Letter from New York Jay DeFeo: A Retrospective at the Whitney Museum of Art by Brett Baker Known primarily as the author of the mythic painting The Rose, Jay DeFeo (1929-1989) was an enigmatic artist whose fierce devotion to a single work became her claim to fame. It also damaged her career, and in doing […]

Letter from New York:  Inheritance and Potential   ~ Brett Baker After an autumn spent in the studio and with less time for gallery-going, I have recently been reflecting on several surprising shows from the past summer. The more mainstream of these included Josef Albers’ painterly studies at the Morgan Library, rarely seen works by […]

This is the third in a series of a quarterly letters, which will cover painting shows in greater New York. Paintings shouldn’t simply be seen, they should change the viewer, suspend him or her in an altered moment. Although this is the hope each time a visitor enters a gallery, it is a rarity. A […]

This is the second in a series of a quarterly letters, which will cover painting shows in greater New York. “From the top of the arched opening – as it gradually widens – pours forth a sparkling flow of jewels, a pattering rain of diamonds, and, directly following, a tumble of gems of every color, […]

This is the first in a series of a quarterly letters, which will cover painting shows in greater New York If you want to experience the New York art scene from afar, watch James Kalm’s videos. Kalm tirelessly travels the city documenting art openings and exhibitions from Manhattan to Brooklyn.  His videos are a selective, […]