Month: December 2018

.

Larry Francis: The City in a New Light

January 4 – 26, 2019

Opening Reception: Friday, January 4, 5 – 7 pm

Gross McCleaf Gallery

127 S. Sixteenth Street

215-665-8138

Philadelphia, Pa. 19102

.

My subject is the city, the world outside my door. These paintings are straightforward representations of the things I see. There is a bit of magic in the early morning light on a wall, the cacophony of colorful signs in a shop window, or along a thoroughfare, and the reflections of light sparkling on the river. All these bits of life, and the sense of human habitation within the city, are important to me. – Larry Francis

.
Many painters have captured scenes of everyday life, however, the paintings of Larry Francis are full of a glowing delight, derived from a fascination with the atmosphere of city life. Philadelphia is a frequent subject of his work, the pieces reflecting the personality of the industrial, yet often quaint, metropolis. Some of his paintings find nooks of the city that are serene; the secluded neighborhoods and parks that visitors do not always get the chance to see. Some are more active scenes; the bustling downtown areas and buildings that are more iconic to Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Francis uses gouache and oil paint to capture the light of the golden hour of the city with warm, luminous hues. He renders the most beautiful days in Fairmount Park, with crystal clear reflections of the sky on the water of the Schuylkill River. His paintings are refreshingly straightforward – nothing seems to be hidden – yet they often leave the viewer curious to learn more of the story. The joy infused into these works is infectious, and viewers might find themselves feeling nostalgic for a place they have never been. Larry Francis has been showing with Gross McCleaf Gallery since 1982, and is currently an instructor in painting at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he studied from 1967 to 1971.

.

About The Artist:

.

Larry Francis is a Philadelphia native who has painted on the streets of the city from the early part of his life in art. Larry studied painting at PAFA where he was awarded the J. Henry Schiedt European Traveling Scholarship in 1970. His first big solo show was held at the Peale House Galleries of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1979. Over the years, Mr. Francis has received a number of awards; a few are the Julius Hallgarden Prize from the Academy of Design N. Y. in 1972, Mary Butler Award from the Fellowship of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts 1996, Charles Knox Smith Founders Prize at the Woodmere Art Museum 2002, and a Prize for Painting at Cheltenham Art Center in 2011 and 2018. HIs work is in many public and private collections including the Noyes Museum of New Jersey, Woodmere Museum in Chestnut Hill, Federal Reserve Bank ,Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Museum. Mr. Francis shows his work at the Gross McCleaf Gallery, where he has had a dozen solo shows. Larry can be seen in the short film “ Larry Francis: Painting Philadelphia, by John Thornton. Larry teaches Landscape Painting and Drawing at the PAFA.

Commentary by A.H. Scott, Copyright 2018

.

PIDDLER ON THE ROOF

.

CRUMBLIN’ DICE

.

I bet you know the tune “Accentuate the Positive”, which includes the line of ‘don’t mess with mister in between’. Well, now I want to introduce you to “Mr. Even If”. You know him, he’s the man of orange glow, who denies the rumors and then admits that they might be true; based simply on his admittance of the following: “Even if I did it…..”

He’s done this when musing on his pursuing The Moscow Tower Project and then the later payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal.

THE WASHINGTON TIMES NEWSPAPER – Thursday, November 29, 2018:

Faced with Cohen’s new story, the president offered a new argument of his own. He said there “would have been nothing wrong” if the Trump Organization had struck a money-making deal with the Russians during the campaign.

“Even if he [Cohen] was right, it doesn’t matter, because I was allowed to do whatever I wanted to during the campaign,” Mr. Trump said. “I was running my business. We had a position to possibly do a deal to build a building of some kind in Moscow. I decided not to do it. The primary reason was very simple — I was focused on running for president. There would be nothing wrong if I did do it.”

The president said he has often “joked” about being the only presidential candidate in 2016 who was simultaneously trying to run a business. He said he had to consider the possibility that he might lose the presidential race.

