Flash Points

Nadine Nakanishi has been working with Nick Butcher in their collaborative independent print shop since 2005. Under the shared moniker, Sonnenzimmer, they’ve made posters for such notables as Beach House, …

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Working with Violent Images

by Joe Fusaro | Jan 12, 2011

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Working with Violent Images

by Joe Fusaro | Jan 12, 2011

Only a few days ago I was all set to write a post that highlighted the plight of Curtis Acosta, an Arizona teacher who finds himself in the position of …

Turkish and Other Delights

Turkish and Other Delights: An Introduction

by Elizabeth Wolfson | Jan 11, 2011

Turkish and Other Delights

Turkish and Other Delights: An Introduction

by Elizabeth Wolfson | Jan 11, 2011

Art21 is pleased to announce our newest column on the blog — the first of several new endeavors for 2011. Turkish and Other Delights is a column devoted to exploring …

Flash Points

Call For Artists: Creative Limitations

by Ashley Martin | Jan 11, 2011

Flash Points

Call For Artists: Creative Limitations

by Ashley Martin | Jan 11, 2011

The artist-gallery relationship presents a curious contradiction. That is, there is the notion that a gallery representing contemporary artwork has a certain responsibility for promoting challenging and inspiring ideas, whereas, …

Negotiating an Artistic Practice in a Capitalist Ecology: An Interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore

by Caroline Picard | Jan 10, 2011

Negotiating an Artistic Practice in a Capitalist Ecology: An Interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore

by Caroline Picard | Jan 10, 2011

This introduction is short. Anne Elizabeth Moore gave such thorough answers, it seemed more important to let those stand than offer an interpretation of her merit. Safe to say having …

Flash Points

Relational Aesthetics is the New Black: DIY Art School

by Meredith C. MacKenzie | Jan 7, 2011

Flash Points

Relational Aesthetics is the New Black: DIY Art School

by Meredith C. MacKenzie | Jan 7, 2011

Relational art functions as a response to the technological advances of everyday life, with virtual profiles acting as surrogates for human interaction. Less obvious are the ways in which the …

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: So My Last Semester Lies Ahead, Then What?

by Carrie McGath | Jan 5, 2011

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: So My Last Semester Lies Ahead, Then What?

by Carrie McGath | Jan 5, 2011

While I chip away at my thesis and look toward my last semester at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), I have begun to think of my …

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with David Wojnarowicz (and Not Teaching with the Smithsonian)

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 22, 2010

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with David Wojnarowicz (and Not Teaching with the Smithsonian)

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 22, 2010

In light of the recent debacle at the Smithsonian involving the removal of David Wojnarowicz’s A Fire in My Belly, I thought it might make sense to suggest some ways …

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions (for Contemporary Practice) with Nato Thompson

by Thom Donovan | Dec 16, 2010

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions (for Contemporary Practice) with Nato Thompson

by Thom Donovan | Dec 16, 2010

I am a bit late coming to the curatorial work of Nato Thompson, which first became recognizable to me at this past October’s second annual Creative Time Summit, a gathering …

Connecting – Part 5: Effortless

by Damien James | Dec 15, 2010

Connecting – Part 5: Effortless

by Damien James | Dec 15, 2010

During the film My Kid Could Paint That (2007, Sony Pictures), New York Times chief art critic Michael Kimmelman said: I think the beauty of art is that it is …

Connecting – Part 4: All spin of one kind or another

by Damien James | Dec 13, 2010

Connecting – Part 4: All spin of one kind or another

by Damien James | Dec 13, 2010

Errol Morris said at a Chicago Humanities Festival Q&A in 2006, on the iconography of Abu Ghraib, that human stupidity is one of the only things he really believes in, …

Letter from London

Letter from London: Tuition and Hopin’

by Ben Street | Dec 13, 2010

Letter from London

Letter from London: Tuition and Hopin’

by Ben Street | Dec 13, 2010

This week, Britain’s coalition government (narrowly) passed a proposal to dramatically hike university tuition fees, the results of which were a number of occasionally violent protests in central London. The …

Looking at Los Angeles

Looking at Los Angeles: Senators with No Talent

by Catherine Wagley | Dec 9, 2010

Looking at Los Angeles

Looking at Los Angeles: Senators with No Talent

by Catherine Wagley | Dec 9, 2010

I woke up Wednesday morning to news of fracas at the opera. The La Scala opera house in Milan had just hosted its annual gala, the sort of event heads …

