Art & Design

Struth photographed Britain's Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 2011. "They were actually quite nice together," he says of the experience. (Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh, Windsor Castle 2011)

Arts

Photography Writ Large: The Monumental Art Of Thomas Struth

11:22am October 31, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

Struth is known for massive pictures of architecture and people looking at art in museums. But a few years ago, a commission to photograph the British royals pushed him out of his comfort zone.

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Arts

New York's Museum Of Modern Art Acquires Original Emoji

6:30pm October 28, 2016

NPR's Robert Siegel speaks with Paola Antonelli, senior curator at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, about the museum's recent acquisition of the original emoji for its permanent collection.

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Ragnar Kjartansson's Woman in E takes place in a circular room built from a gold tinsel curtain. Unlike many of his works, Woman in E features real people, rather than films.

Arts

Art Star Ragnar Kjartansson Moves People To Tears, Over And Over

7:00am October 28, 2016

by Neda Ulaby

The artist's repeating performance films can bring on a sort of catharsis, and people often cry after seeing a few cycles. "He's a huge deal," says one curator. "He's been ... rocking the art world."

Four different artists created four different interpretations of Gliese 1214b, a planet 40 light years from Earth that is believed to have a watery atmosphere.

Out Of This World: How Artists Imagine Planets Yet Unseen

2:31pm October 24, 2016

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When astronomers spot a new planet that's too far away to be seen in detail, they work with artists to depict it. Space artists say they have a lot of freedom, but have to be careful, too.

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When Cultural Heritage Is At Risk, Italy's Art Police Come To The Rescue

5:33am October 22, 2016

by Christopher Livesay

Over the decades, they've tracked down looted paintings and manuscripts, and rescued artwork after natural disasters. These days, they're salvaging centuries-old works in Italy's Amatrice quake zone.

This statue, in Sudbury, Ontario, was apparently vandalized about a year ago. A local artist volunteered to help replace Jesus' missing head, but not everyone appreciates her efforts.

Arts

New Head For Jesus Statue That Prompted Double Takes Is Gone

7:30pm October 21, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Last year, baby Jesus' head went missing from a statue at a church in northern Ontario. A local artist sculpted an attention-getting substitute, but that damaged the statue.

Artangel co-director James Lingwood has been struck by how much time visitors are spending at the exhibition.

Arts

Reading Gaol, Where Oscar Wilde Was Imprisoned, Unlocks Its Gates For Art

6:07pm October 20, 2016

by Vicki Barker

In 1895, Wilde was convicted of homosexual activity and sentenced to two years Reading Gaol. Built in the mid-1800s, the facility was operational until 2013. Now, it's hosting an unusual art exhibit.

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Self-Portrait in Blue Jacket (1950), by Max Beckmann. The painter had been on his way to see an exhibit featuring this self-portrait at the time of his heart attack.

Arts

Decades After His Death, Max Beckmann Returns To New York

5:18pm October 16, 2016

by NPR Staff

On sunny December day in Manhattan, the great German painter had been on his way to an exhibit featuring his latest self-portrait when he died. Now, that painting is back in the city where he left it.

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Arts

High-Priced 'Pill Fashion' Causing Controversy

5:04pm October 15, 2016

Italian fashion brand Moschino is causing controversy with its pill-themed 2017 collection. Randy Anderson of Eden House Recovery Services is pushing stores not to sell the clothing.

In a recent series of photographic drawings, David Hockney, shown above in his studio, plays with the relationship between painting and photography.

Books
Arts

Artist David Hockney Says The Drive To Create Pictures 'Is Deep Within Us'

9:08am October 13, 2016

by Susan Stamberg

The nearly 80-year-old artist has written a book called A History of Pictures. It's chock-full of art he's loved looking at, including one painter he credits with inventing Hollywood lighting.

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