Reflecting on her own reactions to Chantal Akerman’s namesake film, Christine Smallwood muses on the personal baggage we inevitably bring to the art we consume.
Books
Is the Art World More Corrupt Than Ever?
Rachel Spence succinctly explicates the power struggles that brought us to this point, though her insistence that the art ecosystem is at an all-time low left me unconvinced.
Hettie Judah Confronts the Unwritten History of Artist-Mothers
Though more interested in taxonomy than analysis, the critic’s new book is most exhilarating when it maps a timeline of childrearing’s influence on artists.
Danny Lyon Lived His Photography
The photographer’s autobiography takes us on a long voyage from East to West and back again without smoothing over the potholes in the road.
8 Art Books to Cozy Up With This October
Keep spooky season at bay with books on a philosophy of birth in art, Debi Cornwall’s photography, Paul Kane’s myth-making paintings, light and paper, and more.
The Origin Story of Reality TV Is Funny, and a Little Fascist
In Cue the Sun!, Emily Nussbaum pulls nuggets of truth from the history of the notorious genre to illuminate what keeps viewers coming back for more.
Five Poems for Vincent
What started as a catalog essay about van Gogh’s little-known passion for poetry became a suite of poems for the Dutch painter.
Two Books That’ll Make You Feel Bad for AI
A small press is publishing innovative narrative works that travel across genres, including autotheory, criticism, experimental poetry, and documentary.
Elizabeth Catlett’s Steadfast Radicalism
In the catalog for her Brooklyn Museum show, scholars explore how the Black revolutionary artist lived out her beliefs after her exile from the United States.
The Farm at Black Mountain College You Didn’t Know Existed
A new book centers the voices of those whose hands built the historic school and whose dreams shaped its programs, all of which involved a little-known farm.
How a Gauguin Painting Went From Real, to Lost, to Fake
A new book is an art detective mystery, a behind-the-scenes look at provenance research, a psychological analysis, and a critical commentary on the art market.
Robert Shetterly’s Portraits Honor Peace Activists
“It’s about people with the courage and perseverance to insist that politicians and media tell the truth,” the artist told Hyperallergic.