Art

Despite being largely associated to New York City, Jean-Michel Basquiat's time in Los Angeles also proved to be a pivotal period during the artist's prolific career. A forthcoming exhibition at Gagosian exclusively spotlights the work he created while posted in Venice between November 1982 and May 1984.Housed at the gallery's Beverly Hills location, Made on Market Street is curated by Fred Hoffman with Larry Gagosian and consists of 30 of the over 100 works Basquiat created while in LA, including several of his most important paintings. “Los Angeles has always been a great city for artists and Jean-Michel seemed to find it a refreshing change from New York," noted Larry Gagosian in a statement. "While the immensity of his talent was immediately apparent, it was nonetheless a highlight of m...

A major retrospective exhibition on Willem de Kooning will open this April to coincide with the 60th Venice Biennale. Held in the Temporary Exhibitions Halls at the Gallerie dell’Accademia, the forthcoming show will spotlight the Dutch-American artist's time in Italy, between 1959 and 1960, including several of his “Black and White Rome” drawings. Curated by Gary Garrels and Mario Codognato, the show will comprise of roughly 75 works, offering audiences a comprehensive survey of de Kooning's most expressive period, and the largest such exhibition on his work to date in Italy. The exhibition curators wanted to emphasize de Kooning's "special connections with Italy," wrote a release. Interestingly enough, his works were rarely shown in Italy following his death, the last exhibition being nea...

Robin Velghe – a.k.a. Rhymezlikedimez – has unleashed his first print of 2024. In classic dimez fashion, the artist has drawn inspiration from a prominent musician from the hip-hop zeitgeist to inspire his latest creation. Dubbed "Heaven To Me," Velghe looks to Tyler, The Creator's CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST: The Estate Sale track of the same name to craft his euphoria in the form of a striking new print."The song 'HEAVEN TO ME' is another example of Tyler’s ability to paint a specific and beautiful picture through his music. Not only with words but also through chords, he delivers a piece of music that represents a delightful future that you can almost walk into," Velghe explained in an official statement. "This piece triggered me to create a work depicting my ideal world – a picnic on an It...

Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan worked with London's Royal Academy of Arts to unveil a new public sculpture entitled The First Supper (Galaxy Black) (2023). The artwork is part of the ongoing exhibition, Entangled Pasts, 1768-now, featuring over 100 contemporary and historical works that spark dialogues about how art has been used to shape colonial narratives and how it can be utilized to change the future. Clearly inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper (1495–1498), Strachan casts 12 Black historical figures in bronze — from the abolitionist Harriet Tubman and explorer Matthew Henson, the first Black US congresswoman Shirley Chisholm to gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe, as well as placing former Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia, in place of Jesus Christ in the center. View...

EXPO CHICAGO is gearing up to host its first edition since being acquired by global art giant Frieze last July. Organizers behind the fair announced that over 170 galleries from 29 countries will be on view when the event returns to The Windy City later this spring, including 100 returning galleries from 2023.“Building on a strong foundation, Frieze has collaborated with EXPO CHICAGO to showcase an elevated experience for visitors and exhibitors alike,” said Kristell Chadé, the executive director of Frieze Fairs. “Through its robust international network of galleries and collectors, Frieze is committed to supporting EXPO CHICAGO’s continued success.”The Galleries portion of the fair will continue to serve as the centerpiece of the show, with global heavyweights in Gagosian and Perrotin bei...

American artist Mark Ryden has been a champion of the Pop Surrealist aesthetic for decades, and with that he's established a massive catalog of works that continue to be cherished to this day. While Ryden continues to dream up new thought-provoking sceneries, he's now taking a moment to look back on one of his works from the turn of the century -- The Butcher Bunny.24 years after its creation, The Butcher Bunny returns as Ryden's first-ever lenticular print release. The scene, which sees a young girl holding the hand of a small Abraham Lincoln, surrounded by animals eating away at meat prepared by the bunny who works as a butcher, utilizes a range of pink and yellow detailing that is complemented by the custom framework that accompanies this print. Each print also arrives signed and number...

Dutch artist Thomas Trum has transformed The Hole in Los Angeles into a chromatic feast for the eyes. Based in Den Bosch, Netherlands, Trum is known for mixing analog and mechanical modes of painting to blend the abstract with the analytical. Autobahn consists of a series of new large-scale canvas works, many of which occupy the entirety of a wall, along with smaller works on paper. Where some artists actively, and sometimes tirelessly, work to cover their tracks, Trum leaves it all out in the open. The way he achieves this effect is through unique tools, such as a giant handmade squeegee, as well as custom spraying machines. His hybrid artworks are human still in its imperfections, but show mechanical means of production, like a tire mark from a car or the burnt stain of a dry iron. "Thes...

Barbara Kruger returns to London for her first major solo show in nearly two decades. On view at Serpentine's South Gallery, Thinking of You. I Mean Me. I Mean You. offers a comprehensive look into the acclaimed American artist's career spanning early works from the 1970s to more modern video-based installations that play attuned to the frantic ways in which people consume information today. A miner of images, Kruger is well-known for creating massive text-based displays that comment on a range of topics, from consumerism to women's rights. Trained as a graphic designer, Kruger first worked in several editorial posts, learning the ins-and-outs of advertisement. In hindsight, her own artistic vernacular began to form through these experiences, perhaps most notable in her 1987 screen print,...

America's game is nearing the big dance, but America's pastime is swinging right around the corner. To usher in the coming season — and to hopefully entice pessimistic fans — the New York Mets have announced the list of 19 giveaways for the 2024 season, including two artist partnerships with Joel Mesler and Rashid Johnson. Both artists have had their hands in a number of recent collaborative projects, including a record cover Johnson created for a LACMA exhibition in 2022 and a capsule collection Mesler released with Hong Kong-based label izzue, a year prior. Starting on Saturday, May 25 against the San Francisco Giants, the Mesler-designed bucket hat will be available — presumably similar to the aforementioned izzue collaboration with added callouts to the Mets ball club. Several months l...

The Brooklyn Museum will celebrate its 200th anniversary later this year with a suite of events and programming. Launching in fall, the institution will reinterpret its storied collection, including the launch of a mobile “Museum on Wheels.”While the museum itself wasn't inaugurated until 1897, the building's inception dates further back to 1823, when it was founded as the Brooklyn Apprentices’ Library. Amongst the notable names included in its history, the acclaimed American poet and essayist Walt Whitman served as one of its librarians. View this post on InstagramA post shared by Brooklyn Museum (@brooklynmuseum)“This is a time of great momentum at the Brooklyn Museum!" noted several of the institution's directors in a statement. "Always a trailblazer, the Museum has a long history of tr...

Art will return to the forefront at the forthcoming Venice Biennale in April. Going on its 60th edition, this year's event will be arguably be one of its most memorable to date for a number of reasons. On one end, there will be a spotlight on indigenous artists who will be representing major pavilions — from Jeffrey Gibson (US) and Glicéria Tupinambá (Brazil) to the recent announcement that Eddie Martinez will create work for the tiny nation of San Marino. Alternatively, concerns for censorship continue to mount for both the Biennale, as well as the wider art world, regarding artists and museums in support of Palestine who claim that they are being censored for showing support for Palestine amidst the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. View this post on InstagramA post shared by La Bien...