The Easel

8th August 2023

Why would the rich showcase the poor: the art of Giacomo Ceruti

Roberta D’Adda & Enrico Valseriati | Conceptual Fine Arts | 30th March 2023

Although just a “skilled journeyman” Ceruti stands out. That’s because of what he painted –portraits of the poor. Portraits in eighteenth century Italy were expensive and Ceruti’s works, empathetic, focused and full of detail, certainly would have been that. The poor were a large part of society, yet these works are devoid of any moralizing tone. So, the question remains, “who would want these “insolent and gigantic reportages in their home?” And why? Nobody knows.

Will Vogt, These Americans

Blake Andrews | Collector Daily | 14th July 2023

A notable photobook appeared a few years ago featuring partying young English aristocrats. Cross-Atlantic fairness requires coverage of the American equivalent. Vogt is a member of the wealthy East Coast elite, which explains how he could get images of such candour. They offer a profile of a social class accustomed to “privileged hedonism”. Given today’s political correctness, the reviewer expects this book will “plop like a lead brick”. Images are here.

1st August 2023

A Must-See Matthew Wong Retrospective Reveals New Sides of an Artist Whose Story Is Still Emerging

Alex Greenberger | ARTnews | 28th July 2023

Art history loves the story of the young artist suddenly struck by greatness. Such stories are prone to exaggeration and in Wong’s case become “too grandiose for work that’s so humble”. A Boston show includes among his earliest works a few of his duds. It took him a little time to find his footing as a Canadian of the Asian diaspora. Once he did, though, his unique, lush landscapes with their small insignificant figures included a bounty of masterpieces. Images are here.

Pueblo Pottery Comes To Manhattan At The Met And Vilcek Foundation

Chadd Scott | Forbes | 16th July 2023

Pueblo pottery, a quintessential Native American art form, is regularly evaluated by museum curators in terms of Western aesthetics. Puebloans think that is a misunderstanding. To them, pottery is all about a “group narrative”, about people and place. A pottery show, currently in New York, takes a community approach to curation, with over 60 individuals involved. Said one, about a favourite piece, “[it] sings loudly to me through its design and its lived experience.” Interactive images are here and a video here.

“Becoming Van Leo”

William Poundstone | LACMA On Fire | 17th July 2023

Our interest in identity long pre-dates social media. Take the case of Van Leo, the Cairo-based photographer. Fascinated by Hollywood imagery, he used the same style for Egyptian film stars… and himself. Starting in the 1930’s he created multiple identities that spanned gender, race and class. Cindy Sherman and Gillian Wearing have made these explorations feel commonplace but Van Leo’s puzzled contemporaries thought he was “a sort of Hollywood-adjacent enigma.” Images are here.

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