Trying to critique a blockbuster museum show like “Picasso and Chicago” at the Art Institute of Chicago is kind of like trying to offer thoughtful criticism of Coca-Cola; at this point, there’s not much that can be said that would enhance or diminish the iconic status of either of these monolithic cultural forces. So why bother? Here are a few personal thoughts and observations about[…..]

Much is written about the biography of Ralph Eugene Meatyard. A Navy man, born in Illinois, he attended Williams College through the Navy’s V-12 program. He became a licensed optician and lived most of his life in Lexington, KY. In 1950, before his first child was born, he made a life changing decision: he bought a camera. That’s when he found his new calling. He[…..]

Artist Cy Twombly has created a new series of sculptures, under the humble title Eight Sculptures. These new objects are currently being presented at Gagosian Gallery‘s 980 Madison Ave location in New York City. The exhibition is a companion to a new series of paintings, titled Leaving Paphos Ringed with Waves, on view at Gagoisian’s Athens gallery. In addition to the shows at Gagosian, the[…..]

Since the mid-90s, artist Jeff Carter has traveled extensively throughout India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and China. These travels have caused the artist to focus much of his attention on the idea of contemporary tourism and the implications of meaning that time and distance have on objects of travel, such as souvenirs and snapshots. Often, the artist will work directly from memory, recreating objects to investigate[…..]

The Department of Photography’s continuing series On the Scene showcases the Art Institute of Chicago‘s commitment to collecting and exhibiting the most dynamic new work by emerging artists. The third exhibition in the series explores the diverse range of art being produced by Jason Lazarus, Wolfgang Ploger, and Zoe Strauss. Jason Lazarus’s installation grew out of the artist’s fascination with the family snapshot and its durability in our digital[…..]