Art Review
Walter Benjamin Warned Us About AI
The philosopher believed that good photography provokes cognition while dangerous photography soothes, as seen in a jewel box show at the Jewish Museum.
Julia Curl
Julia Curl is a PhD student in the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University, where her research focuses on avant-garde film and photography.
Art Review
Should We See Peter Hujar’s Contact Sheets?
Though not made for public consumption, the darkroom work prints reveal his portraits as excerpts of a conversation, rather than memories snatched from the ether.
Art Review
Sophie Rivera’s Mythology of Everyday New York
Her photos are unresolvable, driving the viewer through wonder, horror, and laughter without necessarily leading one to acceptance.
Feature
40 Years Later, Houston's FotoFest Keeps Its Edge
The photography festival’s anniversary retrospective embodies the spirit of freedom and internationalism present since its founding.
Feature
Is There an Ethical Path for AI Art?
There is a destabilizing, dreamlike sense of awe in encountering something without knowing the answer to sanity’s most fundamental question: “Is this real?”
Book Review
The Jazz Pictures the FBI Silenced
Fearing for her safety, Lisette Model buried her photos of artists like Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong, but a new book reveals them to the world.
Art Review
Ocean Vuong Is a Legitimately Good Photographer
One might assume that his photography is the nepo baby of his writing, but this is genuinely a great show.
Art Review
Eugène Atget, Readymade Icon
An exhibition retells the story of his discovery by Berenice Abbott, leaving out the details of a life defined by failure.
Guide
Four New York City Art Shows to See Right Now
From sapphic art related to the sea to generations of Black women ceramicists, some of our favorite shows touch on identity and community.
Art Review
Lorna Simpson’s Black American Sublime
An exhibition at The Met positions Black history in the Romantic tradition, but the large scale of these paintings can undercut their impact.
Guide
Five New York City Art Shows to See Right Now
The fall art season starts with a bang, with Man Ray at The Met, understated gems like Lisa Corinne Davis at Miles McEnery, and more.
Art Review
Man Ray Was So Much More Than a Photographer
From film to painting to sculpture to chess, the Surrealist was an artist-inventor, tinkering away at light and objects and having a good laugh all the while.