James Kalm recovers from St. Patrick's Day with a visit to the latest exhibition of works by controversial artist Marlene Dumas. Since 2005, when one of her paintings set a record for attaining the highest price ever paid at auction for a work by a living female artist, Dumas has become a lightning rod for criticism. Dumas's "Against the Wall" uses the image of the wall as a metaphor of the intractable and tragic situation present in the Middle East, and contrasts the political and spiritual implications of what these structures portend.

James Kalm visits some of the artsy sites on West 11th Street before dropping in spontaneously on Rick Prol. Prol has been a controversial long time presence on the New York painting scene. Coming to prominence during the ascension of the East Village, he maintained a studio/gallery on East 6th Street a stones throw from the original Pat Hearn Gallery for decades. In his involvements he’s seen the tragic culmination of the EV community close up and personal, having worked with Jean-Michel Basquiat Despite the challenges, he’s maintained his artistic practice, as well a serious commitment to music and poetry.