An Identikit for Unreeling the Invisible                  identikit n: (trademark) a likeness of a person's faceconstructed from descriptions given to police; uses a set of transparencies of various facial features that can be combined to build up a picture of the person sought.              Identity politics, as exemplified by the black power, women's liberation, and gay … [Read more...]

                DeChirico, Gladiators (1930-31)                                      Picabia, Minos (1930)                       Warhol, 18 Multicolored Marilyns … [Read more...]

                     Robert Smithson: Spiral Jetty, 1970.                                          SAVING THE JETTY Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, thanks to drought, is above water level again after nearly 30 years. It's covered with salt … [Read more...]

Jay DeFeo, The Rose, 1958-66                                  INTO THE LIGHT Is a halo by any other name still a rose? Are the titles Deathrose or The White Rose the same as The Rose? Jay DeFeo's masterpiece -- for it is indeed that, with a vengeance -- had these titles until she settled upon the last. Her painting, so thick it could be considered a relief, is roselike in so far as … [Read more...]

Philip Pearlstein: John Perreault, 1975 Welcome to my blog. I'm really excited to be writing about art every week once again. Finally technology has caught up with my preferred writing style. Let me explain what I mean. Years ago when I was writing for the Village Voice, I remember that after my first year of art columns an irate reader wrote complaining I had used the first person pronoun 73 times. First of all, he obviously did not follow what was then called the New Journalism. Secondly, my goal was to include myself in the picture, not out … [Read more...]