“Touched: Artists and Social Engagement,” curated by Noel Korten. Armory Center for the Arts, 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA. Through Sept. 2.
Holly Myers reports in the LA Times: “The show is as earnest an exhibition as its rather clunky title implies, but — thanks to a thoughtful selection of artists and plenty of room for ambiguity — one that steers clear of the dogmatism and sentimentality that often plague discussions of art’s social virtues…Curated by Noel Korten, the show assembles 16 artists who’ve taught at the Armory at some time since it opened in 1989 and whose approaches, according to Korten’s introduction, are characterized by a concern for ‘ideas or issues that are current in public discourse.’ The wording, one gathers, is purposely vague: The focus isn’t so much on the issues themselves as on how these issues drive each artist and on the methods by which they’re woven into the work. The spectrum ranges from openly activist to downright oblique.” Read more. Artists included in the exhibition are Kim Abeles, Edgar Arceneaux, Lynne Berman, Nancy Buchanan, Bia Gayotto, Joel Glassman, Olga Koumoundouros, Rodney McMillian, Katherine Ng, Mark Niblock-Smith, Davis & Davis, Ed Coolidge, Shirley Tse, and Liz Young.
