
What do tractors and leaves have in common? They are featured in the work of the artists I’ve been reading about recently.
The tractor is just one of the works I came across while reading about artist of Charles Ray. The New York Times has two pieces on him here and here, and this here piece (where the above image originates) is also good.
We lost some fine artists in the last while. The iconoclast John Wesley has died. (More on him, here.) Ben Vautier of Fluxus has also passed on. As has noteworthy black Broadway producer, Ron Simons. I was struck by Simons story, how he skipped the arts as a young man to go into IT, only to return to theatre at a later again. It was inspiring.
Relatedly, here is a good piece on how artists deal with grief.
In happier news, here’s a good piece on Vivian Meyer, who has a show out on her work. Likewise Mary Cassatt. Go see them if you can.
This is a fascinating piece here on Brecht’s collages, which feature Hitler among other things. This is a very insider-y piece on Francis Bacon’s contempt for the Marlborough Gallery. This is a good study on the intersection of art and luxury fashion.
Finally, I recommend you check out Susanna Bauer’s work (seen below). She does wonderous things with leaves and nature.
