THE MAGAZINE
The Wicked Witch of Art History
In the recently released Wicked film, Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, belts out, “As someone told me lately: Everyone deserves a chance to fly!” But when it comes to witches in art history, not everyone shared this sentiment.
Disease, Death, and Disaster: Andy Warhol’s Hidden Legacy
The price of stardom? For Warhol, it meant obscuring his experiences with disease and disaster.
New Year’s Inspiration: Leon Bakst
With winter in full swing, add extra vibrancy to New Year’s eve with some beautiful pieces of art. Let us celebrate the life and art of Leon Bakst, a multifaceted master famous for innovative theatrical designs.
Into the Woods: Feeling the Benefits of Forest Bathing in Art
In our modern urban (and increasingly technological) lives, it is all too easy to feel overwhelmed. Wellbeing gurus suggest getting out, feeling our feet in the dirt, and bathing in the vibrations of nature. But a trip to the woods is not always feasible. So how about we try a form of forest bathing at home? Through art perhaps.
Finnish Folklore and Legends: How Art Helped Shape Finnish Identity
To understand Finnish art and the development of the Finnish style, one must first understand the history of Finland. Traditional Finnish Art found its roots in the need to develop a Finnish identity and detach the country from the control historically exerted by either Sweden or Russia. The illustrated Kalevala is a particularly important work because of its major role in developing Finnish art and Finnish national identity .
The Dazzling Spectacle of Frieze: Through the Eyes of an Intern
Ever wondered what it’s like to work at London’s buzzing and fashionable Frieze Art Fair ? Find out from Georgia Dougherty, currently a student at The Courtauld Institute of Art, London. Georgia attended Frieze Masters as an intern with James Cohan Gallery, a contemporary art gallery based in New York.
Marina Abramović and the Art of Being Present
What does it mean for an artist to become the artwork itself? In her 2010 performance entitled The Artist is Present, Marina Abramović spent three months sitting on a simple wooden chair in New York’s Museum of Modern Art, inviting audience members to sit across from her. Participants were required to follow three simple rules: remain silent, maintain eye contact, and avoid physical contact.
How a Vogue Fashion Model Turned into a War Correspondent: Lee Miller’s Legacy
When you think of models for fashion magazines like Vogue, you may not immediately imagine them as also being a major war correspondent. For Lee Miller, however, this reality was her living truth.
Reckoning with Colonial Art: Yinka Shonibare's Mr. and Mrs. Andrews Without Their Heads
Thomas Gainsborough’s iconic Mr and Mrs Andrews depicts a serene countryside scene as the happy couple sits in front of their expansive estate. Now imagine these figures had no heads. Yinka Shonibare’s Mr and Mrs Andrews without their Heads (1998) transforms this tranquil scene into a radical critique of colonialism.
Guest Artist: Emma Cormier Simola, Student, Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Guest artist Emma Cormier Simola is a French–Finnish artist currently studying Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Arts in London. She is passionate about gender inequalities and the political role of art.
Silent Stories: The Language of Style from the Old Masters to Bridgerton
To understand art (or Bridgerton!), you may as well start with the clothing. From the Old Masters to the TV screen, style reveals unspoken stories, offering a peek into characters’ interiority.
Guest Artist: Joseph Cornelius, 18, Courtauld Institute of Art, London
Dive into the magic world of illustrations with guest artist Joseph Cornelius, 18, Courtauld Institute of Art, London.
The Art of Pouring Milk
One of Johannes Vermeer’s pioneering works is The Milkmaid (c. 1660), at first glance a simple image of a housemaid pouring milk.
Carry That Weight: Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece,” Womanhood, and Power
Quick: what is the first, and maybe only fact you know about Yoko Ono? Almost everyone thinks of her as the groupie girlfriend who broke up the Beatles. Instead, let’s focus on what she really did do, and maybe in doing so, make her rightly famous for her transformative and powerful art.
“Sleeping Beauties:” Reawakening Fashion, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion exhibition “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion” wants to enable museum goers to have a full sensory experience of the fashions of the past. And yes: this includes trying to recapture the scent left behind by the items’ former owners.
The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, through 28 July 2024
Who determines which artists take a central place in history, and which artists are marginalised or erased from our cultural memory? New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is currently showing a groundbreaking exhibition that seeks to reposition the Harlem Renaissance, the first African American-led movement of modern art, as a central moment in American art and international modernism.
Finding Unity Amidst Conflict: The Intersection of Art and Human Rights
Classic and contemporary artists have used compelling approaches to break down human rights issues so audiences can better understand them. Their work becomes a form of activism, embodying the potential for growth and change.
Emotions and Trauma: Through the Eyes of Art
It’s mental health awareness month in the US. Many famous artists have used their art to confront their own mental health challenges. Find about the art and struggles of Vincent van Gogh, Louise Bourgeois and Yayoi Kusama.
No Halos at the Dinner Table: The Human Side of Leonardo’s “The Last Supper”
The Jewish holiday of Passover will begin in a few days. Did you know that Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” may have depicted a Passover Seder? Leonardo’s mural contains overlapping stories that not only show the intersection of the earthly and divine, but capture the depths of being a human.
Spring Vibes!
Sometimes, an image says more than words. Spring is in the air!