A new Banksy addresses the News of the World/News Corp phone tapping scandal (via banksy.co.uk)
This week’s Required Reading … Banksy chimes in on the phone-tapping scandal in Britain, there are going to be more Damien Hirst dot paintings than you can imagine at Gagosian Galleries worldwide early next year, affordable Warhols, what do you do with a stolen art work, who is Sam Maloof, Hans Hoffmann as a great art teacher, how the “Mona Lisa” became famous and the problem with “minorities.”
Are you ready for Hirst-a-palooza? I’m already seeing spots.
While many Andy Warhols are astronomically priced, there are some early works that are rather affordable. So, if you really really want to own a Warhol …
Ever wonder what a thief does with an art work after they steal it? Seems art goes for a major discount:
People who will buy stolen art from you on five percent of its value and then try to move it on. Once it goes into the underworld, criminals will trade stolen artwork.
Want to learn more about famed American furniture designer Sam Maloof? Here‘s a great Smithsonian blog post to start.
A video glimpse at what it must have been like to study with the great art teacher Hans Hoffmann in Provincetown, Massachusetts, where many great 20th C. American artists went to learn about modern art.
Ever wonder what made the “Mona Lisa” famous? NPR points to the theft of the painting in 1911.
Here is a very good suggestion that journalists stop using the term “minority” since it lumps together a diverse groups that, well, have little in common. I second this idea … particularly for visual arts writing.
Required Reading is published every Sunday morning, and it is comprised of a short list of art-related links (10 or less) to long-form articles, videos, blog posts or photo essays worth a second look.
The Latest
MTV’s The Exhibit Is Finally Spicing Up
In the penultimate episode, the show’s editors managed to ignite the spark of mindless reality TV.
Guggenheim Museum Union Rallies at VIP Opening
The museum’s commitment to diversity in exhibitions rings hollow to workers who say they are not receiving a fair wage.
The Public Theater Explores the Hurricane Katrina Diaspora in shadow/land
Written by Erika Dickerson-Despenza and directed by Candis C. Jones, this lyrical meditation on legacy, erotic fugitivity, and self-determination is on view in NYC.
Quieter Artworks Stand Out At a New York Photo Fair
At this year’s Association of International Photography Art Dealers show, the best works offer glimpses into the personal lives of photographers and their subjects.
Special Edition: 🖌️Artists’ Signatures ✍️
In this special edition, we investigate what artists’ signatures actually mean, and the fascinating results reveal the multifaceted history of this curious phenomenon.
The Rubin Museum Presents Death Is Not the End
Tibetan Buddhist and Christian works of art made across 12 centuries explore death, the afterlife, and the desire to continue to exist. On view in NYC.
What Is a Signature in the Internet Age?
As a cryptographic unit for record-keeping, an NFT can be seen as analogous to a signature or an autograph.
The Meaning of Ancient Greek and Roman Artisan Signatures
What did a signature mean in the ancient world, and how much can we trust what they seem to tell us?
When I Am Empty Please Dispose of Me Properly
Ayanna Dozier, Ilana Harris-Babou, Meena Hasan, Lucia Hierro, Catherine Opie, Chuck Ramirez, and Pacifico Silano explore the myths of the American Dream at Brooklyn’s BRIC House.
Michelangelo’s Signature and the Myth of Genius
Michelangelo served as a stellar example for future artists who sought status and economic independence.
Uncovering the Photographer Behind Arshile Gorky’s Most Famous Painting
As we pursue photographer Hovhannes Avedaghayan a fascinating picture begins to emerge of him and the world of which he was part.
Pratt’s 2023 Fine Arts MFA Thesis Exhibition Is On View in Brooklyn
The two-part exhibition features the work of 41 graduating artists across disciplines, including painting, sculpture, printmaking, and integrated practices.
100 Years of Artist Signatures in a Detroit Club
The beams in Detroit’s Scarab Club act as a guest book of sorts, carrying a wealth of stories and history, including signatures by Diego Rivera, Marcel Duchamp, Margaret Bourke-White, Isamu Noguchi, and others.
The Myth of Agency Around Artists’ Signatures
In an art world built on shifting sands, artists’ signatures become symbols of agency for some, and relics of the past for others.
I’m sorry, but the term “people of color” makes me want to claw my eyeballs out. As long as we’re minorities (which we still are, at a national level, for a few more minutes), I’ll prefer it to that absolutely specious phrase, which is just a bass ackwards way of saying “colored people.” Barf.
I think, depending on the context, I’m more likely to say “more marginalized groups,” but there’s a bigger judgment inherent in that (hence it depending when I say it). I don’t think there’s any best term yet, short of being more specific/verbose.