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Two Toms- and a Great Schism

An essay on a cultural divide expressed in the portraits of two 16th century Englishmen- Brian Keeler Two portraits in the Frick Museum in New York City are perpetually presented to us to enjoy for their remarkable virtuous painterly performance. Underneath and between lie a great cultural, religious and ethical divide. This schism is nothing short of the Protestant reformaing and all that implies and included on world events. I am speaking of the two pendant pieces, oil po

bkeeler

3 days ago7 min read

Simoniacs and Sycophants- with the Foyle that we need

. An esssay on Dante's Relevance- Brian Keeler Above- Brian Keeler, "Autumn Still Life with Dante," oil on linen, 30" x 36". For anyone who has read The Divine Comedy , considering which of Dante's forms of justice would be appropriate for our era is understandable. There is a long list of transgressions that we observe coming from the White House. In fact, there are so many truly horrendous violations of every stripe that we are never short of material. As many have observ

bkeeler

Jan 37 min read

The Body as Principle-

An essay on how the human form inspires and corresponds to art, life, architecture and more. Brian Keeler The relation of the parts to the whole and their successful interaction could sum up the ideal of visual virtue as expressed in the work of the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius and the authors of the Renaissance who rediscovered his work. I found these ideas intriguing and useful in how they applied to painting today as well as to many other areas of life. The human

bkeeler

Nov 27, 20258 min read

Ciceronian Convictions -

Thoughts on Ancient Rome and America- Brian Keeler Ok, this is a title concerning ancient history but the relevance of Cicero to political occurrences today is striking and poignant. The convictions of the Roman orator, philosopher and senator, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BC) could be applied to how this eloquent citizen of the Eternal City would regard current events. I like to recall the travails of ancient Rome as they seem so uncanily relevant and spot-on to our

bkeeler

Oct 26, 20257 min read

"Uncovering the Surface"- Review of the Orazio Salati Retrospective

Impression of the one-man show at The Roberson Museum in Binghamton, NY- Brian Keeler "Uncovering the Surface" is a perfectly apt title to this wonderful show at the Roberson Museum in Binghamton, NY of the work of Orazio Salati. The exhibit presents dozens of works (77 to be exact) from the past 50 years with nearly three years required in preparation. Salati has been a mover, shaker, inspirer and supporter of the arts in the Southern Tier of New York, Northeastern Penns

bkeeler

Oct 22, 20257 min read

Inhabit the Light-

An Exhibit, a book and the poetics of Light- the work of Norman Rockwell- essay- Brian Keeler To say that the current exhibit at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA represents a turning point in history is certainly true (the onset of electric lights) but it is also a sublime presentation from which the viewer can muse about light. In short, this collection is a wonderfully conceived theme, on light at the intersection of science and art- at the dawning of a new

bkeeler

Oct 15, 20259 min read

Monhegan- Motifs and Muse-

An essay on the island off the coast of Maine- Brian Keeler- Above - A small (12" x 12") oil painting by the author- created en plein air on Monhegan Island. See the links at the bottom of this essay to view a video of the work being created on site. Seeking the Muse on an Atlantic Island- Two jutting rocky protuberances of land make their stand against the Atlantic off the coast of Maine and they are brave redoubts for us artists to clamber over while we search for t

bkeeler

Oct 14, 20257 min read

Polemics- The Vertical Visual Vantage-

An ode to the telephone poles in our landscape- Brian Keeler When we regard telephone poles, telegraph poles (if there are any left) and various other vertical infrastructures (if we even think much about them at all) they are merely necessary aspects of the towns, cities and countryside where we live and travel. They do have a visual component that we sometimes appreciate and sometimes disdain as intrusive. In this essay I will enterain how these vertical sturctures are

bkeeler

Sep 20, 20258 min read