Times Arts | That $4 Thrift Shop Painting Finally Does Sell for Big Bucks https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/16/arts/nc-wyeth-sale-thrift-shop.html Share full article Advertisement SKIP ADVERTISEMENT The saga of the $4 thrift shop painting has a happy ending after all...
Marshal Tie Jia (Turtle Island) explores the history of a tiny island off of the coast of Matsu in the Taiwan Strait that has been instrumental in the geopolitical relationships between China, Taiwan, and Japan...
The installation Breathspace by Eduardo Navarro encompasses all the content presented at the artist’s first solo exhibition, of the same name, at Gasworks, UK...
Efectos de familia (Family Effects, 2007–9) is a series of 13 videos that dramatize an array of abusive events derived from Edgardo Aragón’s family’s history—specifically its involvement with organized crime...
The Desi Boys will show you Kolkata from the streets - 1854 Photography Subscribe latest Agenda Bookshelf Projects Industry Insights magazine Explore ANY ANSWERS FINE ART IN THE STUDIO PARENTHOOD ART & ACTIVISM FOR THE RECORD LANDSCAPE PICTURE THIS CREATIVE BRIEF GENDER & SEXUALITY MIXED MEDIA POWER & EMPOWERMENT DOCUMENTARY HOME & BELONGING ON LOCATION PORTRAITURE DECADE OF CHANGE HUMANITY & TECHNOLOGY OPINION THEN & NOW Explore Stories latest agenda bookshelf projects theme in focus industry insights magazine ANY ANSWERS FINE ART IN THE STUDIO PARENTHOOD ART & ACTIVISM FOR THE RECORD LANDSCAPE PICTURE THIS CREATIVE BRIEF GENDER & SEXUALITY MIXED MEDIA POWER & EMPOWERMENT DOCUMENTARY HOME & BELONGING ON LOCATION PORTRAITURE DECADE OF CHANGE HUMANITY & TECHNOLOGY OPINION THEN & NOW All images from Desi Boys © Soham Gupta Soham Gupta made his name capturing Kolkata’s unseen poor...
A painting reminiscent of a certain “naive primitivism,” Untitled (the way in is the way out) is representative of McCarthy’s work...
Patria - Photographs by Oleñka Carrasco | Interview by Valeria Posada-Villada | LensCulture Feature Patria Oleñka Carrasco’s latest photobook and exhibition at the Rencontres d’Arles recounts how grief prompted her search for a lost connection with the house and land in which she grew up — Venezuela...
A string of new exhibitions shows that textile art is finally being taken seriously Art market Museums & heritage Exhibitions Books Podcasts Columns Technology Adventures with Van Gogh Search Search Comment A string of new exhibitions shows that textile art is finally being taken seriously The historical association of textiles with gender, sexuality and identity norms make them ripe for subversion and reimagining Ben Luke 9 February 2024 Share Solange Pessoa’s Hammock (part of 4 Hammocks , 1999-2003) at the Barbican Courtesy of Rubell Museum, Miami and Washington, DC...
Open Casket IX is an installation by Indira Allegra that combines traditional materials of memorial—tombstones, mausoleums, and caskets—with contemporary expressions of grief...
Frontier Danceland's "Milieu" 2018: Emotional Rollercoasters | ArtsEquator Thinking and Talking about Arts and Culture in Southeast Asia Articles Bernie Ng December 10, 2018 By Winnie Chen Dixon (860 words, four-minute read) It was a night of emotional rollercoasters and an audio-visual feast at Frontier Danceland’s double bill Milieu 2018 ...