Art News

The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery will present “Black Out: Silhouettes Then and Now,” opening May 11, as the first major museum exhibition to explore the art form of cut-paper profiles in terms of their rich historical roots and powerful contemporary presence. Well before the advent of photography in 1839, silhouettes democratized portraiture. Offering virtually instantaneous likenesses of everyone from presidents to those who were enslaved, silhouettes cost far less than oil paintings and could be made with inexpensive materials.

Chicago's unique culture and history, as seen through the eyes of its residents, is on view in a striking new photography exhibit opening at the Art Institute of Chicago on May 12. In his 1951 book "Chicago: City on the Make," Nelson Algren offered bittersweet praise for the city: “Like loving a woman with a broken nose, you may well find lovelier lovelies.

In conjunction with our 2017 special exhibition, “Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics,” director of Education and Interpretation Kris Wetterlund sat down with cultural historian Logan Pappenfort from the Peoria Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma to discuss the representation of Peoria Tribal members in Tiffany’s mural, “Jacques Marquette’s Expedition,” in the Marquette Building (Chicago, Illinois). “Tiffany’s Glass Mosaics,” jointly organized with The Neustadt Collection of Tiffany Glass in Queens, New York, was the first museum exhibition focused exclusively on Tiffany’s extraordinary work in mosaics.

In her Clinton Hill, Brooklyn studio, Valeska Soares reflects on the transitional nature of her work, which isn't confined to a single style or medium. "I don't have a material fetish," says the artist. "Whatever the concept, if the idea only can be expressed through a movie, a photograph, or a perfume, that's what I use."

  William Kentridge’s studio in Johannesburg is a ‘vital physical and psychic space’ where he conceives and develops his ambitious projects and artworks. William Kentridge is a South African artist best known for his prints, drawings, and animated films which are usually developed from charcoal drawings and sketches.

In our guide to this month’s museum shows, Tim Marlow previews the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s much-awaited Costume Institute exhibition, the thought-provoking work of conceptual artist Giuseppe Penone, the Venice Architecture Biennale and more.

This kissing couple is one of the best loved paintings in history, but what do we really know about it? Let's learn about its creator (Gustav Klimt), the historical moment it sprang from (turn-of-the-century Austria), and what it means when we look at it today (dubious consent?).

Pace Gallery is honored to present an exhibition of Robert Irwin’s new sculptures. In his 90th year, Irwin, who pioneered the Southern California-based Light and Space movement, continues to present radical new ideas of how space is perceived. Irwin’s work across different media is conditional and responsive to specific environments.

Christie's started off a big week of auctions with a bang last night. Their 19th & 20th Century Art Evening Sale, the first in a series of auctions of the collection of Peggy and David Rockefeller, totaled over $646 million dollars. Touted as the most valuable collection ever offered at auction, all proceeds will go to some of the many charities the Rockefellers supported.

The Design Museum in London presents Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier, a major exhibition exploring the late designer’s unique creative talent and the timeless beauty of his work. Envisaged and curated by Monsieur Alaïa and Mark Wilson, Chief Curator of the Groninger Museum, the exhibition comprises designs stretching throughout Alaïa’s career from the early 1980s to his last creations. The display provides a unique examination of the designer’s personal approach that defied the rules of fashion. Alaïa would work on certain pieces for years at a time and would display his creations when they were ready, not when the fashion season dictated.