The Errant Æsthete

I admit it, I’ve always had a thing for the word and concept “Quotidian,” literally translated to mean the commonplace, so when I learned of painter Robert Cottingham’s brainchild ‘Here’s the Thing,” it immediately captured my heart and attention. His own work centers on single objects — a section of neon movie marquee, a Remington typewriter, an old box camera or one with a folding magazine — and this show is composed entirely of works by artists who also created in the same spirit of democratic attention to a single, homely item. It is a testament to the ingenuity of homo faber and the goodness of man-made things. He planned and curated this exhibition of more than 60 paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings that range from the late 19th century to the present. It is an urbane and delightful apologia for his own creative initiative. The show is currently appearing at the Katonah Museum of Art