![]() |
"A Love Supreme (Wynwood Saints)" by EL MAC |
![]() |
One of four multicultural murals by Kobra |
Every day is a new adventure -- whether or not it involves a change in physical latitude. Taking advantage of the latitude I have to experience new things, meet new people and go new places has enriched my life. And sharing the discoveries I've made along the way makes these experiences all the more meaningful. Thanks for reading my musings.
![]() |
"A Love Supreme (Wynwood Saints)" by EL MAC |
![]() |
One of four multicultural murals by Kobra |
![]() |
"Another Fight for Remembrance" by Titus Kaphar (2014) |
While the show primarily features artists with whom I was not familiar, a couple of names jumped out at me. Titus Kaphar is an artist I "discovered" at Art Basel last year, and I quickly became a fan.
"Another Fight for Remembrance" is from a series of paintings Kaphar did in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown and the Ferguson protests. His related work -- entitled "Yet Another Fight for Remembrance" -- was commissioned by Time magazine for its cover recognizing the Ferguson Protesters, the runners-up to Ebola Fighters for Time's Person of the Year. In the works in this series, Kaphar splashes white paint across the canvas to signify the erasure of Michael Brown, Black men more generally and the members of the public protesting against police violence. To see "Yet Another Fight for Remembrance," click here.
Kaphar was again commissioned by Time to create a painting for the June 15, 2020 cover following the murder of George Floyd. The work features a Black woman holding a silhouette of a child. The silhouette is physically cut into the canvas. Click here to see "Analgous Colors." For Kaphar's website, click here. Take a few moments to watch the short film that introduces you to his work. It is brilliant and chilling.
![]() |
"Mirror Faced II" and "Mirror Faced I" by Wangechi Mutu (2020) |
Her "The New Ones, will free Us" series was inspired by caryatids, or sculpted female figures that provide architectural support. They take the place of columns or pillars. As she looked at the Met's collection of caryatids, she considered the physical and emotional role of women as load bearers. Her thoughts went to African sculptures in which women are depicted carrying the seat of the king on their heads or children in their arms. Mutu's women have become independent of those obligations. In "Mirror Faced I" and "Mirror Faced II," Mutu continues to explore these ideas.
You may be wondering, as I was, what the meaning of the mirrored discs is. The discs reference the circular lip plates women in some African cultures wear as a status symbol. The mirrors flash and summon the viewer's attention while reflecting the world back at her. They make Mutu's creations unsettling and otherworldly. Evoking those feelings is intentional, a reference to the superhuman powers of women.
For more on Mutu's creations for her Facade Commission, click here. If you're in the New York area, Mutu is a featured artist at Storm King Art Center until November. Click here to read about that exhibit. And for more on Mutu's work in general, click here.
![]() |
"I Belong to the Distance (#2)" by Torkwase Dson (2022) |
The wall card explained that Dyson's work "investigates how our built and natural environment defines our conditions of movement." I have to admit that I did not find that description particularly clarifying. But when I read on, I learned that the shapes in her work reference the ways in which slaves escaped to freedom. Squares and rectangles, for instance, are a nod to the wooden crate in which slave Henry "Box" Brown shipped himself from Virginia to freedom with some Philadelphia abolitionists in 1849. To read an interview with Dyson, click here. And to see more of her work, including the first "I Belong to the Distance," click here.
![]() |
"The Apostle Peter" by Kehinde Wiley (2006) |
![]() |
Stephenie with a backdrop from North by Northwest (1959) |
![]() |
Our gang (plus one) on the set of Singin' in the Rain (1959) |
![]() |
From The Sound of Music |
![]() |
Linda and Judy show off the backdrop from an unknown film |
![]() |
Judy on the street of an unknown film |
"The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" will be on display at the Boca Raton Museum of Art through January 22, 2023. If you're in the area, don't miss it. It is seriously fun. For more information, click here. To watch the CBS Morning Show segment that provided the spark for the exhibit, click here. And click here to check out the beautiful tome of a coffee table book "The Art of the Hollywood Backdrop" by Richard Isackes and Karen Maness. If you go to the preview feature, you can scroll through pages and pages of images of backdrops. They are sure to make you recall some time sitting in a dark theater (or on your couch!) immersed in a bit of movie magic. Enjoy!
![]() |
"1989: When Harry Met Sally/ Alex Katz Roof" |
![]() |
"1928 The Mysterious Lady/Rene Magritte The Lovers" |
![]() |
"1932 Grand Hotel/Georgia O'Keeffe Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1" |
![]() |
"Noir, Sacatra, Griffe, Marabou, Mulatre, Mamelouque, Quarteronnee, Sang-Melee, Blanche) by Leah Gordon (2012) |
"Noir, Sacatra, Griffe, Marabou, Mulatre, Mamelouque, Quarteronnee, Sang-Melee, Blanche" might have been my favorite work of the day. In the work, photographer Leah Gordon turns the caste system of 18th century colonial Haiti on its head. To French colonists, white skin was superior to the black color of the native Haitians. Here, the premier spot is occupied by the darkest of the sitters and labeled "Noir." A white skinned woman labeled "Blanche" can be found in the most lowly position. The artist included herself as the woman and her partner, sculptor Andre Eugene, as the man in those anchor positions. The other models are artists and artisans from Port-au-Prince.
Gordon references Renaissance paintings and styles in her portraits. The elaborate costumes were created by Haitian craftspeople, as were the signs identifying the color of each individual. The very pregnant Mamelouque in Gordon's work recalls Jan Van Eyck's "Portrait of Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife." In addition to a nod to Renaissance mores, this choice provides a sly allusion to the reason for the changing composition of bloodlines over time. To see a better image of Gordon's work, click here.
