August 17, 2022 (updated September 9, 2022) Image courtesy of Depositphotos. Educator and activist Dr. César A. Cruz once said, "Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable." No matter the medium, a work of art that evokes a feeling, elicits an emotional response, or offers social commentary has the most visual impact. I have always had a fondness for quotes and the written word. For my first post, here are some artists reflecting on the creative process and the purpose of art. "A beautiful body perishes, but a work of art does not." -Leonardo da Vinci Leonor Fini (1907-1996), Angel of Anatomy, 1949. Oil on canvas. Private collection. Image courtesy of All Art . "A picture is a poem without words." -Horace Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986), Oriental Poppies, 1927. Oil on canvas, 40 x 30 in. Collection of the Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. Image courtesy of flickr. "Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it." -Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (1928-1987), Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, 1964. Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen, 40 x 40 in. Image courtesy of Christie's. '"Why are there no great women artists?' sounds as ignorant of human geography as the query 'Why are there no Eskimo tennis teams?''' -Francine du Plessix Gray Amy Sherald (b. 1973), "Fact was she knew more about them than she knew about herself, having never had the map to discover what she was like," 2015. Oil on canvas, 54 x 42 in. Image courtesy of Art Papers, Atlanta, GA. "Art is two things: a search for a road and a search for freedom." -Alice Neel Alice Neel (1900-1984), Self-Portrait (at age 80), 1980. Oil on canvas, Stretcher: 3 1/4 x 39 3/4 x 1 in. Frame: 57 x 43 x 2 in. Image courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. "Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one." -Stella Adler Frida Kahlo (1907-1954), Diego on my Mind (Self-portrait as Tehuana), 1943. Oil on masonite. 29 9/10 x 24 in. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, AU. Image courtesy of Artsy. As the English novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton (1803-1873) said, "the power of the pen is mightier than the sword," the power of the paintbrush is as mighty as the power of the pen. Did any of these quotes or paintings resonate with you? Let me know in the comment section. If you like this post, sharing is caring....

December 20, 2022 Girl Reading (n.d.), Vera Alabaster (1889-1964). Oil on canvas, 62.3 x 56 cm. Image courtesy of Harbour Cottage Gallery, Kirkcudbright, Scotland, UK. I have always loved poetry. My mother encouraged a love of literature in my twin sister and me from an early age. When I read a poem, I often think of how it could be illustrated visually. One of the beauties of poetry is its openness to interpretation and multiple ways of being understood. The poems selected below are ones I find personally meaningful. The paintings that accompany each poem are by women artists, both present and past. 1. "Dreams" by Langston Hughes Autumn Sentinel (n.d.), Michelle Waldel. Oil on canvas. Dimensions unavailable.Image courtesy of Michelle Waldele Studio. I remember my mother reading this poem by Langston Hughes (1901-1967) to us when we were children. Hughes, a poet, social activist, novelist, playwright and columnist, was one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance (1920-1939). We had a poster with “Dreams” printed on it and illustrated by a crow in a winter field. The contemporary crow painting here by Michelle Waldele is in homage to that poster and the poem of course. Dreams Hold fast to dreams For if dreams die Life is a broken-winged bird That cannot fly. Hold fast to dreams For when dreams go Life is a barren field Frozen with snow. “Dreams” courtesy of the Poetry Foundation 2. "Still I Rise" by Maya Angelou A Little Taste Outside of Love, 2007, Mickalene Thomas. Acrylic, enamel, and rhinestones on panel, 108 x 144 in. Image courtesy of the Brooklyn Museum, New York. Another poet I love is the late, great Maya Angelou (1928-2014), a poet, memoirist, playwright, and civil rights icon whom I had the privilege of seeing speak live at the Detroit Opera House in Detroit, Michigan, when I was in high school. “Still I Rise” is one of Angelou’s most well known poems. Still I Rise You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I'll rise. Does my sassiness upset you? Why are you beset with gloom? ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells Pumping in my living room. Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I'll rise. Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops, Weakened by my soulful cries? Does my haughtiness offend you? Don't you take it awful hard ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines Diggin’ in my own backyard. You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. Does my sexiness upset you? Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I've got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs? Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I'm a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide. Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise. “Still I Rise” courtesy of the Poetry Foundation. 