Category: Contemporary Art
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Hammer Projects: Simone Leigh
Happy Friday everyone! Today my review of Simone Leigh’s new show at the Hammer Museum is currently featured on Daily Serving. Be sure to check it out! ********* Colony Little explores Simone Leigh’s first West Coast solo exhibition at the Hammer in Los Angeles. Source: Hammer Projects: Simone Leigh
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Time Travel with La Négresse
It is no coincidence that I experienced “La Négresse” by Jean Baptiste Carpeaux while at the Berkeley Art Museum last week. At the time I was reading “Kindred” by Octavia Butler, a pseudo science fiction novel (for lack of a better genre) set simultaneously in slavery and 1976. In the book a woman is transported…
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Behind the Walls: The Art of the Favelas
After Rio’s shiny, spectacular Opening Ceremony on Friday I came across this sobering picture that quickly brought me back to reality and filtered my view of the Olympic games. Brazil’s honest portrayal of the slave trade and the upbeat, energetic favela portion of the ceremony obscured some of the horrific present day realities behind the historical and…
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Feature in Arts.Black: The Provocation of Agency and Ambiguity
Last month, one of my reviews on MoAD’s latest exhibitions was featured on Arts.Black. Please click on the link below to learn more about The Grace Jones Project and Dandy Lion. The Provocation of Agency and Ambiguity I truly appreciate the efforts of Taylor and Jessica to amplify the voices of black arts writers. Check…
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The Art of Serendipity: James Van Der Zee & Derek Fordjour
I love little moments of artistic serendipity. I come across them often and they are the fuel behind this site. Today, while looking at the work of photographer James Van Der Zee, I came across this picture: It immediately reminded me of a painting by Derek Fordjour that I fell in love with a few months ago.…
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The Santa Monica Museum of Art Heads East
Last spring, in a strategic move that I related to on a very personal level, the Santa Monica Museum of Art decided to pull up stakes on its Bergamot Station location to re-evaluate its mission in a self-reflective, revitalization effort called SMMoA Unbound. Today the museum announced that it would be relocating from Santa Monica…
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SFMOMA in 3: Part 3
Recognizing that 3 posts about SFMOMA may have been overkill, I would be remiss if I didn’t share some observations on the functional space and the technology in addition to a couple of warnings that may save you from some awkward museum moments. Everything about the new building orchestrates visitors to the Fisher collection, which…
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SF MOMA in 3: Part 2
Now that we got the essentials out of the way in yesterday’s post, it’s time to see some art! As I previously warned, I don’t suggest you try to see everything in 1 day. There are 7 floors of art, so I suggest that you pick 3 and spend some quality time with the collections.…
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SFMOMA in 3
Seasoned arts professionals who visited San Francisco last Thursday for a press preview of the magnificent new Museum of Modern Art also ambitiously popped over to the new Gagosian space, the Wattis Institute or Minnesota St Projects all in the same day. I am far from seasoned. After my day at SFMOMA I stumbled into the bar at 111…
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Mural Buffings Confirm Fears of Runaway Development in DTLA’s Arts District
Early on in my career I was given a small piece of advice that dictated how I presented myself professionally: “Dress for the job you want.” In the intersecting space between gentrification and street art, developers have applied that age old career advice to the neighborhoods they invest in. When it comes to street art,…
Colony Little, Culture Shock Art 