The Easel

25th February 2020

Hammer Museum’s ‘Paul McCarthy: Head Space’ draws a revelatory picture of L.A. artist

Christopher Knight | LA Times | 13th February 2020

McCarthy’s own gallery describes his oeuvre as “anarchic”. So where should a retrospective focus? Hammer Museum chooses drawing, a constant in his long career. Surrealism and Expressionism were formative influences. Unifying McCarthy’s diverse output is his constant attention to one key theme: “overwhelming physical, psychological and emotional toxicity within a culture that elevates beastly male power above all else”.

‘Just Plain Ugly’: Proposed Executive Order Takes Aim At Modern Architecture

Elizabeth Blair | NPR | 13th February 2020

Political leaders have long expressed particular architectural preferences. Perhaps President Trump is one of them. Critical of Brutalist and Modernist styles, a proposed Executive Order requires new Federal buildings to use Classical designs. That means lots of Greek columns. Architects of all stripes are outraged. Sneers one writer, “a return to the cultural aspirations of Camelot.” Background on the issue is here.

18th February 2020

On View at the Getty, 17 Ancient Gems That Are Mini Masterpieces

Marlena Donohue | 1stdibs | 2nd February 2020

Last year the Getty acquired 17 engraved gems – intaglios. Now on display, these small objects are “some of the greatest and most famous of all classical gems”. Products of royal workshops of the Greek and Roman empires, their survival is itself miraculous. Some are individually famous with dazzling provenances that go back centuries. “Not simply … fab antique bling [but] tiny Rosetta stones, providing a way to “read” the past”.

“Painting Edo” — Lessons About Art and the Good Society

Franklin Einspruch | The arts fuse | 14th February 2020

The Edo rulers didn’t just unify Japan. Their suspicion of external influence brought a greater focus on the country’s own art. A profusion of art styles emerged, some traditional, others (such as Hokusai and his followers) more highly decorative. European art was a muted influence. By 1868 when Edo rule collapsed, there was a modern Japan and, with it, recognizably modern Japanese art. An interesting video (3 min) is here.

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