3. "I'm Nobody! Who are you?" by Emily Dickinson Melancholy, 1801,Constance Marie Charpentier (1767-1849). Oil on canvas, 51.1 x 64.9 in. Image courtesy of Musée de Picardie, Amiens, France. While Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) wrote many wonderful poems, “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” has always resonated with me on a personal level. Growing up, I was painfully shy and quiet in school. I was socially awkward and felt like I never fit in. I only had one or two close friends who saw beyond the introverted demeanor. The admission of being a loner and finding a kindred spirit is what I love about this poem. I'm Nobody! Who are you? I’m Nobody! Who are you? Are you – Nobody – too? Then there’s a pair of us! Don't tell! they'd advertise – you know! How dreary – to be – Somebody! How public – like a Frog – To tell one’s name – the livelong June – To an admiring Bog! “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” courtesy of Poets.org. 4. "Sanctum" by Beulah B. Malkin A Still Life of Lilies, Roses, Iris, Pansies, Columbine, Love-in-a-Mist, Larkspur and Other Flowers in a Glass Vase on a Table Top, flanked by a Rose and a Carnation,1610, Clara Peeters. Oil on wood panel, 19.5 x 13 ¼ x 2 in. Image courtesy of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC. I have a sentimental side that likes love songs and country music even when they are corny. Poems about love and loss are no exception. “Sanctum” by Beulah B. Malkin (1903-1990) has elements of both melancholy and beauty. I think anyone who has ever loved another person can relate. Sanctum I built a tiny garden In a corner of my heart. I kept it just for lovely things And bade all else depart. And ever was there music, And flowers blossomed fair; Yet never was it perfect Until you entered there. “Sanctum” courtesy of Poetry Explorer. 5. "Put Something In" by Shel Silverstein Dance for Yourself, 2020, Geeta Yerra. Acrylic on canvas, 18.1 x 23.6 x 0.1 in. Image courtesy of Saatchi Art. Another beloved poet from my youth is Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) who is well-known for his children’s poems. We had copies of two of his poetry collections for children, Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974) and A Light in the Attic (1981) on my bookshelf in my childhood home. “Put Something In” is taken from A Light in the Attic. It is a poem that makes me smile with its playfulness and positive message. Put Something In Draw a crazy picture, Write a nutty poem, Sing a mumble-gumble song, Whistle through your comb. Do a loony-goony dance ‘Cross the kitchen floor, Put something silly in the world That ain’t been there before. “Put Something In” courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers. I hope you enjoyed this walk down “memory lane.” Wishing everyone happy holidays and a joyful new year!

by Emily Burkhart December 3, 2022 Faith Butler, Mother Nature Turns Her Back On Us, 2022. Wood, 39 x 48 in. The American novelist, poet, and environmentalist Wendell Berry (b. 1934) once said, “The Earth is what we all have in common.” Since there is only one Earth, what can we do to raise awareness of the importance of protecting it in an era of devastating climate change? If art can be anything, how can artists use their creative platform to advocate for responsible consumption, less waste, and decreases in pollution for a more sustainable Earth? A new exhibition at Cause and Affect Gallery in downtown Fenton, Michigan, explores these questions in the context of transforming disposable items into art. Called “Reimagining,” the exhibition seeks to raise awareness about our “disposable society." Annie Anglim, artist, metalsmith, and owner of Cause and Affect Gallery, has long championed using art to promote social issues and encourage a sense of community, not shying away from uncomfortable subjects such as domestic violence with “See it, Hear it, Speak OUT!” and two exhibitions showcasing the work of cancer survivors, “Survivor I” and “Survivor II,” for example. Also, a portion of the proceeds from each exhibition go quarterly to a different Michigan nonprofit. This quarter’s recipient is SCAMP, a summer camp for children and adults with special needs in Clarkston serving Northern Oakland County. The concept for a visual art exhibit reimagining everyday items usually thrown away was the “brainchild” of Anglim’s high school interns, Chloe Dancel of Fenton High School and Madison LaBrie of Lake Fenton High School, who jointly curated the exhibit. The aim of “Reimagining” is “to show the transformation of disposable items as well as alternative ways to protect the Earth” in hopes of inspiring visitors to see how the things we consider trash can be repurposed into works of art. Dancel and LaBrie organized the exhibition, were tasked with the concept, wrote the call to artists, juried the applications and curated the entire exhibit as part of a two-year internship program. When they graduate at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, they will each receive a scholarship from Cause and Affect as a reward for their efforts. Upon entering the exhibition, visitors are given slips of paper to vote for the piece of art they feel best exemplifies the theme of reimagining discarded items. At the conclusion of the exhibition, the artist with the most votes will win a People’s Choice Award of $150. The works of twenty-one different artists from across Michigan are featured and their work ranges from painting, sculpture and fiber arts to woodwork, ceramics, and mixed media. “Reimagining” is on view at Cause and Affect Gallery now through January 7, 2023. I attended the opening of “Reimagining” on Saturday, November 19, 2022, and have highlighted some of the artists and their work below. Shauna Bradshaw, Worry Doll Shauna Bradshaw, Worry Doll, 2022. Mixed media, 12 x 9 in. About this piece, the artist Shauna Bradshaw says: This Worry Doll is created from cardboard and fabric scraps. She is fashioned with an amalgamation of reclaimed vintage jewelry and various notions. This powerful figure is called a worry doll in reference to the pouches tied to her waist and chest. Swaddle sacks represent the entiments she carries while searching for answers. Worry dolls, also called trouble dolls (in Spanish, Muñeca guitapena) are small, handmade dolls originating from Guatemala. Guatemalan children tell their worries to the Worry Dolls, placing them under their pillows before they go to bed at night. The tradition has it that by morning, the dolls have gifted them with the wisdom and knowledge necessary to eliminate their worries. The origin of the Muñeca quitapena is a local Mayan legend. The Princess Ixmucane received a special gift from the sun god that allowed her to solve any problem