“Elephant,” or Why I Love Performance Art

by Marissa Perel | Dec 9, 2010

“Elephant,” or Why I Love Performance Art

by Marissa Perel | Dec 9, 2010

Recent guest blogger Marissa Perel wrote a post following up her residency on this site. — Ed. 2010 wouldn’t be complete without the Art21 world knowing about this mind-blowing show …

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Need-to-Know (Basics)

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 8, 2010

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Need-to-Know (Basics)

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 8, 2010

On a recent visit to one of Lois Hetland’s classes at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Lois and I were engaged in a discussion about what teachers of …

Flash Points

Music and Art

by Elizabeth Wolfson | Dec 7, 2010

Flash Points

Music and Art

by Elizabeth Wolfson | Dec 7, 2010

Examples of the influence of music on art are as iconic as they are profuse: Jackson Pollack madly swirling paint around him as Dizzy Gillespie blares on the hi-fi; Andy …

Ink: Notes on the Contemporary Print

Ink | Notes from Underground: William Powhida

by Sarah Kirk Hanley | Dec 4, 2010

Ink: Notes on the Contemporary Print

Ink | Notes from Underground: William Powhida

by Sarah Kirk Hanley | Dec 4, 2010

The contemporary art fair Art Basel Miami Beach takes place this week, bringing with it a flurry of activity. In the spirit of participation, Ink is dedicated this month to …

“I am the invisible being”: The Smithsonian, Wojnarowicz, and the Othering of AIDS

by Dorota Biczel | Dec 3, 2010

“I am the invisible being”: The Smithsonian, Wojnarowicz, and the Othering of AIDS

by Dorota Biczel | Dec 3, 2010

The decision of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, G. Wayne Clough, to pull David Wojnarowicz’s video, The Fire in My Belly, from the Hide/Seek exhibition at the National Portrait …

Going to California: Gina Tuzzi, Part 2

by Victoria Gannon | Dec 2, 2010

Going to California: Gina Tuzzi, Part 2

by Victoria Gannon | Dec 2, 2010

Nostalgia is the longing for a home that never was; its subject is an idealized place where the troubles of today hold no sway. In paintings, drawings, and sculptures, Northern …

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching About a Day Without…

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 1, 2010

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching About a Day Without…

by Joe Fusaro | Dec 1, 2010

Today marks the observance of Day Without Art, a day when the arts community takes the time to remember and respond to the AIDS crisis and its impact worldwide. Day …

Flash Points

Under the Influence: Drugs, God and Politics in Self-Taught Art

by John Foster | Nov 29, 2010

Flash Points

Under the Influence: Drugs, God and Politics in Self-Taught Art

by John Foster | Nov 29, 2010

In 1974, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis launched the exhibition Naives and Visionaries, showcasing nine artists whose work manifested itself through artistic environments, both secretive and public. Martin Friedman …

Flash Points

Neuenschwander and Influence

by Meredith Malone | Nov 24, 2010

Flash Points

Neuenschwander and Influence

by Meredith Malone | Nov 24, 2010

Earlier this week, art historian Monica Amor lectured at the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University in St. Louis on the topic of Neo-Concrete art in Brazil in …

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Research and Its Ambiguities

by Vency Yun | Nov 24, 2010

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Research and Its Ambiguities

by Vency Yun | Nov 24, 2010

For a few months now, my thesis project has hit a standstill. Unfortunately what I realized is that the stagnation of not working on it has started to corrode my …

Flash Points

Art Under the Influence of Others

by An Xiao | Nov 23, 2010

Flash Points

Art Under the Influence of Others

by An Xiao | Nov 23, 2010

In 1996, Jennifer Ringley took a video camera and placed it on her computer. The camera was nothing new: a simple web camera with light broadcasting capabilities. She signed on, …

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions with Carin Kuoni of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics

by Thom Donovan | Nov 18, 2010

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions with Carin Kuoni of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics

by Thom Donovan | Nov 18, 2010

For six years, Carin Kuoni has been director of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics at The New School in New York City. I wanted to pose my …

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Art Education and Influence

by Joe Fusaro | Nov 17, 2010

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Art Education and Influence

by Joe Fusaro | Nov 17, 2010

How is art influenced? What role does art education play in how artists form works of art later in their career? Recently, when I posed these questions to colleagues (both …

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

There’s No Place Like Home

by Katia Zavistovski | Nov 12, 2010

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

There’s No Place Like Home

by Katia Zavistovski | Nov 12, 2010

On Johannesburg | “William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible” (2010) Preview | Art21 from Art21 on Vimeo. It is nearly impossible to talk about William Kentridge’s artistic practice without mentioning – …