![]() |
"Strange Fruit" by Noah Purifoy (2022) |
Purifoy didn't become a part of the art world until after his 40th birthday; he was 50 when he began making the assemblages for which he is best known. The Watts Riots provided Purifoy with the inspiration for nearly 50 sculptures. The riots also provided him with the materials from which his assemblages would be made. Fellow educator and activist Judson Powell joined him in scavenging through the detritus after the fires had ebbed and things had settled down. Together, they collected nearly three tons of found objects for use in the creation of artwork. The "junk art" produced by Purifoy, Powell and several other artists from these materials were exhibited at an installation entitled "66 Signs of Neon." For more on that project, click here.
Although created decades later, "Strange Fruit" bears a relationship to Purifoy's post-Watts sculptures. The mixed media work was made after 9/11 when mob violence was once again on his mind. The title is taken from the Billy Holiday song that goes, in part, "Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze/Strange Fruit hanging from the poplar trees..." For more on Purifoy, including info about his Museum of Assemblage in Joshua Tree National Park, click here.
![]() |
"Naomi Looking Forward #2" by Mickalene Thomas (2016) |
You might have noticed this work is identified as #2. Thomas frequently creates multiple versions of the same image. To see her first "Naomi Looking Forward," click here. And for the Norton's educator guide on "Naomi Looking Forward #2," click here. What a great resource for thinking about a work of art for kids and adults alike! To explore more of Thomas' work, click here.
![]() |
"From a Close Distance" by Marc Dennis (2021) |
"From a Close Distance" was one of a series of hyperrealistic paintings included in a show entitled "Love in the Time of Corona." As you've probably surmised, Dennis created this series during his time of pandemic isolation. The sad background story to "The Princesse de Broglie" makes the painting a relevant choice. The Princesse died of tuberculosis when she was just 35. Her husband was so saddened by her death that he kept the portrait draped in fabric and hidden behind a velvet curtain. I can imagine him periodically drawing back the curtain in moments of contemplation as he thought about his wife and the life they might have had.
Recreating the work of masters has long been a means of study for artists. In this series, Dennis gives viewers a peek into what his studio might have looked like while his paintings are in process. I especially like the brushstrokes as he seeks just the right color for what he's working on at the moment. Click here to see more of Dennis' work from that exhibit. Trust me -- they will make you smile.
I also encourage you to visit Dennis' website by clicking here. His home page features a wonderful work called "The Joy of Painting." And if you go to the drop down you'll find an unusual heading for a series of ink drawings called "A$$holes on Cellphones." I am liking this artist more by the minute.
While there's more I'd like to share from the Norton, our stop there was just the first of several during our three day art adventure in South Florida. The bus trip (gasp!) was organized by The Algonquin Club, an informal group of art lovers who've been enjoying twice yearly art trips for more than 20 years. ("Algonquin" is an acronym for art lovers going on new quests using intellectual networking. I'm not sure about the "intellectual" part, but the rest is pretty accurate.) You can probably tell that I loved it.
Next up: Fun and games at the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
![]() |
"Breaking Away" by Joseph McDonnell (1986)(painted steel) |
The "museum in a garden" is home to 17 sculptures. Each one is set back from the walkway to create the sense of entering a room when you approach a work. "Breaking Away" by Joseph McDonnell was one of our first stops. McDonnell works in a variety of mediums and styles, including bronze, granite, steel and glass. This geometric sculpture is part of a series inspired by a broken picture frame with various forms sticking through the shattered object. You never know when that lightbulb will go off. To see the rest of the series, click here. And to explore more of McDonnell's work, click here. I particularly like his glass ice cube sculptures.
![]() |
Stephenie with Rondinone's sculptures (painted aluminum) |
![]() |
"Total Strangers IV, V and VI" by Antony Gormley (1997) |
![]() |
"Foot" by Tom Otterness (1988) |
Urbanite Theatre opened its season with "At the Wake of a Dead Drag Queen" by Terry Guest. The show is a flashback to the life of a drag queen who recently died from complications due to AIDS. There were somber moments of course, as Courtney/Anthony comes to terms with his diagnosis and recalls his complicated life. But the show was a celebration of life as well, with its over-the-top costumes and performances. It was a night of theatre no patron will ever forget. (Click here for a video with interviews with the director and actors and, yes, some of the fabulous costumes.)
Florida Studio Theatre just closed its winter season with "The Legend of Georgia McBride" by Matthew Lopez. The play tells the story of an Elvis impersonator who reluctantly -- and hilariously -- pivots to drag when his own show fails to find an audience. It's a story of a straight white man embracing his inner queen in a big way. Again, the costumes and performances were fabulous. And did I mention the play was set in my hometown of Panama City (well, PC Beach)? The show was written by Matthew Lopez, who grew up in Panama City, and drew upon his experiences sneaking into drag shows at The Fiesta, the only gay bar in town for 40 years. Cue the music for "It's a Small World." This is all background for a terrific panel discussion hosted by FST entitled "Dragging Through the Ages: The History of Drag." Director Kate Alexander was joined by Kraig Swartz, who played Miss Tracy Mills in "Georgia McBride," and Billyd Hart, choreographer and understudy for three roles in the show. Also on stage were certified sex therapist Dr. Mary Davenport and Ken Shelin, businessman turned gay rights advocate.![]() |
Hart, Shelin and Swartz |
![]() |
Flip Wilson as Geraldine |
I've wanted to see the Wynwood Walls murals from the moment I heard about them. So I was thrilled when our Algonquin adventure included ...