a human could worry about. The worry doll represents the princess and her wisdom. In the case of Bradshaw’s Worry Doll, the turquoise pouches tied to her waist and chest could represent global concerns about human pollution and climate change. Lori Sowle, Proliferation Lori Sowle, Proliferation, 2022. Mixed media, 24 x 30 in. A striking piece entitled Proliferation by Lori Sowle uses the ubiquitous plastic bag to make a point. As the artist states about her choice of medium and its possibilities: Plastic bags are the 20th century's tumbleweeds, seen everywhere, floating on the breeze, hanging from the trees, running fence lines, and highways. This piece was created by fusing plastic bags together with heat.The resulting fabric was then applied to a wooden substrate with adhesive.These bags are available in many colors. I chose white, black, and red to convey the scar left upon the land from these recyclable items. Fusing plastic is an organic process. One never knows how the plastic will react to the heat; the texture of this material was highlighted by applying a thin coat of paint, however, the material on its own can be quite interesting. Fused plastic can be used for sculptural pieces, or as fabric for lamp shades, wallpaper or even as drink coasters. Cory Potter, Joy Ride Cory Potter, Joyride, 2022. Mixed media, 16 x 20 in. Another artist, Cory Potter, talks about his piece called Joy Ride and his approach to art: Most of my collages center around the theme of reimagining and this piece, created on a used canvas from Goodwill, is no exception. The papers used in the collage all have a storied history, as well: 100-year-old art catalogs found in a stranger's basement, a coworker’s doodles on a post-it, a vintage Playbill cover, and handfuls of pages ripped from poetry books, art books, and magazines setout for the public to view. Many of these elements would be viewed as disposable on their own. But adding in images that are unexpected, vintage. and traditionally viewed as every day, insignificant, random pieces of paper you could easily come across without seeing the artistic value is something I love about making art. Art really is everywhere, it just takes an artistic eye to bring it to a reimagined potential. Pamela Stoddard, Discard Pamela Stoddard, Discard, 2017. Mixed media, 28.5 x 12 in. framed. About her work entitled Discard, Pamela Stoddard states: This piece was inspired by a stack of library books with "discard" stamped on the inside covers. They were to be thrown in the dumpster. I started thinking about how many things were discarded–physically and socially–and the work started. There are pieces of the book pages, a broken pearl necklace, fiber, wood, and other collaged items incorporated into the work. Cindy Heming, Running by Moonlight Cindy Heming, Running by Moonlight, 2022. Mixed media, 33 x 21 in. Cindy Heming talks about how she gave new life to an array of discarded objects and pieces of the natural world to create Running by Moonlight: This piece has many recycled items.The canvas was a faded old picture that I painted over. All the items I used were glued to make the composition. The horse is made of metal from my sister's retaining wall. The mane and tail are chains from my mother's old jewelry, along with the eye, an old earring. The bottom of the picture consists of rocks from Lake Michigan, baby's breath from flowers my husband gave me, springs and metal flowers are Singer sewing machine parts, trees are from my flower garden, leaves are shells from Florida, grass from my palm tree that shed its leaves when it was brought in from outside. Lastly the moon is made of mica from Massachusetts.The only items that were not from recycled items are the paint, glue and stars. Skip Getz-Walsh, Petrichor Skip Getz-Walsh, Petrichor, 2022. Mixed media, 26 x 14 in. Explaining his work, Skip Getz-Walsh says: Petrichor is the pleasant smell after the rain during a dry spell. I used wine corks, cork, and rubber to make my tree trunks, birds, flowers, and clouds. Zip ties for the tree foliage. A discarded avocado bag for grass. The partial sun is the plastic top off a chip can. And of course, a wine cork frame. Dana Stone, The Flame Dana Stone, The Flame, 2022. Acrylic on saw blade, 30 in. diameter. Dana Stone comments on the salvaged focal point of her work The Flame: I have always loved classic flames. I used them here in my take on life, love, and loss. This saw blade was used up and worn out, soon to be discarded. I saw what it could be, and I just happened to be there as it was being removed from the cement saw to rescue it from the landfill and give it new life. Marie and Levi Tino, Tree of “Renewed” Life Marie and Levi Tino, Tree of “Renewed” Life, 2022. Mixed media, H: 7 ft. x W: 2.5 ft. The mother-son team of Marie and Levi Tino found litter to be a mutual learning experience to be passed on to others in their Tree of “Renewed” Life. They also adorned their tree with Monarch butterflies, a critically endangered species. Created from glass bottles we removed from the Shiawassee River in Fenton; this piece shows us how trash that was tossed aside nearly 100 years ago is littering our rivers. The driftwood tree rising from rocks found in Michigan waters represents nature reclaiming control, lifting the trash from the river, and creating a display of art called the Tree of "Renewed' Life. This piece brings awareness to our actions and how they affected the environment over many decades.Through researching each bottle, many interesting facts emerged giving us a glimpse back in time. Hanging from each bottle is a tag with snippets of this research, years, brands, manufacturers, and thought-provoking notes. We hope this artwork will inspire nostalgic conversations for those viewing it. My son and I have been discovering these bottles in the river for several years. I think of them as gifts that we received for cleaning up the river. This exhibit has given us the opportunity to share these treasures with others. We hope you appreciate them as much as we do.

