Dear Readers,

 

I am so pleased to start the new year with this issue of The Art Section. I want to thank our artists and writers who have contributed to this issue. I am grateful to our writers and interns and board members and sponsors who have made possible all the issues of TAS that have come to fruition over the last six and a half years. Without our writers and artists from near and far, there would be no TAS. I am so happy to be able to present their work to you.

 

Anna Leung has given me reason to think again about Anslem Kiefer, an artist whom I think will be looked at long after this century has ended. His significant work is written about here in the context of an exhibition at The Royal Academy in London, which has mounted a momentous exhibition. I am sorry to say I will not see this show; it just closed and is not traveling as far as I know. I will, however, enjoy it vicariously though Anna's insight and writing. It is a show to be marveled at and taken in and thought about and relished, if only on the Internet. Thank you Anna for making this possible.

 

Tanya Augsburg has treated us to an essay about a performance artist Kal Spelletich, based in San Francisco, I am grateful to her for bringing us the West Coast perspective. I did not know about Spelletich and he is an intriguing artist. Tanya calls him an abstract geometric kinetic constructionist—delicious! I look forward to more by Tanya in future issues and welcome her to The Art Section family.

 

Debra Kaye is a composer from New York City who originally hails from Atlanta, the hometown of TAS. Recently, Debra was a Helene Wurlitzer fellow in Taos, New Mexico. As many artists know, the time and space to focus on one's work are a wonderful gift. In Debra's case, the fellowship allowed her to compose a new body of work, now available on her new CD, And So It Begins. I met Debra here though mutual friends many years ago and I am gratified to have her work in TAS. Thank you Debra, and thank you for your donation of signed CDs for the TAS Store.

 

With that mention, I would like to segue now into plugging our new store. Yes, TAS now has a store, with items donated by our writers and other supporters of the magazine. We have signed CDs by composers Debra Kaye of And So It Begins and Giuseppe Gavazza. We have rare editions of books by Alison Knowles, signed first editions of books by Andrew Dietz and Philip Auslander, and of course my book, She's Got What It Takes: American Women Women Artists in Dialogue. There are some very collectible Fluxus books and a gorgeous edition of Two by poet Stan Cohen and artist Glenn Goldberg. We have a signed and numbered catalog of Louise Fishman's drawings, Angry Women. Many of these items are quite rare or unique. There are many delicious surprises. You can get there by clicking the store button on the upper right hand corner of or home page. Or just go to store.theartsection.com.

 

All proceeds from the store will be used to fund our writers and finish restoring our archives: 120 more articles and essays need to be moved over from the old site. TAS is offering an after holiday special... if you make any donation to TAS through the Pay Pal donation button on our home page, we will send you a coupon for 20% off your first order from the store. Yeah! Enjoy!

 

Many thanks!

 

Happy New Year !

 

Cheers!

 

Deanna

 

Deanna Sirlin

Editor-in-Chief

TAS