A Taste for the "Exotic"? Sèvres Porcelain
Having blossomed into teen-hood in the 1970s, I often like to compare some of the “art” that emerged in the 1800s with the 1970s. It’s like, “what were they thinking?” Th ...
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Curator's Corner
An Early Feminist Artist: Florine Stettheimer
Always on the lookout for artists who have been neglected by mainstream art history, I enjoy when a previously neglected artist finds new appreciation and reevaluation of her work. One such artist is ...
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Curator's Corner
A Real Tea Party: Philip Dawe
While I’m on the subject of cartoons—because of the current exhibit in the Davis Art Gallery—I thought it might be fun to see a cartoon of a tea party, since that phrase is in the ne ...
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Curator's Corner
Day of the Dead Satire: Manuel Manilla
The Davis Art Gallery is currently hosting an exhibition of the work of comic artists. Since the gallery is on the same floor as our offices, I get to see the artists’ works every day. Naturally ...
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Curator's Corner
Native American Art "Revival": Abel Sánchez (Oqwa Pi)
When we think of “Native American art,” we tend to think of ceramics, weavings, hide objects, and quillwork. Painting (whether on canvas, paper, or wood) was not an Indian tradition until ...
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Curator's Corner
Pictorialist Photographer: Gertrude Käsebier
One of my favorite periods in the history of photography is from the early period, when there was a debate in artists’ circles as to whether or not photography was “fine art.” Ironic ...
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Curator's Corner
Something Completely Different: Chelsea Porcelain
I am a big admirer of artists who produce porcelain. I don’t own any, but I sure love to see examples in museums. Porcelain was first produced in China in the first millennium CE and in Japan in ...
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Curator's Corner
African American History Month 2010: Willie Cole
Like the artists of the Harlem Renaissance, African American artists of the late 1900s and early 2000s often focus on the relationship between African art and African Americans. For the majority of co ...
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Curator's Corner
African American History Month 2010: William Henry Johnson
The first time I saw the paintings of William H. Johnson, they were works from his expressionist period, the first time he lived in Europe (1926–1929). Needless to say, it was one of those &ldqu ...
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Curator's Corner
African American History Month 2010: Horace Pippin
To celebrate African American History Month, I’m going to feature black artists the month of February. Naturally, I’m going to start with one of my favorites, Horace Pippin. ...
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