November 12, 2022 Who doesn’t appreciate a clever meme, a little chuckle, or groan? While there are tons of memes on the Internet parodying TV and movie characters, politicians, wild animal or pet behavior, less common are art memes. Please enjoy below a hand-curated selection of some of my favorites. I. On Dating Image courtesy of Classical Art Memes - Facebook. Image courtesy of Bored Panda Image courtesy of Bored Panda II. Parody Image courtesy of Bored Panda Image courtesy of 50 Nerds of Grey Image courtesy of 50 Nerds of Grey III. Just for Fun Image courtesy of Bored Panda Image courtesy of Bored Panda. Image courtesy of Bored Panda Did any of these strike your fancy? If so, share your favorites.

November 9, 2022 Stairway at Auvers, 1890. Oil on canvas, 19 11/16 x 27 3/4 in. (50 x 70.5 cm). Saint Louis Art Museum. I recently viewed the Van Gogh in America exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), and it was impressive. Besides commemorating the DIA’s status as the first American museum to purchase a painting by the Dutch artist Vincent Van Gogh (1853-1890) on the hundredth anniversary of the acquisition, this exhibition is, in the words of the DIA press release, the “first to chronicle the events and people who introduced Van Gogh to the United States." Largely unknown during his life, Van Gogh’s popularity began growing in Europe only after his premature death by suicide in 1890 at the age of 37. Neither he nor his work visited the U.S. in his lifetime, so American audiences were not yet familiar with him. The DIA’s exhibition reveals how America’s view of Van Gogh evolved during the first half of the twentieth century and describes his rise to cultural prominence in the United States. To tell the story of Van Gogh in America, 74 works–portraits, self-portraits, landscapes and still lifes–are arranged into eight categories beginning with Van Gogh in Black and White, followed by America’s First Glimpse, Family Ties, A Van Gogh for Detroit, The Midwest Takes the Lead, The Tipping Point (spanning three gallery areas), Van Gogh in Hollywood and ending with A Lasting Legacy. The exhibition examines Van Gogh’s slow rise to fame in the U.S. It acknowledges his lifelong mental health struggles and looks at the challenges he faced gaining recognition and acceptance for and appreciation of his work. But it also imparts a sense of the man and his relationships with family, friends, and other artists. Finally, the exhibition details how sensationalized biographies of Van Gogh published in the early twentieth century followed by later cinematic adaptations and documentaries have contributed to his celebrity and influence his legacy today. The show’s curator Jill Shaw (the DIA’s Head of the James Pearson Duffy Department of Modern and Contemporary Art and Rebecca A. Boylan and Thomas W. Sidlik Curator of European Art, 1850 –1970) describes Van Gogh in America as: …explor[ing] the considerable efforts made by early promoters of modernism in the United States—including dealers, collectors, private art organizations, public institutions, and the artist’s family—to introduce the artist, his biography, and his artistic production into the American consciousness. The Exhibition Upon entering the exhibition, I felt as though I had stepped into a holy place. It was the kind of feeling you get when you walk into an old cathedral or church admiring the sublime architecture and absorbing the ambience. To see so many Van Goghs at once was thrilling. The space entitled Van Gogh in Black and White serves as preamble. Van Gogh’s work, it tells us, would not be exhibited in the U.S. until 1913. Before then, unless traveling to Europe, Americans could only read about his paintings in newspapers and view them in black and white photographs such as those reproduced on the walls in this area. When the work did begin showing in the U.S., it was usually met with indifference if not derision. This fate befell Van Gogh’s Chair (1888), a striking painting appropriately on display in this context. As suggested in the exhibition guide, the painting can be considered a self-portrait of sorts because of the personal effects Van Gogh has included–a pipe and tobacco pouch on the seat of a simple wooden chair with a crate of onions bearing his signature “Vincent” on the floor behind. The onions, emblems of eternal life, perhaps symbolize Van Gogh’s hope that his work would endure beyond his death. The picture is intimate; Van Gogh’s presence is felt if unseen. Yet despite the painting having been part of a 1920 American exhibition, and having been featured in an article in Vogue magazine, it did not sell here–a missed opportunity for the U.S. Instead, it was purchased in 1924 for the Tate Gallery in London and subsequently transferred to the National Gallery there. Fascinating information accompanies many of the works presented in the exhibition, including provenance details such as these. Van Gogh’s Chair, 1888. Oil on canvas, 36 1/8 x 28 3/4 in (91.8 x 73 cm). The National Gallery, London. Over twenty years after his death in 1890, Van Gogh was finally presented to American audiences when his work debuted publicly at the 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art at the 69th Regiment Armory in New York City (commonly known as the Armory Show). Comprising more than 1,300 objects, the Armory Show introduced audiences to the radical developments then taking place in modern art and included at least 21 Van Gogh paintings. Several of those that were displayed have been identified by scholars and are on view in this space, entitled America’s First Glimpse. It is worth noting again that Americans remained unimpressed by Van Gogh’s work. Most of the Van Gogh’s at the Armory Show were offered for sale, but none sold. Both art critics and collectors found them lackluster. One critic wrote Van Gogh off as a “moderately competent Impressionist, who was heavy-handed, had little if any sense of beauty and spoiled a lot of canvas with crude, quite unimportant pictures." Among these “unimportant pictures” was Olive Trees (1889), another The Dance Hall in Arles (December 1888), as well as Undergrowth with Two Figures (1890) and Stairway at Auvers (1890). All were once in the Armory Show, and are now on exhibit at the DIA, a goosebump inducing fact. Olive Trees, 1889. Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (73 x 92.1 cm). The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City. The Dance Hall in Arles, December 1888. Oil on canvas, 2 ft. 2 in. x 2 ft. 2 in. (810 x 650 cm). Musée d’Orsay, Paris. Undergrowth with Two Figures, 1890. Oil on canvas, 19 1/2 x 39 1/4 in (49.5 x 99.7 cm). Cincinnati Art Museum. We learn that despite Van Gogh’s inclusion in over 50 group shows in the 1910s and 1920s in America alongside other European Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, little sold except a few pieces to private collectors. With what the contemporary press called its “courageous” 1922 purchase of Self-Portrait (1887), the DIA became the first museum in America to own a Van Gogh. Gradually other public institutions followed the DIA’s lead with midwestern organizations leading the way–next notably was The Bedroom (1889), a remarkable gift to the Art Institute of Chicago by a private donor. It is displayed here as well as the paintings acquired thereafter by public museums in Kansas City, Saint Louis, and Toledo. Self-Portrait, 1887. Oil on artist board mounted to wood panel, 13 3/4 x 10 1/2 in (34.9 x 26.7 cm). Detroit Institute of Arts. The Bedroom, 1889. Oil on canvas, 29 x 36 5/8 in. (73.6 x 92.3 cm). The Art Institute of Chicago, Helen Birch Bartlett Memorial Collection. Not until 1935, 13 years after the DIA purchase, was Van Gogh the subject of a solo exhibition in the U.S. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City mounted a blockbuster show of over 120 works that traveled to several other venues including in an abbreviated form to Detroit. Portrait of Postman Roulin/Portrait of the Postman Joseph Roulin, Arles, early August 1888. Oil on canvas, 25.5 x 18.8 in (64.7 x 47.7 cm). Detroit Institute of Arts. Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse), 1889. Oil on canvas, 36 1/2 x 28 5/8 in (92.7 x 72.7 cm). Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. L’Arlésienne: Madame Joseph-Michel Ginoux (Marie Julien, 1848–1911), 1888–89. Oil on canvas, 36 x 29 in (91.4 x 73.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Van Gogh in America moves toward its conclusion addressing the 1950s. This was when Hollywood further sensationalized his life in Vincente Minelli’s adaptation of Irving Stone’s popular 1934 biographical novel entitled Lust for Life (the publication of which serendipitously coincided with the 1935 MOMA retrospective). Loosely based on both the book and Van Gogh’s actual life, the 1956 film of the same name starring Kirk Douglas portrays Van Gogh as a tortured genius suffering for his art, mythologizing him as a struggling artist in the American imagination.The film especially sparked public fascination with Van Gogh and his work that has endured to the present day. The exhibit successfully debunks some of this hysteria and culminates with the wondrous painting referred to as Starry Night (Starry Night Over the Rhône), 1888, an á propos ending. Starry Night (Starry Night over the Rhône), 1888. Oil on canvas, 28 3/4 × 36 1/4 in (73 × 92 cm). Musée d’Orsay, Paris. My Impressions Considering that Van Gogh in America is exclusively at the DIA and not a traveling exhibition, the DIA staff has anticipated demand to see the show by selling tickets at timed intervals for entry. Once in, one can take as long as needed to experience the pictures, read about Van Gogh and his work, and listen, if desired, to a complementary audio tour. Still, to be honest, at the time I toured on a Saturday, it was crowded. Roses, 1890. Oil on canvas, 27 15/16 x 35 7/16 in (71 x 90 cm). National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Interestingly, sunflower paintings, which are among Van Gogh’s most iconic works, are conspicuously absent from this show. The closest flower painting in the exhibition is Roses (1890), a spectacular, almost three-dimensional seeming study of a vase overflowing with formerly pink roses that have transformed over time to a brilliant white. My guess is that the DIA probably could not secure loans for any of the well-known sunflower works and/or wanted to spotlight lesser known still lifes. Indeed, there were many Van Gogh works I had never seen before or knew existed, such as the oil painting referred to as A Pair of Leather Clogs (1889, also at the Armory Show) or the drawing called The Wounded Veteran (ca. 1882-1883), a haunting portrait of Adrianus Zuyderland of the Dutch Reformed Home for the Elderly in The Hague. Indeed, we learn that this work is one of more than 1,100 drawings Van Gogh made over the course of his career, for drawing he said was “the root of everything” in art. A Pair of Leather Clogs, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, Autumn 1889. Oil on canvas, 12.68 x 8.07 in (32.2 x 40.5 cm). Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, (Vincent van Gogh Foundation). The Wounded Veteran, ca 1882–83. Graphite, brown ink, black ink and wash, and white gouache on heavily textured white wove paper, 18 1/8 × 10 13/16 in (46 × 27.5 cm). Harvard Art Museums/Fogg Museum, Cambridge. It is stunning to think that Van Gogh’s work was once ignored, considering his current popularity and instantly recognizable style. Various Van Gogh “immersive” multimedia experiences have been all the rage in recent years, including an ongoing show still in Detroit. Van Gogh’s likeness and paintings are reproduced and featured everywhere on everything from clothing, bedding, masks, jewelry, and umbrellas to candy containers, coffee mugs, pencils, and journals as the exhibition’s dedicated gift shop attests. Note, too, that among the DIA’s usual dining options, a whimsical exhibition-themed café has been set up for the duration. All Van Gogh admirers and enthusiasts should make a point of attending Van Gogh in America at the Detroit Institute of Arts at least once and prepare to be awed and inspired. I plan on returning. The show runs now until January 22, 2023.

