Art

Wizards of the Coast has come under fire for admitting to using AI artwork in a recent campaign for its hit card series, Magic: The Gathering. Ironically, the American gaming company had issued a release at the end of 2023, reiterating its commitment to the use of real artwork and calling on its many artists and creators "to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products." But apparently that sentiment didn't apply to ad campaigns — namely backgrounds, which fans quickly took to social media to call out."Lmao. They lasted all of 2 weeks," wrote user Nick Dobos via X. "But imagine how happy the shareholders were when they laid off all those folks right before Christmas so they can use AI and lie about it," added Archaeology Bird.I guess the whole ad campaign was made ...

JJ Manford's vibrant paintings are always rich with life, but largely devoid of any human depictions. Based in Brooklyn, the American artist purposefully leaves his compositions this way to highlight the interplay between the built and natural world. In Hayden Rowe Street, on view now at Derek Eller Gallery in Manhattan, Manford reimagines domestic spaces filled with art historical objects, textiles and furnishings, along with contemporary iconography — from Shadow the Hedgehog to Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger. Created using oil stick, oil pastel and Flashe paint, his idyllic scenes carry cinematic undertones that probe into the artist's memories, as well as our own."We bring to his work many of our own associations and memories, especially those of us who grew up in the same generation a...

Joan Cornellà is reuniting with AllRightsReserved to release “Nobody Loves You” — a brand-new vinyl sculpture celebrating the Spanish cartoonist’s birthday on January 11.The new piece comes in the form of a young girl holding a candlelit birthday cake that’s emblazoned with the words, “NOBODY LOVES YOU.” Clad in a pink dress and sporting a matching party hat on her head, the girl wears the hallmarked grin that’s synonymous with Cornellà’s previous artwork and vinyl figures.The sculpture stands 8.3 inches tall and is encased inside a special box, featuring a painted version of itself. On the soles of her Mary-Jane shoes is Joan Cornellà ’s signature, alongside AllRightsReserved’s logo to signify the piece's exclusive nature and official collaboration status.From January 10, 10 p.m. EST/ Jan...

Christie's will auction the only painting co-created by legendary rock band, The Beatles. Included in The Exceptional Sale, which will commence on February 1, the artwork was created in the 1960s and comes with a pre-auction estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 USD.The abstracted painting is made with watercolor and acrylic and is commonly referred to as Images of a Woman (1966). “It’s such a rarity to have a work on paper outside of their music catalog that is [a] physical relic, this tangible object with contributions from all four of the Beatles,” said Christie’s specialist Casey Rogers in a past interview. “It’s memorabilia, it’s a work of art… It’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.” Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The Beatles created the artwork while holed up in the Hilton ...

Perrotin is showcasing a new solo exhibition by rising Japanese painter and sculptor, Otani Workshop. Housed at the gallery's Hong Kong location, Portraits features a cast of charming characters displayed across a series of wood panel paintings and ceramic plates.Otani, whose real name is Shigeru Otani, is known for creating portraits of children and fictional animals as a reflection on his personal journey. Each character's uninterested expression mirrors his own ambivalence to the curriculums he studied at art school and the discouragement he received from professor's saying that few artists could financially survive on just pottery. By conflating modern aesthetic sensibilities, such as anime and manga, with Japan's ceramic lineage, Otani looks to blur the lines between art and craft as ...

Everyone has partook in a little shadow puppetry at one point in their lives, but for Taiwanese visual artist Jam Wu, the simple bodily gestures have become an artistic medium for his latest solo exhibition. On view at an underground space at Taiwan's TKG+ gallery, Shadow Puppeteer invites audiences into a mysterious moody room, where screens showcasing various performers guide visitors throughout a monochromatic environment.Inspired by Through the Walls (2021), the second puppeteer show by Wu consists of installations featuring both artificial and natural light. Within each, onlookers enter a hallucinatory state where the real performers depicted within the lofty screens are distilled into shadowy silhouettes whom ruminate on the core subconsciousness of the human body. From screen to scr...

In the art world, 2023 was a mix of captivating puzzles and bold action, making a lasting impact on culture. From the hunt for Banksy's identity to Palestinian activists denouncing Israeli airstrikes at New York's Guggenheim Museum, the year was packed with intrigue and urgency. Not to mention, in April, Lauren Halsey blended South Central LA stories with ancient architecture in a massive rooftop installation at The Met which featured a fusion of cultures soaring 22 feet high with 750 concrete tiles.These events showcase how art, activism, and culture are constantly intertwining and evolving, shaping the narrative of contemporary art worldwide. Dive into our roundup of the year's standout moments in the art scene below.Lauren Halsey Transformed the Rooftop of The MetBack in April, Lauren H...

2023 was unofficially the year of Picasso as museums and galleries around the world united to celebrate the 70th anniversary since the prolific artist's death. With just days until the new year, the festivities continue in a number of spaces, including Gagosian's 522 West 21st Street location in New York. A Foreigner Called Picasso presents a comprehensive look at the Spanish artist's oeuvre, from his early beginnings till his passing in 1973. Featuring myriad works loaned from separate institutions and private collections, the exhibition is anchored by the figure of the harlequin — Picasso's allegorical avatar that appears throughout each period within his career. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Gagosian (@gagosian)The title of the show refers to Annie Cohen-Solal’s award-winn...

American artist Paul Pfeiffer has been interrogating the act of image making for 25 years. Working across a wide range of creative disciplines, he commonly employs found and source material from pop culture to probe into the spectacle of sports and the myth of celebrity. On view at MOCA's Geffen Contemporary in Los Angeles, Pfeiffer presents a thorough look into his nearly three decade career. As the first US retrospective on the artist, Prologue to the Story of the Birth of Freedom unpacks society's obsession with spectacle and how our collective consciousness is constructed through image circulation. True to his deconstructionist aesthetic, Pfeiffer tinkers with audiences' perceptions by meticulously reframing scenes from years past. Three Figures in a Room (2015-18) showcases the highly...

It's been quite the year for the British Museum and not in the best way. The 270 year old institution, while having faced this criticism for some time now, experienced added pressure by Greek officials to return the Parthenon Marbles, amidst a number of similar repatriation efforts. In its defense, the museum claims that on top of "legal ownership" of the ancient reliefs, its reasons for withholding a return is due to a "moral responsibility to preserve and maintain all the collections in their care and to make them accessible to world audiences.” Ironically, the institution was caught in an internal scandal this year when longtime curator Peter Higgs was ousted for stealing over 1,500 artifacts from the museum's collection. Alas, Greece has a offered a simple trade solution. In an intervi...

Embarking on a journey through the realm of contemporary art, 2024 promises a spectacular lineup of exhibitions stateside offering diverse narratives, perspectives, and artistic legacies. From retrospectives honoring the pioneers to groundbreaking showcases redefining traditional mediums, these exhibitions serve as portals into the essence of cultural evolution. From Paul Pfeiffer's introspective unraveling of collective consciousness to Grace Wales Bonner's nuanced exploration of Black cultural heritage, each exhibition invites audiences on a transformative odyssey. Giants, curated by Kimberli Gant, spotlights the exceptional collection of music icons Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys, celebrating Black diasporic culture. Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Museum of Art beckons with a comprehensive po...