Books
How War Shaped Afghanistan’s Weaving Traditions
With Afghanistan’s “war rugs” a traditional art form was updated in response to the country’s brutal invasions by other nations.
Review
Art
Pulling the Caribbean into Conceptual Focus
Six artists provide distinct ways of seeing the Caribbean in its proper orientation.
Art
Philip Guston’s Unblinking Eye
I cannot think of another American artist who went as far as Guston did without a safety net.
Art
Adventure and Spirituality Collide in Joseph E. Yoakum’s Visionary Art
Yoakum had said repeatedly that the drawings were “spiritual unfoldments,” meaning that faith guided his patterns and passages.
Art
Neglected 20th-Century Women Photographers Begin to Get Their Due
The exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum aims to move beyond Euro-American historical narrative.
Film
A Washed-up Porn Star Wreaks Trumpian Mayhem in His Hometown
Sean Baker’s film about a washed-up porn star seducing a teenage girl is sexually frank in a way few US films are now.
Books
New Frida Kahlo Monograph Moves Beyond Individual Genius Narrative
Three art historians put the focus back on Kahlo’s artistic output.
Film
The Gothic Tale of a Girl With Ice Cubes for Teeth
Lucile Hadžihalilović’s English-language debut Earwig is another odd but assured film about the relationships between children and their guardians.
Art
The Urgency and Resonance of Chakaia Booker
The intentionality of Booker's abstraction gives me the impetus to discuss something about the current zeitgeist that’s been on my mind for a while.
Art
The Problematic Allure of Titian’s Poesie Paintings
Titian’s paintings are masterpieces, with all the complications of the term.
Film
With The Gaze, Barry Jenkins Asks Us to Reflect on Black Trauma Narratives
Jenkins’s new short film, the centerpiece of a MoMI exhibit on The Underground Railroad, uses his signature techniques to confront the viewer.
Film
Bob Ross the Dreamer Got a Rude Awakening
The new documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed pulls back the curtain to expose the realities of Bob Ross, Inc. but does it go far enough?