Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition (7th – 9th Century), the revelatory exhibition now on view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (accompanied by a rich catalogue of the same title), was recently lauded in the New York Times, praised specifically for “offering a soothing picture of artistic continuity.” The
Native fashion is hip: Native American costumes are sold by the thousands every Halloween, partygoers and celebrities are photographed donning pasted feather headdresses, and some sports teams still brand themselves using Native American themes. Although some argue that these actions express admiration rather than disrespect, cultural appropriations such as these
An important, and critically well received, component of this year’s Whitney Biennial is an adeptly curated roster of performance pieces and a frequently updated schedule of film screenings. Punctuating the exhibition’s expected fare of painting, sculpture, photography and installation, these elements of sound and movement serve to readjust and reengage
The 80s were tumultuous times. The AIDS crisis brought about the ominous feeling of the end of times, while feminism and movements for social justice challenged tradition and opened possibilities for new relationships between races and genders. The 80s ushered in a new era of conservative politics and postmodern ideas,
When we think of J.M.W. Turner, we think of those evocative, ghostly landscapes, where ships, cliffs and trains emerge out of nowhere, half-hidden by mist and rain. We also think of quintessentially British scenes, replete with industry, romanticism and intemperate weather. We also think of light. Turner, known as ‘the
The people portrayed in Lucian Freud’s portraits are not passive, flawless models, stuck in the imagined world of a framed canvas. They have lived—endured—with evidence of years past in their rough, wrinkled, worn, and scarred skin. Like his psychoanalyst grandfather Sigmund Freud, Lucian Freud explores his subjects’ inner troubles and
Born in 1886, John Graham was a progressive promoter of surrealism, cubism, and abstraction, as well as a mentor and confidant to the likes of Stuart Davis, Arshile Gorky, and Willem de Kooning (the four artists collectively called themselves the Four Musketeers in the ‘30s). Last week, an exhibition entitled
Appreciation for graphic art and visual narrative is prevalent in Japanese pop culture from the fantastical animations of Hayao Miyazaki to page-turning manga comic books and cartoon anime characters appearing on everything from book bags to pencil cases. This love for the illustrated arts is the product of Japan’s rich
The photographs made by Timothy H. O’Sullivan as part of the United States Geological Exploration of the Fortieth Parallel, or King Survey (1867-1872), comprise an iconic and richly varied body of work. Of all the photographers who accompanied the Western surveys of this era, O’Sullivan is among most admired, studied
Zoe Strauss is an unconventional young artist whose exciting, provocative photographic work culminates annually in a show she organizes: “Under I-95” takes place under Interstate 95 in South Philadelphia. Her photographs are displayed on the concrete pillars that support the highway, and photocopies of the images are sold for $5