Though the National Gallery of Art’s Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes includes lots of costumes and video clips meant to bring the legendary dance troupe alive, the works on paper are the beating heart of this show. The illustrated costume designs by Léon Bakst, like this one for a rajah in the ballet Le Dieu …
My preference for Asian art is evident in my top five list this year, but I’ve added a couple American artists for good measure. Not a stellar year overall, but these five had staying power: 1. Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird and Flower Paintings (National Gallery of Art): Truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. This collection of 30 … Continue reading »
Seeking creative inspiration on a still winter Sunday, I took to the blog Brain Pickings and the Writer’s Digest website, and stumbled on an artist and writer talking about where they find ideas. Illustrator Maira Kalman, in the video above, spoke recently at the Museum of Modern Art about seeing Rome with an empty brain, … Continue reading »
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the public so engaged with an exhibition. Leave it to the impish, provocative Ai Weiwei to awaken Washington’s conservative soul. If China needs artists like Ai, so do we. Ai Weiwei: According to What?– the artist’s first retrospective in North America– opened today at the Hirshhorn and … Continue reading »
These Instagram snaps don’t do George Steinmetz‘s work justice, but at least give a flavor of his stunning aerial photos, now on display at National Geographic’s headquarters. They’re well worth a visit. The collection is particularly strong on Africa and the Middle East, and Steinmetz’s vantage point from a motorized paraglider can be both sweeping … Continue reading »
Last weekend, this photo greeted me outside my room at the stylish Hotel Lucia in Portland, OR, where I spent the better part of the week on holiday. I knew the man on the right looked familiar, but it took a minute before it clicked. Yes, it’s a young Don Rumsfeld at a 1974 state … Continue reading »
If you’re the kind of person, like me, who’s looking forward to the Hirshhorn’s big Ai Wei Wei exhibit this October, you’ll love Never Sorry, a smart new documentary about the artist/activist. First-time American director Alison Klayman does a masterful job illuminating Ai’s many facets — brilliant social critic, media manipulator, patriot and loving father. … Continue reading »
One of my favorite photographers, Hong Kong-based Palani Mohan, is working on a new book profiling Kazakh eagle hunters in remote Mongolia. The Asia Society blog has a gorgeous slideshow and Q/A with Mohan. It’s a fascinating project; his subjects aren’t easy to reach. Continue reading »
