Art
Mixing Classical and Gay Male Teen Desire
LONDON — In the Natural History, Pliny the Elder discusses the origins of sculpture by telling the story of Butades of Corinth, the first Greek modeler of clay.
Francesco Dama
Art
Beyond the Igloo: Mario Merz in London
LONDON — Among the few Italian contemporary art movements that made a mark on the international scene in 20th century, Arte Povera is probably the most interesting.
Art
The Man Who Feted the YBAs Before Their Fame
LONDON — Genius, unskilled manager, talented art dealer, troublemaker: the figure of Joshua Compston is one of inconsistencies and contradictions, even 18 years after his death.
Art
The Durable Modernism of Bridget Riley
LONDON — Riley’s paintings establish a sort of bridge between old inquiries and more recent art: no matter how many years have passed since the inception of Modernism, she seems to suggest its bases are still the fundament of artistic endeavor, and always will be.
Art
Mining the Art World
LONDON — The world of Gardar Eide Einarsson is one of resistance, negation, and opposition. His works are usually based on coded messages and decontextualized signs taken from various subcultures, hard-core punk, and criminality, with references to terrorists and murderers.
Art
Experiencing Marina Abramović's Nothingness
LONDON — There are countless ways to spend a damp gray morning in London. In the name of art, I’ve decided to make my way up to "512 Hours," the new performance by Marina Abramović at the Serpentine Gallery.
Art
London Goes (Back to) Pop
LONDON — Pop Art was born in the UK, not in the US. We all probably know that, even if we tend to forget it, dazzled by decades spent worshipping Andy Warhol.
Art
Among the Period Rooms, a Failed Architect's Fictional Apartment
LONDON — At the 2009 Venice Biennale, Elmgreen & Dragset converted the Danish and Nordic Pavilions into the stylish home of a mysterious “Mr. B.” This fall, the artist duo did it again, with "Tomorrow" at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Interview
Talking about Meret Oppenheim: An Interview with Lisa Wenger
LONDON — She was called the enfant terrible of Surrealism. She was immortalized in some of Man Ray’s best photographs. Her well-known "Object" (1936) is considered one of the most important surrealist works.
Art
A Rare Glimpse of Battersea Power Station
LONDON — Last weekend, on the occasion of Open House London 2013, the city opened over 800 buildings usually not accessible to the public.
Art
The City and the (Giant, Blue) Cock
LONDON — Katharina Fritsch’s "Hahn/Cock," the new sculpture placed on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, London, was unveiled on July 25th.