“Paint Things” installation by Kate Gilmore |
Vaginas, posters, Ronald McDonald, grayed rainbows, and porcelain feature in our 10 most anticipated exhibitions of the winter.
1. The Origin of the Force /\ The Force of the Origin :: "The vagina as seat of creativity and joy" is the theme of this group show featuring Robert Gober, Kirsten Stoltmann, Betty Tompkins, and other friends of the lady parts. :: January 4–March 9 :: Samsøn, 450 Harrison Ave, Boston :: 617.357.7177 or samsonprojects.com
“Graphic Advocacy” |
2. Graphic Advocacy: International Posters for the Digital Age 2001–2012 :: A look at how new technologies have influenced posters agitating for "peace, social justice, environmental defense, and liberation from oppression" from 32 countries around our increasingly wired world. :: January 15–March 2 :: MassArt Galleries, 621 Huntington Ave, Boston :: 617.879.7333 or massart.edu/galleries3. Illuminated Geographies: Pakistani Miniaturist Practice in the Wake of the Global Turn :: Four contemporary artists adapt their training in traditional Mughal miniature painting in Pakistan to address life, politics, and Ronald McDonald. :: January 17–March 31 :: Tufts University Art Gallery, 40 Talbot Ave, Medford :: 617.627.3518 or artgallery.tufts.edu
4. Paint Things: Beyond the Stretcher :: Eighteen artists give painting a kick in the pants by merging it with sculpture and installation and soda pop. :: January 27–April 21 :: deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, 51 Sandy Pond Rd, Lincoln :: 781.259.8355 or decordova.org
5. The Doors of Perception: Vision and Innovation in Alternative Processes :: The fact that everything seems to be a digital camera these days has left many photographers wondering what to do amidst our glut of images. Here photographers adopt old-timey methods — pinhole cameras, tintype, cyanotype — to create "unique, handmade photographic objects." :: February 5–March 23 :: Photographic Resource Center Gallery, 832 Comm Ave, Boston :: 617.975.0600 or bu.edu/prc
6. Amalia Pica :: Art about the personal and political costs of communication, by a London-based artist who grew up in Argentina during its "Dirty War" and as the daughter of a politically active mom. Pica's work has ranged from cups adhered to walls — for eavesdropping — to a cast-concrete podium serving as a sort of monumental, free-use soapbox. Visitors will be invited to take home posters of black-and-white, crowd-sourced photos of rainbows. :: February 8–April 7 :: MIT List Visual Arts Center, 20 Ames St, Cambridge :: 617.253.4680 or listart.mit.edu
Ed Ruscha, L.A. |
7. Ed Ruscha: Standard :: The career of LA's master of hip, pop semiotics is showcased via some 70 paintings, videos, and works on paper. :: Opens February 13 :: Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, 415 South St, Waltham :: 781.736.3434 or brandeis.edu/rose
8. New Blue and White :: Traditional blue-and-white porcelain is reinvented by a cast of artists ranging from Katsuyo Aoki, who makes porcelain demon skulls, to Chris Antemann, who fashions the ceramic into elaborate rococo dioramas of feasting and fucking. :: February 20–July 14 :: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston :: 617.267.9300 or mfa.org