Gustave Courbet claimed to paint only “real and existing things,” yet an 1864 photograph of his studio suggests otherwise.
Daily Archives: September 25, 2014
A Banner for Baron Samedi in Sequins
The omnivorous nature of Haitian Vodou with its consumption of African, European, and American influences into one luscious spirituality has been vividly expressed in one of the culture’s unique art forms: the Vodou flag.
The Man and the Myth: Nick Cave’s Memories
The myth-maker becomes the myth in 20,000 Days on Earth, a fun-house foray through memory, music, life, and creativity.
Should the Buddhas of Bamiyan Rise Again in Afghanistan?
After a reconstruction effort covertly built what appeared to be the beginnings of giant feet, the rally is growing to resurrect the Buddhas of Bamiyan — demolished in 2001 by the Taliban.
Red on Alert as EU Mulls Cadmium Ban
The European Union is considering a ban on the cadmium pigment in artists’ paints.
Your Concise Guide to the NY Art Book Fair
Opening tonight at MoMA PS1, Printed Matter’s much-loved New York Art Book Fair will present an international lineup of art-publishers and their associated projects.
Ai Weiwei’s Songs of Freedom on Alcatraz
SAN FRANCISCO — It’s a surprisingly clear morning as we exit the ferry to Alcatraz, but the former federal prison still looms like eerie, ancient ruins.
Film Strips Shining Like Stained Glass
PORTLAND, Oregon — A cavernous room in an abandoned factory that once made window coverings is showcasing a different kind of window. Artist Jennifer West has installed a set of transparent plexiglass frames covered with strips of 35mm and 70mm film.
Looking at Life Inside a Skyscraper-Turned-Squat
In a little under a decade, the Centro Financiero Confinanzas, or “Tower of David,” in Caracas, Venezuela, has achieved almost mythical status. After being dreamed up by billionaire David Brillembourg in 1990, construction halted on the building in 1994, when a third of the country’s banks failed.
