In this episode, Sarah and Sarah put on their detective hats to unravel the mysterious meanings behind Benjamin West’s painting, Helen Brought to Paris.
Our References: Raphael, John Adams, Charles Willson Peale, Gilbert Stuart
Music: Allegro by Zimbalista
After a considerable “summer” hiatus, the Art Attack is back! We kick off the new season with a gorgeous piece by Barbara Hepworth. Hepworth is considered to have been one of the first truly abstract sculptors and the piece, entitled Merryn, is a great example of her work. But more importantly, this little sculpture has us all hot and bothered. Listen to the episode to find out why! You can visit Merryn in the flesh at the National Museum of Women in the Arts.
Our References:
Music by Hammurapi and Braids.
After visiting Ai WeiWei’s sculpture Fragments, the Sarahs keep the conversation going with a trip to the E Street Cinema for a viewing of the film Never Sorry, by Alison Klayman. The documentary paints a fascinating portrait of the dissident chinese artist, exploring his life, his artistic process, and his activism. The Boston Globe calls Never Sorry “one of the most engagingly powerful movies of the year” and we agree!!
In this episode, the Sarahs visit Ai Weiwei’s sculpture Fragments, at the Sackler Gallery. The sculpture is constructed of pieces of ironwood salvaged from Qing dynasty temples that have been razed in recent years to make way for new development. Fragments, and Ai’s Zodiac Heads at the Hirshhorn, are on display in advance of a retrospective of the outspoken artist’s works slated to appear at the Hirshhorn museum in October.
© Courtesy of the Sigg Collection
Our References:
In which a bird lands on a statue. Also, the Sarahs take one for the team, getting to the bottom of exactly why we are so “meh” about this sculpture by Marino Marini. (Or, in Sarah C’s Italian translation, Marino! Marini!) Listen to this episode so that the next time you see a sculpture you don’t like, you can ignore it with a clear conscience.
This, and lots of other very excellent art works, can be seen at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
Our References: Dada, Equestrian Statues, Etruscan Art
Music: Bliss by SaReGaMa
In this special episode, we attend the opening of the Tryst Cafe at the Phillips Collection, and use the occasion to check out Brazilian artist Sandra Cinto’s eight panel piece One Day After the Rain, which can be seen in the new space. We also talk with Constantine Stavropoulos, owner of Tryst, about his new outpost and the role of art in his cafes and in life.
Our References: Sol LeWit line drawings, Japanese Screen Prints, Olafur Eliasson, John Frederick Kensett
Music: Tema Club Eden by Selva de Mar, Shorttime and Longtime by Reman
In which Sarah C and Sarah D are thwarted in their valiant effort to see some street art. But we have a good conversation about it anyway! The piece is (was) Gadhafi Loves Leeza by Mr. CRO, aka Ray Noland. Noland is a Chicago-based street artist whose pieces provide playful and biting takes on figures from the headlines.
Check out Noland’s website, Creative Rescue.
BEFORE
Photo by Darrow Montgomery
AFTER
Music: Quasi Motion by Kevin MacLeod, Lord Pear by Lagos Disco Machine, and Karpuzkafa 777 by Hayvanlar Alemi.
In which the Sarahs get caught up in the romance of an intimate moment on a Venice street, as captured by John Singer Sargent. The painting is at the National Gallery of Art.
Music: Nessun Dorma by Giacomo Puccini, performed by Rafael Villegas
In this episode, Sarah C and Sarah D visit Nam June Paik’s tribute to his adoptive home, Electronic Superhighway: Continental U.S., Alaska, Hawaii. You can get a lot more info about the piece at the Smithsonian American Art Museum website.
Music: Lord Pear by Lagos Disco Machine, and hhhhh6 by junior85
In this episode, the Sarahs cozy up in the Kogod Courtyard, located in the center of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. This tranquil space, dominated by Norman Foster’s elegant ceiling, has us enthralled. You can get more information or view a time lapse video of the space here.
Photo by Tim Hursley.
Music Credits: hhhhh6 by Junior 85 and Air by SaReGaMa
The Art Attack Podcast 