The location of Maya Lin’s “Ghost Forest” next to the Flatiron building evokes for me, a Filipina American, the legacy of the architect Daniel Burnham.
Maya Lin
Maya Lin Erects a Ghostly Grove of Dead Trees in Manhattan
Lin’s Ghost Forest at Madison Square Park will feature 50 towering white cedars devastated by climate change.
Reconciling Secular Art in Sacred Spaces
Surprises and puzzles in Venice and Vienna, from Sean Scully to Tintoretto.
Artists Urge Us to Get Outside and Smell the Moss
The 13 artists in Natural Wonders: The Sublime in Contemporary Art summon the raw power and unruliness of nature, and its ability to inspire awe.
The Ghosts of Our Future Climate at Storm King
A group exhibition featuring almost 20 artists suggests directions for visual art in response to climate change.
In Chelsea, Three Disappointing Art Exhibitions (And One Pleasant Surprise)
Finding a lot of forgettable work from renowned artists, and an unexpectedly happy encounter with a classic.
Wondering About the Future of the Smithsonian’s Craft Museum
WASHINGTON, DC — The work presented at the Renwick Gallery was always a perfect counterpoint to the artifacts and antiquities, modernist painting, and contemporary sculpture and film on view at the various museums on the National Mall.
Three Important Manhattan Public Artworks That Often Go Overlooked
Art can transform a city experience even if we don’t realize it.
Hudson River School Painters’ Homes Make Way for Contemporary Art
Next month, 28 contemporary American artists will infiltrate the homes of the two artists who are the “physical cornerstone of American art,” as co-curator Stephen Hannock puts it.
Single Point Perspective: Entropy Now
Last week, as I was clicking through the various gallery listings and websites for something to catch my eye, I chanced upon a summer group exhibition at Lehmann Maupin’s Chrystie Street venue. One of the installation shots showed a flat, white marble relief sculpture by Maya Lin; I made a mental note of it and kept going.
Public Art Versus Public Good
Over the past week, I’ve been writing about art’s environmental impact and how that factors in to perceived artistic quality. What the debate boils down to for me is the question of whether art is worth its cost of production, and how we analyze a piece of art’s efficacy or value.
When we talking about public art or outdoor installations, we must factor in another aspect of the work’s impact: how does the work effect the public whose space and resources it occupies? Since public art faces scrutiny on a greater scale than most collector-driven contemporary art, it has a greater audience to please, and a greater responsibility towards transparency.