Facebook users spend an average of 50 minutes a day on the site [1]. That is enough time to scroll through dozens of photos and status updates, maybe even read an article or two, comment on a friend’s documented travelRead more…
You Can’t Fake Good Dance
To review a dance as a once-professional-dancer-aspirer is tricky business. On one hand, while my wonky spine, full legs and hips, and lack of dedication prevented me from moving too far down the path of a professional dancer, I stillRead more…
Can we define the contemporary?
Often when I tell people I’m applying to Ph.D. programs in contemporary art I get one of two responses. Either they say with vague congratulations, “Wow,” or the more pesky ones ask: “What’s the difference between contemporary and modern art?”Read more…
The Royal We
The royal we—who knew it actually had a royal history? I had only heard it used in reference to couples who, upon coupling, start using “we” instead of “I” when referring to themselves. Suddenly, “I saw the movie” becomes “WeRead more…
Endless Geometry
The most visually striking pieces are the two most simple in Keep the Shadow, Ere the Substance Fade: Mourning during the AIDS Crisis.* A stack of large white paper framed by a thick black border sits on the ground. OnRead more…
Meeting Modern Iran in a Movie Poster
All I knew about Tehran was that my mother lived there when was 17 years old. The year was 1972, only seven years before the Islamic Revolution would overthrow the 2,500 year long monarchy in Iran. Yet, as my motherRead more…
Ambiguous Ambassadors
“Global art history” is a current buzz-phrase for art historians. As the humanities continue to become more self-aware, they have been making strides to move past their enduring parochialisms. In art history, this has manifested as a conscious movement awayRead more…
The Weight Of Criticism
Critic comes from a Greek word meaning “judge.”[1] It would appear to follow that the practice of criticism could straightforwardly be defined as the practice of judging. However, when faced with the question of the whys, whats, and hows of criticism,Read more…