Lifestyle

American artist R. Crumb revolutionized the medium of comic art in the '60s and '70s for his unapologetic reflection on society, often injecting his own fantasies and experiences through his signature cross-hatch aesthetic. While he never quite condoned some of the more grotesque depictions in his work, Crumb used his art to comment on the environment which he was raised in — or the "rotten core of America" as he's referred to it in the past. Much like his oeuvre, Crumb's latest release is deeply personal. Produced via David Zwirner's Platform art shop, Shape Up! Yoga Mat (2023) is a limited edition artwork dedicated to his late wife, Aline — a devout yogi — who passed away earlier this year. Originally made as a drawing, the artwork was translated into a yoga mat to advertise an exercise ...

Sotheby's is gearing up to host an auction filled with Renaissance art and books worth up to $25m USD. Commencing in October, the sale includes publications and bindings from the collection of acclaimed American scholar, T. Kimball Brooker, who spent 60 years putting together one of the finest rare-book libraries in the world. Highlights of the sale include an early manuscript of Leonardo da Vinci's Treatise on Painting, which was copied and compiled by the Italian polymath's lifelong assistant, Francesco Melzi, around 1638 to 1641. The auction also includes nearly 1,000 editions from Venetian publisher Aldine Press, which were all printed between the 15th and 16th century. “This constitutes the largest collection of Aldines to grace the market in the modern era,” said Sotheby's book and m...

KAWS is making its way to Canada this fall, marking the first time the work is debuted at a Canadian museum. Heading to Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), KAWS: FAMILY features artist Brian Donnelly's renowned larger-than-life sculptures and paintings of his iconic characters. The exhibition, which is curated by Julian Cox, AGO's Deputy Director and Chief Curator, features over 70 artworks from the artist's past two decades. The curation organizations the works in a series of encounters, with families of related pieces installed across the second level of the museum. Amongst these displayed will include the larger-than-life wood sculptures and augmented reality installations. Works in bronze, wood, on paper and canvas, plus toys and stainless steel will be exhibited. Adapting features...

Italy has faced multiple accounts of vandalism this year across some of its most hallowed sites. Back in June, a couple on holiday carved the words “Ivan + Hayley ‘23'” on one of the arches of the Roman Colosseum, while in that same month, an American tourist threw a e-scooter down the Spanish Steps, causing $26,000 USD in damage. Tourists are back at it again, as two German students defaced Florence's historic Vasari Corridor along the river Arno. The incident occurred earlier today at 5:20am (local time), when the two unnamed suspects, who were a part of 11 students staying in one of the city's Airbnb's, vandalized the 460-year-old corridor by spray-painting "DKS 1860" — which refers to the German football team, TSV 1860 Munich. While it is unclear, and highly unlikely, that the students...

US customs agents have returned around 281 Mexican artifacts, including Olmec figurines and ceramics dating back to 900 BCE, in a handover ceremony that took place in Memphis, Texas. This event was attended by officials from the US Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigation, and Mexico's Ambassador Carlos Giralt-Cabrales, as per a report by Artnews.According to a press release provided by customs officials, these items were sent from Mexico in nine shipments between 2016 and 2021, destined for locations in California, South Carolina, and Florida. Among the items seized were Olmec sculptures, various body adornments, ritual figurines, as well as clay and stone earmuffs. The customs release mentioned that officers suspected these items to be cultural artifacts and subsequ...