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Monday, March 21, 2022
ART: M.C. Escher Gets the Recognition He Deserves in New Retrospective Exhibition
Despite his artistic ability and global appeal, M.C. Escher rarely got the shine he deserved at major art institutions. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) seeks to change that through a new retrospective exhibition on the late-Dutch master. “Virtual Realities: the Art of M.C. Escher from the Michael S. Sachs Collection” showcases an extensive collection of rarely seen work, including 200 prints, 100 drawings and interactive auxiliary rooms.
Escher first gained recognition in the 1950s for his self-proclaimed “mental images” that predominantly depicted various black and white scenes that mathematically blended with one another. His work would go on to feature in Time and Lifemagazine, and garnered a cult following amongst the psychedelic movement of the 1960s and Rolling Stones frontman, Mick Jagger.
Sachs has been an Escher collector since the 1970s, having acquired 90 percent of the artist’s estate in 1980. Although he’s sold half of the collection since then, Sachs, a one-time clinical psychologist, sought to celebrate the long-overlooked artist to commemorate 50 years since his passing this month.
“Virtual Realities” is on view at MFAH until September 5, 2022.
Elsewhere in art, Austin Lee tells it “Like It Is” at Jeffrey Deitch.
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
1001 Bissonnet St,
Houston, TX 77005
Wednesday, March 9, 2022
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
ART: Salon 94 Will Present "Caldonia: Concert and Film Posters from the Collection of Ralph DeLuca"
New York’s Salon 94 will present a new exhibition highlighting the long-forgotten poster art from a range of historic Black performers that have been slowly disappearing from public memory.
“Caldonia: Concert and Film Posters from the Collection of Ralph DeLuca” presents a rich and varied archive of designs that have rarely been seen by audiences today, including the King himself, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, arguably the greatest American composer of the 20th Century, along with a range of notable artists and performers, such as Fats Navarro, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Count Basie, and many more.
The exhibition particularly examines the vanishing memory of Black women performers, to which historian Daphne Brooks stated is at “the point at which they begin to slip out of view and into the void of cultural memory.” Fellow curators in Fredric Jameson and Thomas Cripps comment further that what’s really at stake is recognizing the importance of urban Black life and how it played an integral part in shaping 20th Century modernity. The exhibition will be on view at Salon 94 from March 11-26, 2022.
Also on view, Susumu Kamijo presents “I’ll Tell You Later” at Stems Gallery.
Salon 94
3 East 89th Street,
New York, NY
FASHION: DAPPER DAN LEADS GAP'S SPRING CAMPAIGN CELEBRATING DIVERSITY The fashion designer debuts a collaborative “DAP GAP” hoodie.
Following up on its buzzy partnership with Kanye West’s YEEZY, Gap has unveiled a new campaign celebrating diversity.
Shot by Zoey Grossman, the visuals feature a cast of unique creatives, including Dapper Dan as well as supermodel Shalom Harlow, nonbinary trans-visibility artist Kai-Isaiah Jamal, model Indira Scott and musician Yumi Nu. In the campaign, the Harlem-based fashion designer debuts his special edition “DAP GAP” hoodie, which comes in a coral hue with “DAP” lettering across the front. In addition to the collaborative piece, the campaign’s models are dressed in versatile pieces ranging from loose-fit jeans to classic pocket tees.
“As a brand rooted in modern American optimism, we celebrate what it means to be your true self today. This campaign is an honest reflection of individuals shaping culture by embracing their own paths—not what has been historically or traditionally defined for them, but what they define to be true for themselves,” Gap’s global head of marketing Mary Alderete said in a press release. “The campaign creative captures these creators pioneering a more inclusive, accepting world and putting their own distinctive stamp on American style.”
Peep the “DAP GAP” hoodie above and watch the campaign video down below. The collaborative piece will drop exclusively online at 4 p.m. ET on March 10.
