Anything goes

‘Poetic License,’’ by Patricia Busso, at New Art Center, Newton, Mass.

She says in her Web site:

“In particular, I am fascinated with how visually pleasing nature’s randomness can be; the way a row of trees is capriciously arranged, how chance groupings of flowers  color a field, the geometrical patterns created by plots of land in a countryscape, the seemingly arbitrary twists and turns branches choose to make - configurations that present themselves with confidence; like there could be no other way.’’   

Hand language

“Rahimah Rahim,’’ by Massachusetts photographer Philip C. Keith, in the group show “Intercession ,’’at New Art Center, Newton, Mass.

Sit there until I say you can leave

Oil and acrylic painting by Sabine Clark, with Zhanna Cantor, at New Art Center, Newton, Mass.

The way we walk now

Oil and acrylic painting by student Amelia Katzen with Zhanna Cantor at New Art Center, Newton, Mass.

Getting around

Morning Commute, Shanghai (oil on canvas panel), by Ellen Leader, in her show “Through the Eyes of a Traveler: Paintings by Ellen Leader,’’ at New Art Center, Newton, Mass., Jan. 10-Feb. 23.

Trunk show

By Grey Held, at New Art Center, Newton. Mass. Newton is well known for having very good public schools, a large Jewish population, many affluent “professionals’’ and Boston College, in the ritzy Chestnut Hill section. The old line about B..C. , a Jesuit institution, is that’s “neither in Boston, and nor is it a college.’’ It’s a university.

'Medium and Materiality'

Left to right: "Bernie,'' by  Stacey Piwinski,  (hand-woven leather jacket and yarn); "Remembrance: A Worker's Altarpiece'' (earthenware and found objects),  by Mary E. Carlisle; "Beat,'' by Michael King (pill bottles, wood, LED lights), in the  group show "Dialogues: Medium and Materiality,'' at the New Art Center, Newtonville, Mass., April 17-May 5.

The show features  sculpture, installation, video and painting by current students and alumni of the Lesley University MFA in Visual Arts program. It  examines, in the gallery's words, "the significance that medium brings to an artist's intent and highlights the interdisciplinary aspect of the Lesley program, aiming to create a diverse platform representative of the contemporary arts discourse.''

'Collaborative Collage'

From left, "After Kandinsky'' (textile, fiber, embroidery); "Sunday Drive'' (textile, fiber, embroidery), by the husband and wife team of Grey and Leslie Held, in their show "Evoking Stories: Explorations in Collaborative Collage,'' Dec. 8-Jan. 4 at  the New Art Center (NAC), Newton, Mass.

The gallery says: "This exhibition features fabric collages made collaboratively by Grey Held, Collaborative Drawing instructor at NAC, and his wife Leslie Held, an "award-winning theatrical costume designer. Leslie’s collection of fabric scraps, ribbons, and salvaged sections of embroideries are the basic materials Grey and Leslie use to construct their various fabric collages, each with its own color palette and emotional temperature. The pair describe their work as something that emerges and evolves through the process of collaboration; they never know how a piece will turn out, but must surrender to the collaborative process that has its own trajectory, its own unfolding story.''

The wages of sin are fun

"Seb and Claire Illegally stream a Movie'' (sculpture), by Evan Morse, in a group show at the New Art Center, Newton, Mass., Oct. 27-Dec. 2.

Collaborative collages

"Sunday Drive'' (textile and various media) by Grey and Leslie Held. In their show at the New Art Center, Newton, Mass., Dec. 8-Jan. 4.

The gallery reports: "This exhibition features fabric collages made collaboratively by Grey Held, collaborative drawing instructor at the New Art Center,  and his wife, Leslie Held, an award-winning theatrical costume designer. Leslie’s collection of fabric scraps, ribbons and salvaged sections of embroideries are the basic materials that Grey and Leslie use to construct their various fabric collages, each with its own color palette and emotional temperature. The pair describe their work as something that emerges and evolves through the process of collaboration; they never know how a piece will turn out, but must surrender to the collaborative process that has its own trajectory, its own unfolding story.''

But you wouldn't want to live there

'Faraway Land,'' by Katherine Downey Mlller, in the group show 'Landforms,'' at New Art Center, Newtonville, Mass., through Jan. 5.

