In the early 14th century, Italian poet Dante Alighieri penned The Divine Comedy, an epic poem that chronicles his fictional journey through Hell, purgatory, and Heaven. Often considered the last great piece of medieval literature, Dante’s masterpiece has inspired everything from Sandman comics to the latest album by the Brazilian…
“Safe and Sound” at The Lords of Art Town: Artists Sukhvir Gill and Erika Palomares expand preconceived notions of bondage photography with this exhibition focusing on rope as an instrument of security rather than titillation. In Eternal Life, Palomares captures the hope of an ethereal beauty holding a glass jar,…
Photographer Michel Sarda began his career as an architect in Paris. He moved to Phoenix in 1984 after attending the New York Institute of Photography, where his artistic focus shifted from towering edifices to the architecture of the human form. After nearly two decades of capturing graceful bodies and dancers…
“A Sense of Place” at Herberger Theater Center: The Herberger’s collection of interior and exterior landscapes is about one thing: location, location, location. Much like the real estate market, it’s a mixed bag. Painter Christine Kierstead transcends ordinary pastel landscapes by illuminating the highlights cast on desert rocks at dusk…
“The Big Lebowski Tribute Show” at Wet Paint Gallery: The thing about a cult classic is that you either love it or you hate it. The same can be said for this funky, eclectic group exhibition paying homage to the Coen brothers’ film. Devoted Lebowski fans may go gaga for…
Christy Puetz, 36, is as colorful a character as the beaded dolls she creates. Her downtown Phoenix apartment, which doubles as a studio, is crammed with large-scale paintings and prints she has bartered her own artwork for. She sits, cross-legged and calm, in the inner sanctum of her bedroom, wearing…
Third Annual “Mail Art Show” at the Trunk Space: Exhibiting donated art sent via postal mail can be a risky proposition, but the Trunk Space has managed to solicit an interesting, eclectic selection. Highlights include decoupage matchbooks, a Medusa tee shirt and a postcard from a child inscribed with a…
“David Pimentel: Legacy of an Artist and Educator” at Mesa Arts Center: The death of an artist usually brings instant notoriety and positive attention. In former ASU professor David Pimentel’s case, the accolades are warranted. Look for his renowned series of copper vessels, each unique in form and crafted from…
Remember those commercials that promised 52 free dinners with any windshield replacement? Over time, the offer dwindled to 20 free dinners at a salad buffet, then 12 barbecue meals, and, finally, a single box of steaks. What happens when you replace an attractive offer with items that are less desirable?…
Hair holds a magic exalted for centuries. In the Biblical story of Samson, hair was a source of power. In Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, long, flowing locks are the epitome of beauty. Hair has also been used for functional and artistic purposes. In the Victorian era, pendants containing a lock…
“David Pimentel: Legacy of an Artist and Educator” at Mesa Arts Center: The death of an artist usually brings instant notoriety and positive attention. In former ASU professor David Pimentel’s case, the accolades are warranted. Look for his renowned series of copper vessels, each unique in form and crafted from…
Can the rigid language of mathematics be used to explain human emotions? Those of us on the “leftright?? since the right brain would control the left side of the body brain/creative” side of the equation balk at the idea. But nonetheless, using scientific means to explain what’s often considered irrational…
“Annual Summer Juried Exhibition” at ASU Harry Wood Gallery: This year’s crop of MFA hopefuls shows a surprising awareness of domestic issues including water conservation, racial profiling and changing family values. Look for tongue-in-cheek political lampoons, like Exhibitions Class Award winner Corie J. Cole’s ceramic caricatures of cowboy Bush and…
“Annual Summer Juried Exhibition” at ASU Harry Wood Gallery: This year’s crop of MFA hopefuls shows a surprising awareness of domestic issues including water conservation, racial profiling and changing family values. Look for tongue-in-cheek political lampoons, like Exhibitions Class Award winner Corie J. Cole’s ceramic caricatures of cowboy Bush and…
In 1994, during a routine excavation at the site of Temple XIII in Palenque, Mexico, workers unearthed a pre-Columbian burial chamber containing the remains of a woman, cloaked in a heavy layer of powdered red pigment. They called her “The Red Queen.” Mexican-born artist Ricardo Mazal took more than 300…
Urban art is defined by the city that it represents. In a glorified cow town like Kansas City, the boring neon art installation at the top of the Sulgrave Building hints at the town’s sheltered nature. Works like Chris Ofili’s Holy Virgin Mary, a portrait of the Madonna adorned with…
“Annual Summer Juried Exhibition” at ASU Harry Wood Gallery: This year’s crop of MFA hopefuls shows a surprising awareness of domestic issues including water conservation, racial profiling and changing family values. Look for tongue-in-cheek political lampoons, like Exhibitions Class Award winner Corie J. Cole’s ceramic caricatures of cowboy Bush and…
Reviews by Wynter Holden “Holy Land: Diaspora and the Desert” at the Heard Museum: Something is definitely missing here. Only one Israeli artist is represented, and the closest thing to Jewish art is a photographic series exploring the Dead Sea. Still, this exhibition is worth checking out, even if just…
There’s no question that Americans have a disturbing fascination with death. Why do we die? Is there an afterlife? These are some of the great mysteries of life. The quandary is that we cannot fully understand death until we experience it firsthand. For artist Petah Coyne, that isn’t a barrier…
FRI 12/2The giant squid may have eluded scientists for decades, but Phoenix artist Pete Deise has been capturing them for years — in metal, that is. Deise creates steel sculptures (including one at the airport and another in front of My Florist Cafe) with characteristic tentacles. His latest exhibition, “Ascension,”…
11/25-1/22When a woman calls her guy a “minute man,” it usually spells doom for the relationship — and his ego. But for artist George Palovich, it’s a sizable compliment. Palovich practices gesture drawing, a process in which an artist produces a sketch in 30 to 60 seconds. This method was…
11/25-11/27Monica Long Ross admits she’s a voyeur. The playwright has been collecting other people’s home movies for years and watching them in her basement. “I remember thinking, “These are beautiful images. Someone should see these,'” says Ross. So she used the films of one particular family that she purchased at…
