#may 2017

met gala

met gala

by Jessica Stewart - My Modern Met, May 30, 2017

For the past 16 years, artist Steven Spazuk has been honing the craft of painting with fire. The “fire artist” uses the resulting soot from flames to produce haunting, delicate work. By trailing his tools over the remnants of a flame, he almost sculpts his subjects on the canvas in a technique called fumage.

Spazuk is quick to point out that he didn't invent the technique—it's most likely how pre-historic man created cave paintings. But something about his work has captured the public's imagination, as he finds the perfect balance between unique execution and memorable, finished product. Recently, he began working with Zippo as a sponsored artist, where in an interview he explains that the idea first came to him in a dream. After dreaming of seeing a work in a gallery created by fire, he took the idea and set to work, developing fumage into his characteristic signature.

His newest set of work, which was recently on show at Boston's Adelson Galleries, continues his exploration into the fragility of our world. Mainly focusing on imagery of birds—the delicate nature of their wings and feathers mirrored by the wispy plumes of smoke that trail behind them—Spazuk's creations invite viewers to step into his ephemeral, fantasy world.

“Fire consumes, warms, and illuminates,” he explains, “but can also bring pain and death; thus, its symbolic meaning varies wildly, depending upon the context of its use. I mostly use it to talk about life's fragility. Exploring this fragility is the very essence of my work as a fire artist.”

by Kelly Richman-Abdou - My Modern Met, May 3, 2017

Today, Frida Kahlo remains one of the most celebrated artists in modern art. In terms of subject matter, Kahlo favored self-portraits and scenes rooted in her Mexican heritage. Given the deeply personal nature of these themes, art historians and art lovers alike are able to learn about Kahlo through her paintings. While studying her art is an excellent way to get to know the artist, this rare collection of photographs also offers an intimate glimpse into her life.

Taken in the 1920s, the photos present Kahlo—who was born in 1907—as a young woman. Set in various locations over the course of a number of years, the photos trace Kahlo's journey into early adulthood. Some of them appear to be formal portraits of the artist. These photos were likely taken at National Preparatory School, where Kahlo was enrolled in 1922. In addition to traditional portrayals, casual shots with family, friends, peers, and her husband, fellow artist Diego Rivera, also comprise the collection of rare photographs. Even in such informal situations, Kahlo seldom smiles—a persona she would retain in future photographs and stoic self-portraits.

While ample paintings and photographs of Kahlo exist in the public sphere, most of them are from later time periods. For example, her most well-known self-portrait paintings, like The Two Fridas, Self-Portrait With Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird, and The Broken Column, were produced in the late 1930s and 1940s. Similarly, iconic photographs taken by contemporaries like Nickolas Muray and Lucienne Bloch also depict an older Kahlo. Thus, these rare, earlier photographs help us to fill in the gaps and and see the artist like we've never seen her before.