Books
London's History, Washed Up on the Shores of the Thames
Author Malcolm Russell's novel approach to history — finding it as it washes up on the riverbanks — makes the past seem very much alive.
Reviews
Books
The German Modernist Who Painted a Multicultural United States
From the Blackfeet reservation to Harlem, Winold Reiss immersed himself in the world of the people he represented, forming close ties with many individuals.
Books
Lynne Tillman Explores How Her Mother Was Transformed by Aging and Illness
Doubt and uncertainty mark her account of family inheritance, photographic portraiture, and eldercare.
Art
Looking Anew at a Strange Matisse Masterpiece
In 1911 Matisse created "The Red Studio," a self-enclosed world in his studio, by showing 11 earlier works of art, without the presence of the artist.
Art
The Lasting Influence of La Malinche, the Nahua Translator
Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of Malinche prompts new conversations about one Indigenous woman’s turbulent story.
Art
Hiwa K's Transformative Approach to Activist Art
The artist serves as a proxy through which the complexities of Gulf War politics, refugeeism, dictatorship, and resilience can be examined in intuitive and material ways.
Art
The Hidden Truths of Lou Reed's Musical Poetry
Reed’s terse song-stories rely on humorous and torqued and poignant metaphors, and serve up pop cliches in order to turn them inside out and reveal hidden truths.
Film
Riff on One Thousand and One Nights Longs for a Bygone Era of Filmmaking
Alternating between charmingly and cringingly unfashionable, George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing defies some orientalist tropes while falling prey to others.
Art
Why Do Artists Keep Painting "The Women in the Window"?
The exhibition Reframed: The Woman in the Window explores the acts of looking and being looked at, framing, and art making.
Film
Funny Pages Mocks the Idea That Hardship Makes Art More Authentic
Owen Kline’s directorial debut follows a privileged teenage artist who decides to impose some grittiness on his life to improve his work.
Art
Philip Guston’s Haunted Testimonies
Guston became a witness to the 20th century’s darkest and foulest experiences without closing his eyes or turning away, and enabled us to see and reflect upon this brutality.
Art
Celebrating William Klein’s Long, Multi-Hyphenated Career
William Klein: YES, a career retrospective at the International Center of Photography, is good for aficionados and neophytes alike.