October 9, 2022 Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), Self-Portrait, 1887. Oil on artist board, mounted to wood panel. City of Detroit Purchase. Detroit Institute of Arts Detroit, Michigan. Image courtesy of the Detroit Institute of Arts. Calling all Vincent van Gogh enthusiasts! A new exhibition at the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA) opened October 2. “Van Gogh in America celebrates the DIA’s status as the first public museum in the United States to purchase a painting by Vincent van Gogh, his Self-Portrait (1887).” At a time when the artist was largely unknown in the United States, this acquisition helped stimulate American interest in Van Gogh’s work. Private collectors, other institutions, and the general public took notice. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the acquisition, Van Gogh in America brings together 74 original Van Gogh works–including 59 paintings and 15 drawings–some of which have never been exhibited publicly before. An illustrated, 264-page catalog with essays by the DIA’s own Jill Shaw, exhibition curator, and other Van Gogh scholars accompanies the exhibition. A six-year effort and exclusive to the DIA, Van Gogh in America is a must-see for Van Gogh and Post-Impressionism aficionados. Make plans now to see this one-of-a-kind exhibition for yourself which runs through January 22, 2023. It’s not to be seen elsewhere. I’ve purchased my ticket and look forward to attending later this month. For more information, go to the exhibition page on the DIA’s website at https://dia.org/events/exhibitions/van-gogh-america. Vincent Van Gogh (1859-1890), The Starry Night (Starry Night Over The Rhône),1888. Oil on canvas. Image courtesy of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.

October 1, 2022 Lotte Laserstein, Self-Portrait with Cat, 1928. A keen social observer, German New Woman (“Neue Fraue”), portraitist, emigré–Lotte Laserstein and her sensitive paintings provide a snapshot of Weimar Republic society while her later life reflects the challenges faced by refugees in exile. Considered “one of the great recent art historical rediscoveries” of the twentieth-century, Laserstein (1898-1993) explored the female gaze in nude paintings, portraits, and self-portraits that are both intimate and sensual, revealing the anxieties and social tensions of her time. A star talent in the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), Laserstein’s career prospered until Nazi persecution forced her to flee and sink into relative obscurity. Now rediscovered, Laserstein is celebrated for her tender and compelling paintings of the German New Woman, many of which are self-portraits. Early Life Lotte Laserstein was born on November 28, 1898, in Preussisch-Holland, East Prussia, German Empire, in the town now known as Pasłek, in Poland. Her father, Hugo, a pharmacist, was of Jewish parentage while her mother, Meta Birnbaum, was a pianist, piano teacher, and porcelain painter with a Jewish father. Laserstein’s younger sister, Käthe was born in 1900. The sisters were christened and grew up in an assimilated German-Jewish household. Laserstein herself said that she was raised with “no religion.” Precociously gifted, she recalled in later years that from the age of eleven she knew she wanted to become an artist and had decided never to marry. Education Following Hugo’s untimely death in 1902 when Laserstein was only three years old, Meta took Lotte and Käthe to live with her own widowed mother Ida Birnbaum, an artist, and her sister Elsa Birnbaum in Danzig, now Gdansk, Poland. Laserstein’s Aunt Elsa ran a private painting school for girls and gave Laserstein her first painting lessons when she was just nine years old. In 1912, the family moved to Berlin where Laserstein continued her education. By 1918, she entered Friedrich Wilhelm University to study Philosophy and History of Art as well as began attending a school for applied printing. After graduating university in 1920, Laserstein received additional private training with the painter Leo von König (1871-1944), a member of the Berlin Secession who had studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. Lotte Laserstein painting Evening Over Potsdam, photographed by Wanda von Debschitz-Kunowski in 1930. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. In 1925, just a few years after German art schools began admitting women students for the first time, Laserstein enrolled at Berlin’s art academy, the Akademische Hochschule für bildende Künste (Academic College of Fine Arts, later renamed the United State Schools of Liberal and Applied Art) and studied under the painter Erich Wolfsfeld (1884-1956). That same year she met her future muse in tennis instructor, singer, and actress Gertrud Rose (1903-1989) whom she affectionately called Traute, a feminine German name meaning “strong” or “strength.” A star pupil, Laserstein graduated from Wolfsfeld’s master class in 1927 after winning several distinctions for her work, including the prestigious Ministermedaille (Minister’s Medal) for artistic achievement from the Prussian Ministry of Science, Art, and Education. Lotte Laserstein, The Tennis Player (Traute Rose), 1930. Lotte Laserstein, Self-Portrait in the Studio on Friedrichsruher St. ca. 1927. Berlin Studio Years, 1927-1936 Soon after graduating, Laserstein established an art studio in downtown Berlin on Friedrichsruher St, which became the setting for the painting named Self-Portrait in the Studio on Friedrichsruher St (ca. 1927), and the collaboration