Ken Loach’s film, Sorry We Missed You, tells the harrowing tale of Ricky, Abby and their family’s attempts to get by in a precarious world of low paid jobs and the so-called “gig economy”. But how realistic is it? Can Loach’s film be accused of undue pessimism? After all, UK government ministers have applauded the...
Art
Anteprima in SoHo
There’s more to Italian fashion than Dolce, Dolce, and Dolce; so this Fall, New York is home to Anteprima, the second installment of an Italian experiential fashion pop-up. Eight emerging Italian brands will present Fall/Winter collections in a space celebrating art, cuisine, and design. Of course this unique shopping and gallery experience will be in...
Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory
Throughout an accomplished career that spans more than 50 years, Vija Celmins (American, b. 1938) has sustained a practice of deep focus and extraordinary skill in a wide range of media. Vija Celmins: To Fix the Image in Memory, the artist’s first major retrospective in more than 25 years, will be on view at The...
Do We Tend to Centre Our Instagram Selfies on Our Left Eye?
Do we tend to centre our Instagram selfies on our left eye? A new study suggests that it may not just be artists who make their eyes the centre-point of their own original work. New research suggests that we tend to compose ‘selfies’ that horizontally centre on one of our eyes, particularly the left. The...
Not in Gotham Anymore: Bioethics of Treating a Torturer’s PTSD Explored in Comic Book Form
Those who study and treat disorders of the mind – such as neuroscientists, psychiatrists and therapists – are in a position of influence. Their decisions and actions have the potential to impact individuals at the deepest levels by affecting our memories and even how we see ourselves. Such professionals “…occupy positions of intellectual authority” as...
AI Uncovers New Details About Old Master Paintings
Artificial intelligence has been used to analyse high-resolution digital x-ray images of the world famous Ghent Altarpiece, as part of an investigative project led by UCL. The finding is expected to improve our understanding of art masterpieces and provide new opportunities for art investigation, conservation and presentation. Researchers from the National Gallery, Duke University and...
How 21 Artists Graffitied One Man’s Property, Made It Famous, Sued Him When He Knocked It Down and Won $6.7m
It’s an extraordinary tale with a whiff of Banksy about it, although surprisingly, he was not involved. In a landmark ruling, 21 New York street artists have sued and won US$6.7m in damages from the owner of a building who destroyed their graffiti when he had the building demolished. Following a three-week trial in November,...
What’s In An Icon
Has the word and concept of “iconic” become greatly overused? The word combines our attitudes toward people, places and things that are not only great but heralded, cherished and placed on exemplary lists. But there is a growing tendency by some to use “iconic” in a cheeky fashion, especially in social media forums (iconic pet memes?).
Italy, Fall of 2010
In September 2010, we commissioned Italian photographer Giacomo Cosua for a series on Fall in Milan, Rome, and Venice.
Exploring New York’s Subway Art
My home subway station is Kings Highway on the Brighton line, in southern Brooklyn, and served by the B and Q trains. The station has three entrances and typically when I enter or exit, I rush in or out. Sometimes I slow down and look at something on the station walls. I am quite familiar...