artist who mesmerizes and befuddles in equal measure
Nigerian artist and lecturer Dilomprizulike, who curated, among other things, the Junkyard Museum of Awkward Things in Lagos, wages a continuous battle on two fronts. First, as an easily misunderstood human being and then as an artist making perplexingly noncommercial…
How Bob Dylan used the ancient practice of ‘imitatio’ to craft some of the most original songs of his time
Over the course of six decades, Bob Dylan steadily brought together popular music and poetic excellence. Yet the guardians of literary culture have only rarely accepted Dylan’s legitimacy. His 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature undermined his outsider status, challenging scholars,…
Andrey Rublev has been called the ‘greatest Russian artist who ever lived’ – but one of his most famous works is at risk under Putin
Andrey Rublev (or Rublyov – nobody is sure how his name was pronounced) has been described as “the greatest Russian artist who ever lived”, whose work had “a clarity of composition and suave tranquillity of mood peculiarly his own”. In…
Paula Rego: why the Portuguse artist’s work remains relevant in the fight for abortion rights
The great feminist artist Paula Rego has died at the age of 87 after a short illness. An image-maker of enormous talent, her work has been variously described as disturbing, visceral, mysterious and surreal. Paula Rego was born in Lisbon…
From rock carvings to rock music – the prevalence of bees in art throughout human history
With a looming biodiversity crisis and concerns over food security and sustainability, bees are frequently making news headlines. The importance of bees in our society as pollinators and honey producers appears to have led to their increased popularity in many…
Art illuminates the beauty of science – and could inspire the next generation of scientists young and old
Scientists have often invited the public to see what they see, using everything from engraved woodblocks to electron microscopes to explore the complexity of the scientific enterprise and the beauty of life. Sharing these visions through illustrations, photography and videos…
How a 1989 poster became a fixture on the front lines in the battle over abortion rights
For abortion rights advocates, Barbara Kruger’s iconic feminist image “Untitled (Your body is a battleground)” remains as relevant today as when it was first released in 1989. Following the May 2, 2022, leak of Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito’s…
LGBT+ history: the story of camp, from Little Richard to Lil Nas X
Although camp is difficult to define, it probably doesn’t need much description. Ever since 1956 – when former teenage drag queen Little Richard began performing his tribute to anal sex, “Tutti Frutti”, while wearing a six-inch pompadour, plucked eyebrows, and…
6 ways to help kids express their feelings about the coronavirus pandemic through art
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected children’s worlds in many ways. Due to closures and restrictions, they have experienced the loss of social engagement and the support of friends, school communities or extended family. Children have likely had conversations about the…
Drawing data: I make art from the bodily experience of long-distance running
In 1979, the American artist Allan Kaprow wrote Performing Life, an important essay in the history of Western art arguing for the blurring of art and life. Kaprow suggested we perform art in our everyday living by paying attention to…