with Traute Rose entitled In My Studio (1928). She also ran her own private painting school there. Laserstein joined the Berlin Women Artists Association and competed in various national art contests and competitions to promote herself, including one for the “most beautiful German woman” sponsored by the German cosmetics company Elide for which she submitted the painting, Russian Girl with Compact (1928). Although Laserstein’s work was not selected, the painting did receive honorable mention. Lotte Laserstein, In My Studio, 1928. Lotte Laserstein, Russian Girl with Compact, 1928. Lotte Laserstein's Paintings of the Neue Fraue Nowhere is the German New Woman of the Weimar Republic better visually articulated than in Laserstein’s self-portraits and in paintings depicting the muscled physique and boyish figure of her close friend and muse, Traute Rose. Laserstein, herself the embodiment of the Neue Fraue with her closely cropped-bob and androgynous appearance, also painted sensitive portraits of other fashionable Neue Fraus in metropolitan Berlin. In contrast to the often grotesque, caricature-like depictions of these emancipated women favored by her male contemporaries like Otto Dix and Max Ernst of the German Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) movement in which she is usually categorized, Laserstein’s paintings of the Neue Fraue manifest compassion and empathy, such as in Woman with a Red Beret (ca. 1931) and in Traute Rose with a Red Cap and Checked Blouse (ca. 1931). Lotte Laserstein, Woman with a Red Beret, ca. 1931. Lotte Laserstein, Traute Rose with a Red Cap and Checked Blouse, ca. 1931. German art historian and freelance curator Anna-Carola Krausse, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on Laserstein and curated the groundbreaking 2003 exhibition, “Lotte Laserstein: My Only Reality” at the Verborgene Museum and Museum Ephraim-Palais in Berlin, describes Laserstein’s painting style as “sensual objectivity,” referring to the underlying eroticism and sensuality inherent in her portraits. Laserstein’s 1927 painting, In the Tavern, which was later confiscated as “degenerate art” by the Nazis within the context of National Socialist propaganda, epitomizes the sexually-liberated Neue Fraue. Others, such as the young Russian immigrant in Girl Lying on Blue (ca. 1931) the sitter in Woman with a Red Beret (1931) display a more feminine appearance in clothing and the wearing of makeup. Lotte Laserstein, In the Tavern, 1927. Lotte Laserstein, Girl Lying on Blue, ca. 1931. Nazism and Exile in Sweden, 1937-1993 Declared a ‘‘three-quarters Jew’’ by the National Socialists when Hitler came to power, Laserstein was gradually excluded from the city’s art world from 1933 onwards. A chance to exhibit her work at the Stockholm Galerie Moderne in Sweden provided her with the opportunity to escape Germany in 1937. To obtain Swedish citizenship the next year, Laserstein resorted to a marriage of convenience with another German exile, the Jewish merchant Sven Jakob Marcus, although they never lived together. As a citizen, she would go on to reside in Sweden for the remainder of her life. In Stockholm Laserstein found a new muse and model in Margarete Jaraczewski, a young Polish Jew who had a doctorate in economics and had emigrated to Sweden in 1938. Some twenty years Laserstein’s junior, Laserstein nicknamed her “Madeleine” (a French cookie, of course, and perhaps in Proustian terms after the memory of Traute, but also sometimes meaning “little girl” in German). Though Madeleine posed for Laserstein for many years, the paintings portraying Madeleine do not have quite the same intimacy and poignancy as the Berlin paintings with Traute, as can be seen in Madeleine in Front of the Mirror (ca. 1940s) and Madeleine-Nude, Sitting in a Chair (ca. 1941). Lotte Laserstein, Madeleine in Front of the Mirror, (Margarete Jaraczewski), ca. 1940s. Lotte Laserstein, Madeleine-Nude, Sitting in a Chair, ca. 1941. Laserstein struggled both personally and professionally in Sweden. She painted landscapes and took portrait commissions to support herself catering to the tastes of her patrons, such as Woman in a Café (Lotte Fischler), 1939. She also continued to document the passage of time through self-portraits (Self-Portrait at the Easel, 1938), as though to reassert her artistic identity. In 1946, after the war, Laserstein resumed contact with Traute Rose and her husband Ernst but she never returned to Germany. Hoping for better professional opportunities, Laserstein did, however, move to the city of Kalmar in the southern province of Småland, Sweden, in 1954 and lived there until her death at age 94 in 1993. She is buried on the Swedish island of Oländ where she had also enjoyed a vacation home for some forty years. Lotte Laserstein, Woman in a Café (Lotte Fischler), 1939. Lotte Laserstein, Self-Portrait at the Easel, 1938. Legacy A new appreciation for Laserstein has emerged since her death in 1993 and especially since the publication of Anna-Carola Krausse’s groundbreaking 2003 monograph, Lotte Laserstein: My Only Reality and the accompanying exhibition curated by Krausse. Considering Laserstein’s work a reflection of the social disruptions of her time has led to a reevaluation of her oeuvre. Still, outside of Europe and beyond art world circles, she remains lesser known. Contributing to Laserstein’s obscurity to American audiences is the fact that the majority of her paintings in the U.S. remain in private collections, with a notable exception being Morning Toilette (1930), depicting