Flash Points

From the Flat Surface to the Curved Mirror

by Whitney Ford-Terry | Nov 4, 2010

Flash Points

From the Flat Surface to the Curved Mirror

by Whitney Ford-Terry | Nov 4, 2010

[youtube:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL3lVDrqNXY] Using variable media – taking the form of tapestry and sculpture to performance, cinema, and stereoscopic imagery— William Kentridge calculates a not so obvious curve to create socially informed …

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Coffee and Politics (Part 1)

by Corina Reynolds | Nov 3, 2010

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Coffee and Politics (Part 1)

by Corina Reynolds | Nov 3, 2010

Coffee and politics. They go together almost as good as politics and art. A week ago I met up with a good friend of mine for a cup of coffee …

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

New Flash Points: Influence

by Rachel Gagnon | Nov 1, 2010

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

New Flash Points: Influence

by Rachel Gagnon | Nov 1, 2010

Among the elements explored in Art21’s William Kentridge: Anything is Possible, the film looks at his many influences, from his personal background to his love of the performing arts. What …

Cal Poly Pomona students and staff march to the CLA building as they respond in an uproar to last weeks recommendations to cut the fine arts program at the school May 4, 2010. Image Via The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin.

Looking at Los Angeles

Students, Faculty, and Community Members Fight for Fine Art as University Administrators Question its Value

by Lily Simonson | Oct 29, 2010

Looking at Los Angeles

Students, Faculty, and Community Members Fight for Fine Art as University Administrators Question its Value

by Lily Simonson | Oct 29, 2010

Flash Points Wrap-Up: When Art Becomes Your Life

by Catherine Wagley | Oct 28, 2010

Flash Points Wrap-Up: When Art Becomes Your Life

by Catherine Wagley | Oct 28, 2010

A few weeks ago, when a friend was planning a visit to New York City, he asked me which art to see. I found myself prefacing less-emphatic recommendations with, “it …

Open Enrollment

What is Research and Creation?

by Vency Yun | Oct 27, 2010

Open Enrollment

What is Research and Creation?

by Vency Yun | Oct 27, 2010

My eyes are droopy and I’m over-caffeinated. This writing marathon is killing me and wrangling my brain. To make matters worse, I haven’t left my house in a few days, …

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

Call for Writers: Next Flash Points

by Rachel Gagnon | Oct 27, 2010

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

Call for Writers: Next Flash Points

by Rachel Gagnon | Oct 27, 2010

Our new Flash Points topic, Influence, will be launching soon and we’re inviting you to participate! An artist’s work can be influenced by a myriad of sources — family history, …

Flash Points

Fostering Pragmatism: An Interview with Nadine Nakanishi

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Working with Violent Images

Turkish and Other Delights

Turkish and Other Delights

Turkish and Other Delights: An Introduction

Flash Points

Flash Points

Call For Artists: Creative Limitations

Negotiating an Artistic Practice in a Capitalist Ecology: An Interview with Anne Elizabeth Moore

Flash Points

Flash Points

Relational Aesthetics is the New Black: DIY Art School

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: So My Last Semester Lies Ahead, Then What?

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with David Wojnarowicz (and Not Teaching with the Smithsonian)

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions (for Contemporary Practice) with Nato Thompson

Connecting – Part 5: Effortless

Connecting – Part 4: All spin of one kind or another

Letter from London

Letter from London

Letter from London: Tuition and Hopin’

Looking at Los Angeles

Looking at Los Angeles

Looking at Los Angeles: Senators with No Talent

“Elephant,” or Why I Love Performance Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Need-to-Know (Basics)

Flash Points

Flash Points

Music and Art

Ink: Notes on the Contemporary Print

Ink: Notes on the Contemporary Print

Ink | Notes from Underground: William Powhida

“I am the invisible being”: The Smithsonian, Wojnarowicz, and the Othering of AIDS

Going to California: Gina Tuzzi, Part 2

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching About a Day Without…

Flash Points

Flash Points

Under the Influence: Drugs, God and Politics in Self-Taught Art

Flash Points

Flash Points

Neuenschwander and Influence

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Research and Its Ambiguities

Flash Points

Flash Points

Art Under the Influence of Others

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions for Contemporary Practice

5 Questions with Carin Kuoni of the Vera List Center for Art and Politics

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Teaching with Contemporary Art

Art Education and Influence

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

There’s No Place Like Home

Flash Points

Flash Points

From the Flat Surface to the Curved Mirror

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment: Coffee and Politics (Part 1)

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible

Flash Points

Art21 William Kentridge: Anything is Possible