(Source: Dave Boyer at The Washington Times – Thursday, November 29, 2018 –  https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/nov/29/donald-trump-says-cohen-weak-person-asserts-he-was/)

2 PRESIDENTIAL TWEETS VIA TWITTER – Monday, December 10, 2018:

(First of 2 tweets)

“Democrats can’t find a Smocking Gun tying the Trump campaign to Russia after James Comey’s testimony. No Smocking Gun…No Collusion.” @FoxNews  That’s because there was NO COLLUSION. So now the Dems go to a simple private transaction, wrongly call it a campaign contribution,…” – 5:46 AM – 10 Dec 2018

(Second of 2 tweets)

….which it was not (but even if it was, it is only a CIVIL CASE, like Obama’s – but it was done correctly by a lawyer and there would not even be a fine. Lawyer’s liability if he made a mistake, not me). Cohen just trying to get his sentence reduced. WITCH HUNT!” – 6:00 AM – 10 Dec 2018

(Source: Twitter @realDonaldTrump – Monday, December 10, 2018)

To me, it’s bad enough that he lies as easily as he breathes. But, what takes it to another level is his vile ability to turn the tables of what’s real upside down with coming right to that edge of justification in saying, ‘even if’. He just has the stones to say that with a verbal shrug, realizing the members of his Republi-Cult will keep their mouths shut, ears closed and minds stilled in fear of retribution by him.

And, as for the Democrats who are taking the majority in January, they seem scattered on what they want to do. I’ll give this to the Republicans (and, it’s sad to acknowledge it), but when they focus on one thing, they move in unison as a fist. I chuckle sometimes for the Democrats who always find a way to try to be fair; even when being fair means coming out on the short end of the stick.

Democrats in the House Leadership shouldn’t be squeamish in bringing up discussion of impeachment.

During Watergate, there were three of five Articles of Impeachment against President Richard Nixon that passed:

Article 1 – Obstruction of Justice

(Cover-up of Watergate break-in)

Article 2 – Abuse of Power

(Improper administration of justice)

Article 3 – Contempt of Congress

(Failure to comply with subpoenas)

In the matter of President Donald Trump, the possibility of the fifth article that failed during the Watergate scandal could possibly pass through committee today:

Article 5 – Failure to pay taxes

(What’s in his tax returns?)

As days pass and the apathy from the Republicans continue, it proves that Richard Nixon ain’t got sh*t on Donald Trump. I bet the Quaker from Whittier is scoffing from his perch in the afterlife at this ongoing travesty.

The breadth of what surrounds the Trump investigation makes the Watergate scandal seem like tiddlywinks, because of one difference; a foreign nation has their hooks into our democratic process. And, for that alone, impeachment should be first, second, and last on the list of things needing to get done from the incoming Congress in January 2018.

To the House Democrats, I have something to say: “If President Trump wants the Wall. Give it to him. USE THE BRICKS OF IMPEACHMENT TO BECOME THE WALL OF JUSTICE!”

————

“CODENAME: OH NO”

Caught with his hand in the cookie jar

He’s Mr. Even If

You know him

Starts off as a denier of truth

Yet, as time shakes the crumbs from his hand, he flips the response again and again

He’s Mr. Even If

That’s what he said

Because, Even If he had done it, it wouldn’t be at all bad

Mr. Even If is a droplet of mercury

Look at him slide

And, he does it with a furious thumb or snickering pride

“No Collusion!” is parroted like a reflex

Tower of proposal brushed with invisible paint

He’s new to this line of work, so don’t hold his feet to the fire

And, his ex-fixer has gotta be a liar

But, Even If he wasn’t, this is just about sex

“No Sex With Them Broads!”

Ain’t you heard what he done said

Yet, then again, Mr. Even If flips it off one more time

Even If he paid ‘em off, he said that ain’t no crime

Crumbs on his fingers

Crumbs on his soul

Crumbs on the resolute desk are getting out of control

Mr. Even If is playing his role

“CODENAME: OH NO” might fit his name

But, the truth is that his tongue is staked by another in the global game

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Dazhe Yesli

This is “CODENAME: OH NO’s” proper moniker

Google Translate will show you the way

With Mr. Even If, what’s real and fake is in constant shift

Now let the crumbs of obfuscation make your intelligence drift

.

About The Author: A.H. Scott is a poet based in New York City and frequent contributor to Tony Ward Studio. To read additional articles by A. H. Scott, go here: https://tonywardstudio.com/blog/a-h-scott-piddler-on-the-roof/