James Siena’s talk this evening at the New York Studio School launches their redoubtable Evening Lecture Series for Spring 2014. The abstract artist famed for his “termite” aesthetic speaks about his work at 6.30pm. Admission is free but space is limited: the consolation of standing in line is that you do so in the gallery where you get to see the Philip Pearlstein exhibition, curated by Robert Storr, and reviewed today at artcritical by Dennis Kardon.
The Pearlstein show will feature in the lecture program on February 19 in a panel with Storr, artist Byron Kim and art historian Irving Sandler, who has championed Pearlstein throughout his career, coining the phrase “new perceptual realism” with him and others in mind. Other panels this season include a discussion of the process of developing meaningful imagery, moderated by Xico Greenwald with guests Jules de Balincourt, Julie Heffernan and Kyle Staver, this Wednesday, February 12; a discussion moderated by Willaim Bailey with the Studio School gallery’s next exhibitors, Elisa Jensen and Ruth Miller on March 4; a discussion with David Carrier and Joachim Pissarro, authors of a new book on “wild art”, moderated by Barry Schwabsky on February 26; and a roundtable on Robert Smithson with Jack Flam, Phyllis Tuchman and Yasmil Raymond on March 12.
Other contemporary artists talking about their work this season include Beverly McIver (March 11), Rackstraw Downes (April 8) and Mary Heilman (March 26). Art of the past also gets a look in: Renaissance scholar Alexander Nagel talks on April 2 on the medievalism of modern art while artcritical editor David Cohen offers a talk titled “What to wear for a martyrdom: Fashion Tips for Executioners from late quattro-/early cinquecentro masters” on April 1.
