The internet is a visual space, where virality comes most frequently to media rich in images, whether videos, animated GIFs or simple memes. Connecting these new forms of media with all the classic ways that human beings have told visual stories is a powerful way to reanimate them, sometimes literally, for the digital age.
Daily Archives: January 27, 2014
Reality at Two Removes: Alison Turnbull at the De La Warr Pavilion
BEXHILL-ON-SEA, England — Structural plans, both manmade and cosmic, are brought to light by the paintings of Alison Turnbull. The meticulous results are abstracted if not complete abstracts.
Staying in Love on the Lower East Side
Making boldface generalities is of course a recipe for disaster, but for many artists the long hours and repetitive demands of making something by hand is part of the parcel.
Revisiting a Time When You Could Look but Not Touch
CHICAGO — It was 1950, and the men were hot, greased up, and posing as if they were the original “David.” Then they were photographed and choreographed by Chuck Renslow, who founded Kris Studios for male physique photography, at a time when gay male sexuality operated underground. Nearly 65 years later, the images and actions of that world still inspire.
Forensic Astronomer Pinpoints Monet Sunset
An astrophysicist at Texas State University has pinpointed the exact day and time when Monet observed the sunset that became the subject of his painting “The Cliff, Étretat, Sunset.”
History’s Puppeteer: Wael Shawky at the Serpentine Gallery
LONDON — There’s been quite a buzz around Wael Shawky lately. Since graduating with his MFA in 2001, the Egyptian artist has gone on to rack up an impressive number of accolades. Riding on this surge of enthusiasm, London’s Serpentine Gallery has deemed it time that Shawky receive his first major presentation in the capital, and the resulting exhibition is Wael Shawky: Al-Qurban (‘The Offering’).
A Coming-of-Age Graphic Novel Explores Gender and Identity
Flutter, Massachusetts-based writer Jennie Wood’s latest comic series, explores themes of gender and sexuality through science fiction.
Selfie Companionship
LOS ANGELES — Whether you like your selfies singular and meditative or coupled and cozy, there’s always an opportunity to see yourselfie anew.
What’s in Your Junk Drawer?
In my grandmother’s house, in the second bedroom, there is a drawer. Whenever we visit her, I derive a small thrill from opening it: the amount of random crap accumulated there is simply stunning. Pens and clips and crumpled-up paper — more misplaced miscellany than I can describe. This is the junk drawer.