This week- Ohio art shows, public art and a mural in Cleveland, new music, thinking about the definitions of interior, and Brian Eno makes an unexpected appearance during my research.
Song of the Day this week was Erick the Architect’s 2-3 Zone from his 2024 album, I’ve Never Been Here Before. Its unique sound was created by producer and artist James Blake, whose 2023 album, Playing Robots Into Heaven, also includes some great tracks.
It’s hard not to be delighted by a Claes Oldenburg creation, and this week I posted Free Stamp- the 70,000 pound sculpture he created with his wife, Coosje van Bruggen. The sculpture, a reference to the emancipation of American slaves (according to Oldenburg), sat in a warehouse for five years before being moved to its current location. It was commissioned by Amoco Company, which was then acquired by BP America who didn’t like the work so it wasn’t installed. After a back and forth over a new site and placement (it was originally going to be standing up, face down) it ended up at its current location in Willard Park. For more details check out Cleveland Historical which is great for information on the city and its sights.
Emil Robinson’s paintings for Interiors at Abattoir in Cleveland, explore varying spaces and their psychological associations. His use of doors and windows in the muted color works is especially compelling.
The late Ohio artist and educator Diane Belfiglio focused on closed cropped sections of architectural exteriors, often using light and shadow to create a dramatic effect. Strauss Studios in Canton recently celebrated her life and work with an exhibition of her paintings. The majority of the work shown was painted in acrylic, but later in her career she worked with watercolor- inspired by a Joseph Raffael show at Canton Museum of Art.
While checking out James Blake’s recent album and videos, I discovered he created one with artist and musician Brian Eno. For Talking Robots Into Heaven he and Eno discuss the album, their different creative processes, and critical responses. It’s really lovely to see the older artist sharing his experience of the younger artist’s work and being so enthusiastic. There are funny moments too- like when they discuss Eno’s criticism of Blake’s use of “the asshole chord” in his most popular song.
Below is the video for Blake’s Big Hammer.
Eno’s Oblique Strategies cards are also briefly mentioned by Blake. Created with artist Peter Schmidt, they are used as a tool to break creative blocks. The cards make an appearance in a funny scene in Richard Linklater’s film Slacker, and have influenced many famous musicians.
You can read them all here or there are websites that pull them at random.
Here’s mine for the week- “Your mistake was a hidden intention”.
Until next week, pick a card, think about your interior, and take a longer look at what surrounds you.