Charles LeDray: workworkworkworkwork at ICA Boston

Sculptor Charles LeDray works in fabric, ceramic, and human bone to create a miniature world of kooky characters and metaphorical clothing, while experimenting with aspects of display. His solo exhibition workworkworkworkwork is showing at the ICA Boston until October 17, 2010, so check it out if you're in the area!

Here's my review: Part One. Part Two.

Examiner Review: "In The Making" Exhibit at the ICA

The ICA has a practice of re-imagining its permanent collections in special exhibitions, and the fourth of these shows, "In The Making" is currently on view until July 18th, 2010. Read my examination of the exhibit for The Examiner, divided into three parts by medium, as the galleries are arranged by photography, sculpture, and painting.

Part One (Photography, including Cindy Sherman, Rineke Djikstra, and Gerard Byrne)
Part Two (Sculpture, including Tara Donovan, Kader Attia, and Roni Horn)
Part Three (Painting, solely focusing on Marlene Dumas, also includes final opinions of show as a whole)

Examiner Review: Dr. Lakra at the Institute of Contemporary Art

Hello, friends. The ICA Boston is currently hosting a fantastic exhibition for the Mexican artist Dr. Lakra, whose bold and often humorous work fuses tattoo design with found imagery. It runs until September 6, 2010.

Check out my full review at the Examiner.

Apology/ICA Boston

Hello everyone! I know I have let this blog lie fallow for a year, and I can't promise that I'll start updating again any time soon BUT if you are at all interested in my art-based ramblings, please head over to the Examiner page for the Institute of Contemporary Art, where I'll be writing about exhibits and happenings at that fine Boston museum. Please read and subscribe if it interests you!

ICA: Shepard Fairey's "Supply and Demand"

I caught this exhibit at the ICA Boston just before I left for Germany. It serves as a general overview of the now-infamous Shepard Fairey, whose work ranges from public murals to comedic stencils to book and album covers to political posters.


By creating a set of specific, easily recognizable images and repeating them throughout much of his work, Fairey merges artistic design with self-branding. He often limits himself to a red, black, and white palette, resulting in distinct and bold pieces.

The exhibition traces his earliest artistic endeavors of Andre the Giant imagery stamped around Providence while he was attending RISD and follows them through the years of celebrity portraits, anti-war canvases, and numerous public art campaigns, landing on a gorgeous large-scale mural he created just for the show.

I enjoy Fairey's work a lot. I know that there is a lot of controversy over his appropriation of photographs and what not, but I still think he has a lot of talent with design, stenciling, and layering. His technical ability cannot be denied, even if some portions of his pieces were brought in from other sources. Many artists appropriate from photographs or film stills, but it's the way they incorporate them into original works that matters.


I love the variations in tone and texture Fairey has developed in a lot of his larger pieces. They make quite an impact.

All in all, an interesting and diverse collection of works by an already-prolific artist. It's really cool to see a street artist receive such a high-profile exhibition, lending legitimacy to the art form.

Shepard Fairey: Supply and Demand is up until August 16 at the ICA. Also keep an eye out for some public works he installed around the Boston area in honor of the exhibition, like the one above I spotted in Harvard, and the now-defunct mural at Tufts University.