WOMEN NEWS: CALLING ME A WHORE ISN'T AN INSULT, HERE'S WHY
Recently, sex-positive journalist Caroline Reilly was heckled by trolls after tweeting about how abortion restrictions were introduced simply as an attempt to control people’s right to choose. She was retweeted by conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro, and thousands of trolls called her every name from a “slut” to a “whore.” Reilly’s rebuttal? She said that calling her a slut isn’t an insult. And I couldn’t agree more.
But before we go deeper into this topic, I know that being introduced to a new idea can be anxiety-inducing. I understand that sticking to your usual perspective comes with comfort, but it’s always great to expand your mindset. So, here’s your friendly reminder to be open-minded. And if that is not possible, here’s your moment to respectfully leave the chat.
The origin of “whore”
So, let’s get into “whores,” “sluts” and “hoes.” These terms are originally rooted in systems of — you guessed it — patriarchy, misogyny and sex-negativity. A world where historically, men view women as objects and their actions determine whether she’s “wifey material” or nothing more than someone you “smash” when the time is convenient. If she has too many former lovers, her “price” decreases and it makes her undesirable. Any doubts? Might I remind you that the judgemental word “harlot” dates as far back as the 1800s and is defined by Oxford’s English dictionaries as “a woman who has many casual sexual encounters or relationships.” Even in 2022, when a woman shares her perspective on a woman’s right to choose, she’s met with judgment from men who childishly refer to her as the “town bicycle.”
Our society knows how to weaponize sexuality and make someone feel ashamed for it. Reilly said it best: “Conservatives know how to weaponize sex, which I saw firsthand when the best ‘insult’ Shapiro’s followers could come up with was to call me a slut. They know how to use the moralization of sex to make their point.” Odd, because the last time I checked, sex was an act of procreation, connection and enjoyment.
Internalized whorephobia
I don’t write this to shame anyone. In fact, my goal is the complete opposite. Growing up within conservative Christianity and old-school Caribbean ideals, anything sex-related was extreme taboo. So naturally, I grew an aversion towards women who owned their sexuality. That doesn’t make it okay. I’m just acknowledging that most of us come from sex-negative backgrounds, and don’t realize it until we hurt someone or ourselves.
I went through my own journey that taught me that lesson. I had just changed the name of my solo sex podcast from a self-titled name to HEALING HOE RADIO. The premise of my show was to host conversations around my growing sexuality, the freedom I was creating for myself, heal and find community. It did exactly what I wanted it to. It got people talking about sexuality in ways that I never experienced as the daughter of a Reverend. Eventually, my brand’s impact expanded into a Youtube channel, erotic art gallery and sex work. I quickly grew great clientele with authentic people who didn’t have access to sex-positivity in real life. I received such good feedback that I genuinely forgot people would try to weaponize my sexuality — until Christmas morning two years ago.
Being “outed”
On Christmas morning of 2020, as if I hadn’t experienced enough with an entire pandemic, a loved one of mine shared that one of my elders found my sex work through Instagram. My younger family members had already known and passed judgement, but that was easy to ignore. My elders, though? That’s different story.
I was wondering why my uncle slyly made remarks about “not giving my body up to the world,” at the dinner table the night before. I was being shamed in my own family’s home, a supposed safe space.
What stood out about the situation was their initial reaction to a new perspective. They didn’t aim to understand why I live a sex-positive lifestyle. Instead, they spoke about me in secret and in public, and tried to embarrass me. The healing journey and four years of sex-positive work I’d done to build a community were null and void, all because I publicly embraced my sexuality and lived authentically.
A final word from a proud whore
Exercising your freedom of speech to judge me is not the flex you think it is. It’s actually a sign of immaturity and close-mindedness. What’s important is I’m sharing quality sex education and hosting conversations around pleasure and sexual wellness, advocating for sex workers and for a woman’s right to choose, and giving women of color some form of sex-positive representation so they don’t have to live in shame. But even if I simply was a whore for the sake of enjoying sex, that is more than okay too.
By shaming sex-positive women, you’re completely missing the mark. That’s why women like myself and Reilly don’t take offense. We simply dedicate our time to educating others. If my authenticity offends you to the point where you feel the need to judge, so be it. If advocating for a woman’s right to choose offends you, so be it. But others’ opinion of how I approach sexuality is not my burden to bear.
FRENCH ENTERTAINMENT NEWS: 'Lupin' star Omar Sy signs multi-year deal to make Netflix feature films
Omar Sy, the star of Netflix global smash hit "Lupin" about a French gentleman thief, has signed a multi-year deal to develop films for the streaming giant, the company said Tuesday.
The debut of the French-language TV mystery is Netflix's third most-watched season ever after "Squid Game" and "Bridgerton," earning 76 million views in its first month, according to internal figures.
A second batch of episodes was released in June, with more eagerly awaited adventures based on the early 20th-century cat-and-mouse novels of Maurice Leblanc to follow.
The deal announced by Netflix did not specify any financial terms or specific projects for the deal with the actor-comedian who is set to star in and executive produce multiple feature films.
It is the first such Netflix deal with a French talent or filmmaker, according to Variety.
Lupin star Omar Sy will develop, executive produce, and star in original feature films in an exciting multi-year partnership with Netflix! pic.twitter.com/LmbHXeJW1Q
— Netflix (@netflix) October 12, 2021
Sy said he was "very happy to have the opportunity to extend the relationship" with Netflix, praising the streamer's "collaboration with artists and their passion to bring unique and diverse stories to homes all over the world."
"We look forward to working together with Omar and his team as he grows as a producer and brings more unique stories and voices to Netflix," said Netflix France's Gaelle Mareschi in the statement.
In "Lupin" Sy plays Assane Diop, a fan of the novels who uses the character of Lupin as he seeks vengeance for his wrongly-accused father.
The combination of a charismatic lead, Parisian backdrops and an undercurrent of race relations made it the first bona fide made-in-France hit for Netflix, which is investing heavily in the country.
The 43-year-old Sy became famous in "The Intouchables" before appearing in Hollywood blockbusters "X-Men: Days of Future Past" and "Jurassic World."
Last month he was the only Frenchman to be included in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential people on the planet.
(AFP)
Monday, March 7, 2022
ART: Outsider Art Fair Returns to New York's Metropolitan Pavilion
After a long hiatus since the beginning of the pandemic, New York’s Outsider Art Fairwill return to celebrate its 30th Anniversary edition next week. To commemorate the event, contemporary artist Fred Tomasselli has curated “Field Trip: Psychedelic Solution, 1986-1995,” a special exhibition featuring work championed by the legendary underground Greenwich Village gallery, Psychedelic Solution.
The exhibition comprises an extensive archive of work from the personal collection of the gallery’s founder, Jacaeber Kastor. From early giants in Edmund J. Sullivan, whose 1900 ink drawing Skeleton Amidst Roses would eventually become the logo for the Grateful Dead; a Grace Slick painting prior to her joining Jefferson Airplane, to a myriad of influential figures, including R. Crumb, Gary Panter, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson.
Despite the artistry showcased through psychedelic art, the genre is often dismissed by institutions as work reserved for posters, comics and counter-culture. However, American cultural critic, Carlo McCormick, believes otherwise, stating that “Many of these artists are instantly recognizable for their creative contributions to the populist forms of album cover art, underground comics and poster art, but their persistent neglect and omission from institutional art history goes to show how unorthodox and revolutionary their aesthetic terms remain to this day, and suggest, as curator Fred Tomaselli puts it, that the art world rewards the formalist precepts of the minimal over the messy and at times uncomfortable expressions of the maximal.”
“Field Trip: Psychedelic Solution, 1986-1995” will be on view at the Outsider Art Fairin the Metropolitan Pavilion from March 3-6.
Also on view, Ascaso Gallery queues “Cute Tunes for Serious Sapiens” in latest exhibition.
Outsider Art Fair
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 W 18th St,
New York, NY 10011
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