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.
Reviews
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.
Art
Simone Fattal Stages Battles Between the Mortal and Heavenly
The Lebanese-American artist speaks to the fragmented cultural spaces of regions host to ancient civilizations, which merge with her own displacement.
Art
Melissa Cody’s Disruptive Warp and Weft
The Diné artist demonstrates that traditional techniques and motifs are not static, but are dynamic bearers of emotional weight.
Art
Donald Rodney Drew Upon His Sickness to Illuminate Society’s Ills
An exhibition brings together all of the artist’s surviving work, demonstrating the many ways he incorporated aspects of his illness into his practice.
Art
What to Do When Your National Flag Doesn’t Represent You?
Though she belongs to a movement of young artists exploring recent upheavals in Sri Lanka, Hema Shironi’s works also draw upon her experience as a mixed-identity artist.
Art
The Six Wives of Henry VIII Get Their Due
Six Lives seeks to fill in the queens’ backstories and present them as individuals rather than supporting players to the King.