What do Brad Pitt, David Salle, Steve Keene and Diane Arbus have in common?

What do Brad Pitt, David Salle, Steve Keene and Diane Arbus have in common? They all are artists I’ve been reading about over the last few weeks and months. Now you can too.

In addition to reading about those four, there are additional pieces below on other artists of note. Most of them are painters but there are some sculptors too. Quite a mixed bag! Enjoy!

• First up, this is cool: the YOUNG & WILD? EXHIBITION at the  Ashmolean Museum is all about art from the 1980s in Germany.
• Speaking of the 80s, here are some good pieces on another artist from that decade (and more), David Salle. Here’s David Salle’s five favs. Other things on him are this and this. Must reads for fans like myself.
• From a decade earlier, here’s two pieces on 70s art I liked:  Iconic 70s art and 70’s art.
• I loved this article on the speed artist, Steve Keene. I’ve recently become a big fan of him.
• Sculpture-wise, here are some fun inflatable sculptures by Steve Messam. Here is an enormous E.coli sculpture that floats through the National Museum of Scotland. (Shown above). Surprisingly, Brad Pitt– yeah that Brad Pitt — has madee some sculpture and it is really good. Also this is worth reading: Remembering Bill Reid, master artist and Haida culture’s most public advocate.
• Sad but not surprising: Why do men’s paintings cost 10 times more than womens? Relatedly: Women of Arghavan Khosravi’s Paintings Exemplify the Borderless Fight for Equality. Also: Why is Botticelli’s Primavera Considered Controversial?
• Here’s more on the Obama portraits from one of the artists. I don’t know these artists, but both Tyler Mitchell and Marcellina Oseghale Akpojotor make great work.
• I do know these artists: Keith Haring. the great Georges de La Tour and his painting of Mary Magdalene (see below) and a new look at a Diane Arbus Exhibition 50 Years Later.
• Speaking of great artists, here’s six reasons why artist artist Paul Cezanne is hailed as the greatest of us. More on Cezanne at the Tate.
• Speaking of London, there’s a Lucien Freud exhibit at the National Gallery in London. Also in London, I’ve written about this before and now it’s on:  Samson Kambalu’s sclpture Antelope is literally on the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square. Go see it!
• A fascinating piece:  Ever Noticed All the Mysterious Maps in Vermeer’s Paintings? A really smart study of Vermeer.
• Less than smart: Banana split: artists set for court battle over who first taped fruit to the wall first. Also, yeah, no: Andres Valencia, the fifth grader who makes six figure art works.

(Images linked to those in the Washington Post and Colossal).