tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post2171289460409819407..comments2024-02-15T06:07:24.348-05:00Comments on get visual: Janet Werner: Zero Eyes at Esther Massry Gallerydavid brickmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07535127444912888160noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post-15705226128591625112015-11-24T13:46:20.954-05:002015-11-24T13:46:20.954-05:00I was also so glad to see this challenging show. K...I was also so glad to see this challenging show. Kudos to Jeanne Flanagan and the people at the Massry. Janet Werner is trying to leave us speechless and I think she does a pretty good job. <br /> In my opinion the strongest reading of a show like this is one that allows the most ambiguity, maybe even the most speechlessness. If you think you "get it," maybe you should look again. Edhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08891851300991029128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post-45512989117257920772015-11-08T14:54:25.832-05:002015-11-08T14:54:25.832-05:00While the subjects of the portraiture are mostly w...While the subjects of the portraiture are mostly women, the artist herself said that the work doesn't necessarily come from a feminist perspective or source. The figures are in fact the least important part of the work. If anything it is more about the emotion behind the portraits. I have had the honor of not only hearing her speak about her work but to talk personally with her about her views on these particular pieces.In all honesty , I do not see how her work is about gender politics or feminism because when i viewed this body of work the first thing i noticed was the emotion not the false faces made up to help portray the emotion.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11919038152889279346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post-20901158815260301092015-11-05T18:06:12.880-05:002015-11-05T18:06:12.880-05:00You may of course stand by your review. But to set...You may of course stand by your review. But to set the record straight, I had been working at St. Rose, Sage, SUNY, among others for the past 16 years.I'm not sure if I would call it a livelihood, it's more like volunteer work. I have not been teaching anywhere for the past year, St. Rose is not my institution. I also stand by my view no matter how naive. Thank you for not deleting my comment.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16982988086703012015noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post-23322618442144472022015-11-04T22:32:00.862-05:002015-11-04T22:32:00.862-05:00It should be noted that the above commenter, Andre...It should be noted that the above commenter, Andrea Hersh, neglects to mention that she is an adjunct professor at The College of Saint Rose. I respect the sincerity of her expression, and will not remove her comment, but I feel it is disingenuous to express outright congratulation to an institution that provides your livelihood without mentioning that fact. Hersh also seems to be saying that my review calls Werner a feminist painter, however it does not. It mentions the fact that we are influenced by feminism and refers to Werner as a woman painter (as opposed to the male painter Willem deKooning, who also depicted women in a disturbing way). Despite Hersh's naive desire to have us view Werner's work anonymously, it is not presented anonymously. It is presented as the work of a woman. If it were instead presented as the work of a man, we would certainly view it differently, and probably not kindly. It is relevant to comment on the sex of the artist who made these paintings. I stand by the review.david brickmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07535127444912888160noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1764031298725301479.post-6844240052844844532015-11-02T15:24:00.244-05:002015-11-02T15:24:00.244-05:00The portraits of John Currin and Lisa Yuskavages a...The portraits of John Currin and Lisa Yuskavages are disturbing distortions. They are contemporizing what has been done for centuries. Portraits will never be new, no matter who makes them. Yes, Janet is a woman who paints portraits. Why does that make her a feminist painter? If she painted flowers, landscapes or abstraction would you still call her a feminist painter? Should a man who paints female figures be called a misogynist? Why is it important to know who made the paintings? Let’s just look at the work for what it is. The portraits of Janet Werner are disturbingly beautiful. She paints with a fluidity and richness that adds to the complexity of the subject. Her color is thoughtful and rich. Her humor adds to her sometimes-grotesque figures. She does not make the same painting over and over, each piece is a unique and strange individual that draws you into her surreal drama. It was a relief to see a great show of portraits in Albany. Bravo St. Rose. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16982988086703012015noreply@blogger.com