Author Archives: JMN

Unknown's avatar

About JMN

I live in Texas and devote much of my time to easel painting on an amateur basis. I stream a lot of music, mostly jazz, throughout the day. I like to read and memorize poetry.

Boredom, Doubt and Isolation in the Arts

Posted on August 6, 2020 by JMN

The Kunsthaus Bregenz in western Austria exhibits “Unprecedented Times,” comprised mostly of works produced by artists as the virus spread and they sheltered in place this year. The only work created pre-pandemic is by the Austrian artist Markus Schinwald, who … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

‘Horrific Surrealism’

Posted on August 5, 2020 by JMN

Behrouz Boochani wrote his book with desperate means from imprisonment in a brutal Australian camp for migrants. A collaborator from outside who helped assemble the book terms it a work of “horrific surrealism.” Boochani’s book challenges readers to acknowledge that … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Multiple Choice Denial

Posted on August 4, 2020 by JMN

Mr. Young, who did not reply to email inquiries for this article, previously told The Times that the accusations against him were “either untrue, greatly exaggerated or taken out of context.” [My bolding] This type of assertion is oddly chinky … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

‘Stretched by an Unholy Desire’

Posted on August 2, 2020 by JMN

“Stretched by an unholy desire to be outrageous.” More than I care to admit, my pleasure in reading art criticism can amount to quivering at a splash of brandished lingo. I also quiver to Kahn’s paintings, which remind me of … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Romance of Aerated Water

Posted on August 1, 2020 by JMN

Mr. Patel, a historian, chronicles how soda pop became fiendishly soda-popular in India; or in his finer language: “how Parsis helped shape India’s taste for soft drinks.” The Parsis, whose name means “Persians,” are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

John Lewis

Posted on July 31, 2020 by JMN

[When I inserted the photograph of Mr. Lewis included in the NYTimes I triggered the above warning, so I substituted a sketch of mine for the photograph.] Representative John Lewis died on July 17, 2020. These are the last words … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Painted Birds

Posted on July 30, 2020 by JMN

The Belgian painter Luc Tuymans, a friend of Mr. Marshall’s, noted that he is an intensely “deliberate” painter, and that Audubon’s obsessive meticulousness would naturally have appealed. These decorative paintings of artificial flowers, flightless birds and exquisitely rendered birdhouses have … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Cheryl Marie Wade

Posted on July 28, 2020 by JMN

Cheryl Marie Wade died in 2013 at age 65 from complications of rheumatoid arthritis. “She embodied and modeled disability pride before it was a thing,” Judith Smith, who worked with her in two Bay Area performance groups, Wry Crips and … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

War on Horns?

Posted on July 27, 2020 by JMN

Demand for rhinoceros horns spiked in the 1970s and 1980s because of their use in traditional Asian medicines and their status as a symbol of wealth, and conservationists have since fought to protect the animals. (“Iliana Magra and Lynsey Chutel, … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Blood & Rabbit Enchiladas

Posted on July 26, 2020 by JMN

Spencer Grammer (Kelsey’s daughter) was slashed at an NYC restaurant! Or maybe not. Dried blood remained Saturday afternoon outside The Black Ant, whose dinner entrees include $24 rabbit enchiladas and $27 braised pork cheeks… “Frasier” star Kelsey Grammer downplayed his … Continue reading →

Posted in Commentary, Quotations | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment