Art
The Raw Humanity of Henry Moore’s Drawings
Moore’s drawings made in underground shelters during WWII show us strangers whose lives had been shredded by grief, despair, and fear.
Reviews
Art
Kathia St. Hilaire Collages the Complex History of Haiti
Like the narratives she portrays, St. Hilaire’s artistic technique is layered and complex, and reflects vernacular cultural aesthetics and practices.
Art
An Anti-Institution Artist Gets an Institutional Show
The first exhibition to consider late artist David Medalla’s work in context of his gay identity explores his playful, poignant, erotic, and collaborative oeuvre.
Art
How Tropical Modernism Became a Tool of Postcolonial Nation-Building
A show hones in on the tension between colonial European ideas and local styles of architecture as India and Ghana gained independence.
Art
What Happened to the Armory Show?
Is this year’s fair a reflection of a tired, oversaturated, and complacent art market, or am I looking for excitement and discovery where they can no longer be found?
Books
Debunking Myths About Meiji-Era Art in Japan
Rosina Buckland’s book dispels the whitewashed argument that Meiji-era art resulted from foreign influences that watered down local forms.
Books
A Big-Tent Vision of Feminist Art That’s Still a Bit Too Small
Mothers of Invention tells the story of how the movements, media, and styles of the past 50 years were inspired by feminism — through mostly White artists.
Film
Look Into My Eyes Is an Intimate Portrait of Psychic Healing
Uninterested in proving anything definitively, this film instead asserts the complicated humanity of psychic healers, their clients, and the practice itself.
Books
Inside the Life of the Father of Modern Anatomy
A new book on Andreas Vesalius humanizes the 16th-century scientist by focusing on his creative approaches and small frustrations.
Art
Rosemary Meza-DesPlas Draws on the Power of Hair
“Drawing” with her own hair, the artist addresses cultural stereotypes and sociopolitical issues including feminism, personal agency, and aging.
Art
Robert Earl Paige’s Colorful Textile Worlds
The 87-year-old artist is having one of those rare the-art-world-is-paying-attention moments, and it feels joyful and deserved.
Books
Agnès Varda, Pragmatic Dreamer
The first major biography of the film director, screenwriter, artist, and photographer is scrupulous and affectionate.