The gallery writes:

"Katherine Downey Miller uses nature, imagery and emotion in order to create her pieces. With a background in drawing and painting, Miller. uses shapes from the landscapes and her own emotions to capture the landscape in an abstract way. Miller states, 'My goal is to try to create paintings that capture visual and emotional moments."'

Election Day art

"Imaginary Explosions, vol. II'' (sketch and film still), by Caitlin Berrigan, in the show "Obstacle Course,'' at New Art Center, Newton, Mass., Oct. 28-Nov. 22.

It works in politics, too

"Triangulation'' (oil and acrylic on canvas), by Irwin E. Thompson, in the show "Pathways to Abstraction'' at New Art Center, Newton, Mass., Sept. 20-Oct. 22. The gallery says that the "abstract scientific principles that were central to his career as a medical researcher have long fueled his interest in nonrepresentational art.''

'Land of abstraction'

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"Shippwrekked (BR15-108'') (acrylic on fabric), by Brent Ridge, in show "Liz Gargas and Brent Ridge,'' at the New Art Center, Newton, Mass., March 4-April 10. The gallery says that Mr. Ridge "operates in a land of abstraction rooted in appropriation, landscape, and post-industrial aesthetics''

Doodling toward home

"By the Sea'' (mural), by Ben Jundanian, at New Art Center, Newton, Mass., through Feb. 27, created for Uber Boston, 2015.

In this project,  Mr. Jundanian "engages with the aesthetics and iconography of maps to create an expansive and highly developed doodle....The piece's bustling roadways, bike paths, railroads and waterways converge on a point in the center of the wall, an indicator of home.''

One thinks of T.S. Eliot's line from his poem "East Coker,'': "In my end is my beginning.''

Unwanted visitor

 

"A Shrine for You'' (oil on canvas), by LIZ GARGAS,  via New Art Center, Newton, Mass.

This picture was incorrectly captioned/attributed in its first posting. This is the corrected caption.

Avoid sleeping or sex there

"Our Bedroom, Westminster St. '' (screen prints, masonite, wood  and foamcore), by KEVIN FRANCES, in the "You Are Here'' show at New Art Center, Newtonville, Mass., next Jan. 15-Feb. 20.

The gallery says the show will present "place as physical, geographical, liminal or psychological spaces. Each artist will interpret the subjective phrase 'you are here' commonly found on directory maps to present place through the scope of their practice.''

Yogurt, or psycho-ceramics?

 

"Composition of Enclosed Cylinders,'' by LAUREN MABRY, in the show "A Ceramic Spectrum,'' at New Art Center, Newton, Mass., March 22-May 9.

The gallery's notes say:

"Mabry's cycliners and curved planes create a 'still' canvas for her Abstract-Expressionist glaze experiments, which flow and co-mingle when fired in the kiln.''

The joy of pessimism

"Debtris'' (video game), by ANTHONY MONTUORI, at New Art Center, Newtonville, Mass., in its current show "The Power of Negative Thinking,''  which celebrates the joys of pessimism.

The gallery says the seven featured artists "address some of the more unpleasant aspect of life, in seemingly delightful ways. They all create work that in some way challenges societal notions of happiness, through humor, avoidance or direct confrontation.''

More goodies for the elderly

  "Untitled,''  by HELEN PAYNE, in the "Helen Payne: Becoming Four Women'' show at the New Art Center, Newtonville, Mass., Nov. 21-Dec. 20. 

Rhode Island politicians are falling over themselves to pander to the high-voting elderly by promising them  that they'll pass a law to exempt the old folks (I'm one of them) from having to pay state income taxes on  Social Security and pension money.

This means another goodie for the most affluent part of society and another transfer from those who earn their income to those who live on investments of various kinds, in which I'd include pensions and Social Security.

The lost tax revenue will have to be made up by younger, poorer people. If more of the latter bestirred themselves to vote, there would be a lot less of this growing inequity between the age cohorts. Serves them right.

This is what you get in a country where in the election last week, only 36.4 percent of eligible voters bothered to vote and the national outcome was decided by about 20 percent of eligible voters.

-- Robert Whitcomb