Art
Suzanne Lacy’s Object Lessons on How to Get Things Done
Lacy investigates, questions, confronts, and ultimately pushes her audience in the right direction.
Reviews
Art
Picturing the Pandemic Through the Lens of Buddhism
Mongolian artist Uuriintuya Dagvasambuu draws upon domestic objects and Buddhist symbolism to show a virtually hyperconnected but physically isolated existence during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Art
Otherworldly Beings Hidden in Quotidian Scenes of LA
Aryo Toh Djojo’s paintings capture the jarring moment of looking at a familiar photograph, only to notice something slightly amiss.
Art
“I'll Have What She’s Having” Chronicles the Life of the Jewish Deli
More than simply focusing on the food, the exhibition at the Los Angeles Skirball Center illustrates how the Jewish Deli was uniquely American, tied up with political and social trends of the day.
Art
In Praise of Illegibility
Nadia Haji Omar’s art asks us: Can we look for the sake of looking? Or must looking always be about gaining and extraction?
Art
The Ceaseless Optimism of Woody Guthrie’s Activist Life
Somehow, the poisonous American anger that swirled around Guthrie never corrupted that innate creative optimism. Empathy was his reliable muse.
Art
What Does It Mean for Heaven to Be a Muddy Riverbed?
Diedrick Brackens deftly combines his weavings with his original poetry to create an atmosphere of reverence for the people, animals and ideas that society demeans.
Film
An All-Female Gang Sells Black-Market Oil in Dry Ground Burning
A meticulous blend of fact and fiction, this film surveys the overlooked fringe of Brazilian society under President Bolsonaro.
Art
Thao Nguyen Phan’s Multilayered Histories of the Mekong Delta
In a new exhibition, the artist defies the sequential nature of history, finding various ways to chronicle the many layers of devastation experienced throughout the Mekong Delta.
Film
The Animated Biopic of Charlotte Salomon Is a Missed Opportunity
Charlotte fails to truly depict the famed artist's work and pain. It may just be that no other artist can tell Salomon's story better than she already did.
Art
Opening Up the Thingness of Painting
Dana Lok explores a range of perceptual conundrums in an impressive debut exhibition.
Art
Thornton Willis's Aversion to Perfection
The openness of Willis's art suggests that he does not believe that painting needs to attain visual perfection; painting is a process that does not search for closure.