Michael McDonaghNew York,
We think we know what things are about when we see them. Sure, they are what they are, but how could they not be, and if things were only that we wouldn't need art, and our latest phony "deep" buzz ...
Exhibition of portraits and paintings of urban life
Nancy S. BishopChicago,
Archibald Motley Jr. was not your average African-American male in 1914. The man who became a world-renowned artist and contributor to the Harlem Renaissance was the son of a Pullman porter and the daughter of a former slave. But in ...
This unique show cleverly questions the notion of luxury today, challenging common interpretations.
Frances WilsonLondon,
A thought-provoking new exhibition at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum poses the question “What Is Luxury?” and challenges our traditional notions and definitions of luxury. If you are expecting Louis Vuitton handbags, de Beers diamonds or Patek Philippe watches, you ...
Mary NguyenLondon,
In our beloved V&A museum, there’s a glowing neon sign overseeing the balcony of the entrance lobby that spells out the words "All of This Belongs to You." Its artist Ugo Rondinone uses bold, white lights to attract our attention ...
This new show gives monarchy watchers an opportunity to peek at the royals and also learn about how they developed their stately gardens.
Nicholas MarloweLondon,
Among the highlights of Henry VIII's library was a book called "Ruralia Commonia," which is generally considered the world's first "how to" gardening manual. Written in Latin around 1304 by a Bolognese lawyer, Petrus de Crescentiis, it contains practical advice ...
The frustrations and ultimate triumphs of the painter's life are evident in this small but ambitious show.
Nicholas MarloweLondon,
Before last week, I knew the work of Californian artist Richard Diebenkorn (1922-1993) only secondhand and had never actually stood in front of one of his paintings. Compared to the giants of the New York school, the San Francisco Bay ...
Using high-tech research, this small but detail-rich exhibition reveals the artist's unusual methods and techniques.
Frances WilsonLondon,
In Britain Sir Joshua Reynolds is regarded as something of a national treasure. The first president of the Royal Academy of Arts, his statue greets you on arriving at the art school and gallery he founded. In his day, he ...
Mary NguyenLondon,
Before Alexander McQueen became the iconic, illustrious fashion designer of the twenty-first century he worked for a costume design company Berman’s and Nathan’s cutting clothes for major West End theatre shows. At the time he was only 19 but this ...
This show underlines the crucial role played by an art dealer in creating a market for the struggling artists who would define one of the greatest movements in art history.
Nicholas MarloweLondon,
It's a curious fact that the decisive moment in the history of Impressionism took place not in Paris but in London. In September 1870, just after the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War, Parisian art dealer Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922) moved a ...
Two exhibits at the Asian Art Museum present beautiful works from the hedonistic society that dwelt in Tokyo's "floating world."
Emily S. MendelSan Francisco,
Two new excellent exhibitions about 17th- to 19th-century Japanese art and culture grace San Francisco’s well-respected Asian Art Museum, the largest museum in the United States devoted exclusively to the arts of Asia.
From 1615–1868, in Edo (now Tokyo), ...
