Intended Audience
Lecture: Saul Ostrow
Wednesday, March 11, 4:45-5:45 p.m., Glendening Annex
Ostrow talks about his curatorial practice and how he develops an exhibition from concept to work selection. His discussion will use as case studies two recent exhibitions: Drawing on Likeness: Ivelisse Jiminez, Gustavo Prada, Lidija Slavkovic at the Hollywood Art Center, Florida (2020) and The Image in The Ground at Loretta Howard Gallery NYC (2020).
“Trained as an artist – I made the transition from artist to critic/curator. The premise for my practices as both artist and critic/curator are not significantly different other than in the form they take. My approach to both began with the proposition that art is fundamentally a form of habits, an automatic reaction rather than something initiated anew each time. Through a lack of attention to various acts, losing its core ability to affect conscious change in its underlying structure. Through this elevation of art, which was at first a response to something outside itself, becomes internalized (formalized), and transformed into something that appears to be automatically and spontaneously existent "from inside" – that is a system or a category of thing whose objective necessities take on the appearance of being unavoidable occurrences. Problematically these imagined imperatives are transformed into dispositions - states of preparation, a tendency, or a structure "waiting" to become an imperative a quality which will become inherent to an emergent art, rather than some previous art practice.”– Saul Ostrow
Biography: Saul Ostrow was trained as an artist, and since 1990 has been known primarily as an independent critic, curator. Presently he is Art Editor at Lodge at Bomb Magazine. He has also served as Co-Editor of Lusitania Press (1996-2004) as well as the Editor of the book series Critical Voices in Art, Theory and Culture (1996- 2006) published by Routledge. In 2010, he founded Critical Practices Inc. an all-volunteer, non-profit organization whose projects include curatorial projects, open forums, and a broadsheet publication. His writings have appeared in numerous art magazines, journals, catalogues, and books in the USA and Europe. His most recent publications have included: Off-register the work of Ivelisse Jiminez, San Juan, Puerto Rico(2018), Gustavo Prado: A Rear View: Recent Works Ventriloquist Press, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (2016) Dread Scott: The Art of Bearing Witness: A Sharp Divide, Art Gallery, Rowan University, Adam Henry: Acceptance and Deferral Mssndclrcq, Brussels, Belgium, Cuban Women Artists, Donald and Shelly Rubin Collection, Lowe Museum, University of Florida, Miami Florida, Boris Lurie: When to Say, No! Museum Janco, Tel Aviv and Gallery. Ostrow received his MFA in Art from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Since 1986, he has curated over 70 exhibitions in the US and abroad including; Here’s Looking at Her: Images of Woman from the ESK Family Foundation Collection, Mana Contemporary Art Center, Jersey City, NJ (2015) The Gravity of Sculpture, Dorsky Projects, NYC (2013) The Lure of Paris: American Abstract Artists in Paris 1950-59 Loretta Howard Gallery, NYC (2009) Modeling the Photographic: The Ends of Photography McDonough Museum, Youngstown, Ohio (2007). His most recent project was Positions Matters at Galerie Richard, NYC and Minus Space, Bklyn (June,2018). Forthcoming exhibitions are: Drawing on Likeness: Ivelisse Jiminez, Gustavo Prada, Lidija Slavkovic at the Hollywood Art Center, Florida (2020) and The Image in The Ground at Loretta Howard Gallery NYC (2020).