Van Gogh Museum at 50: what painter’s letters to his family expose about why he became an artist
Vincent van Gogh fits the stereotypical image of the tragic modern artist: the tortured genius and scruffy bohemian battling mental ill-health and lack of recognition from peers and a public who couldn’t appreciate his audacious vision. Now, of course, he…
Have you fallen for the myth of ‘I can’t draw’? Do it anyway – and reap the rewards
This article is part of a series explaining how readers can learn the skills to take part in activities that academics love doing as part of their work. Drawing is a powerful tool of communication. It helps build self-understanding and…
The science behind why hobbies can improve our mental health
The pandemic has taken its toll on many peoples’ mental health. Given the fear of the virus and the government restrictions on movement many may understandably be feeling more lonely, anxious, and depressed than usual. The World Health Organization (WHO)…
Libraries around the world are helping safeguard Ukrainian books and culture
My mother was born in Sambir, Ukraine, and my father in Przemyśl, Poland. They both spent their childhoods as refugees. They lived among displaced Ukrainians who fled to Austria and Germany as the Red Army advanced in July 1944. My…
Whether in war-torn Ukraine, Laos or Spain, kids have felt compelled to pick up crayons and put their experiences to paper
“They still draw pictures!” So wrote the editors of an influential collection of children’s art that was compiled in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War. Eighty years later, war continues to upend children’s lives in Ukraine, Yemen and elsewhere. In…
Artists organize to offer new visions for tackling climate change
In April 2022, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued another report on the dire situation of the planet. The climate crisis is becoming hard to ignore as extreme weather events become commonplace across the globe. Recently, the Pew Research…
We’ve smelted a billion tonnes of recyclable aluminium. Do we need to make more?
Aluminium is light and versatile, but massively energy-intensive to produce, requiring 10% of Australia’s entire electricity output . Recycling it uses just a fraction of the energy. Why aren’t we closing the loop? This metal – the most abundant in…
Heritage algorithms combine the rigors of science with the infinite possibilities of art and design
The model of democracy in the 1920s is sometimes called “the melting pot” – the dissolution of different cultures into an American soup. An update for the 2020s might be “open source,” where cultural mixing, sharing and collaborating can build…
NFTs explained: what they are, why rock stars are using them, and why they’re selling for millions of dollars
A couple of days ago, the musician Grimes sold some animations she made with her brother Mac on a website called Nifty Gateway. Some were one-offs, while others were limited editions of a few hundred – and all were snapped…
Why do we make violent art – and what does it say about the artist?
The sensationalised media coverage of the recent suspected mushroom poisonings in regional Victoria expanded last week, to include children’s scribblings on a wall. The pictures, which comprised stick figures, rudimentary drawings and text that referenced death and dying, were removed…