Traute Rose giving herself a sponge bath, acquired in 1988 by the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C. Lotte Laserstein, Morning Toilette (Traute Washing),1930. National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC. In 2009, a donation of Laserstein’s documentary estate was made to the Artists’ Archive at the Berlinische Galerie Museum of Modern Art in Berlin. It consists of photographs of Laserstein’s works, sketchbooks, private and professional correspondence, documents concerning her participation in exhibitions, and books from the artist’s library. In 2010, the Stadel Museum in Frankfurt purchased from Sotheby’s auction house, at well over twice the expected price, what has been called Laserstein’s “magnum opus” Evening over Potsdam (1930). This hauntingly evocative work, nearly seven feet in length, incorporates Traute Rose and her husband Ernst (on the far left, backs facing the viewer) as two of the five separate figures assembled over a simple meal on a hill overlooking the city of Potsdam. A palpable sense of sadness or ennui pervades the picture. Also contributing to Laserstein’s growing legacy, have been several career retrospectives and group exhibitions featuring her work organized throughout her native Germany and in Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom and Switzerland with more planned for 2023 and beyond. Lotte Laserstein, Evening over Potsdam, 1930. Lotte Laserstein, Self-Portrait, 1934-1935.

September 10, 2022 The Old Maids, 1947, Leonora Carrington (1917-2011). Oil on canvas, 58.2 x 73.8 cm. Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, Norwich, UK. Image courtesy of Obelisk Art History. Can you ever escape a past of toxic boyfriends (or girlfriends, too, I suppose) and the resulting psychological trauma? Can you ever conquer the niggling fear of history repeating itself with matches on dating apps? Fear that you will be gutted yet again by another person you grow to care about? These are questions I often ponder. According to Tara Barnett in an August 19, 2022, WiseGeek article “What is the Connection between Abuse and Self-Esteem?,” emotional abuse is often much more damaging to a person's self-esteem than physical abuse. I have come to the conclusion that perhaps those of us who are survivors of emotionally and verbally abusive relationships are not cut out for dating apps. I’ve tried a bunch: Bumble, Happn, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match, Plenty of Fish, Ok Cupid, Hinge, even Tinder– perhaps the lowest of the low for its reputation as a hook-up app, which I’m not proud of. I’ve quit all of them because they trigger panic attacks of memories I have spent many years trying to forget. Complicating this is the double standard for women on these apps. To challenge an old saying, a profile picture is not worth a thousand words. It tells nothing really about a person apart from physical appearance. Image Courtesy of The Daily Mail. Then there is also the underlying pressure for women to downplay intelligence to attract more matches. Some men seem to find an intelligent woman intimidating or dangerous to their egos. They become scathing and hurtful, but I, for one, refuse to “dumb myself down” just to seem more appealing. So maybe I bring this on myself, but small talk becomes boring. I’d rather have meaningful conversations where I learn something about the other person. Better yet would be finding someone knowledgeable about art history with whom I could compare notes about favorite artworks, artists, and art movements. Many people automatically assume that because I write about art, I must be an artist too. But I am not. I’m just scared. Scared of the pain. If I were to choose an art movement to illustrate my inner turmoil and frustration with online dating, I would choose Surrealism for its dreamy, fantastical, sometimes nightmarish imagery and metaphorical symbolism. The paintings included in this post are by Leonora Carrington (1917-2011), a British-born Mexican artist, Surrealist painter, and novelist who "feminized Surrealism" and whose haunting work, often featuring women, reflects all the pain, angst, and fear I carry inside. First, I do not want to end up an old maid (see The Old Maids, 1947). I just turned 35 last month and 40 no longer seems far off. I have gray hairs to prove it. I don’t expect to have children at this point, and, frankly, I dream of some traveling instead. Secondly, I want someone who appreciates art and will take me seriously and engage in conversation at museums and galleries (Mujeres Conciencia, 1972). Mujeres Conciencia (Conscious Women), 1972, Leonora Carrington. Mixed media on board, 29 1/2 x 19 3/10 inches (75 x 49 cm), © 2019 Estate of Leonora Carrington / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. Image courtesy of Wendi Norris Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Finally, while I cannot predict the future (La Maja del Tarot, 1965), I believe that there is someone for everyone unless you are a person who avoids serious relationships as a matter of principle and enjoys being unattached. La Maja del Tarot (Woman of the Tarot),1965, Leonora Carrington. Oil on canvas, 79 1/8 x 70 1/2 inches (201 x 179.1 cm) Image courtesy of Wendi Norris Gallery, San Francisco, CA. Despite my negative experiences, I know that I am a smart, strong, fun-loving, witty, adventurous and passionate person worthy of love. But I'm going to wait now and let time unfold. No more dating apps for me. To anyone reading this, can you relate?