Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

On November 26, 1922, Howard Carter prepared to enter the tomb of a little-known pharaoh. Nobody had set foot inside the space for over 3,000 years, but as Carter held up his candle, his partner, Lord Carnarvon who had financed the expedition called out asking if he saw anything. Carter responded, “Yes, wonderful things.” Though his reign may have been short, the treasures found in Tutankhamun’s t...

This week I spoke with Carrie Rickey, the author of a new biography of Agnes Varda. Varda is considered to be one of the greatest female directors in film history. She is one of the greatest French directors in film history. She is among the greatest and most influential directors in really any category of film. In her decades of work producing film, photographs and installations, she inspired gen...

Alfred Stieglitz is considered by many to be the father of modern photography. He looked at the camera as not simply a tool to document the world, but an artistic medium. His photograph The Steerage from 1907 is possibly his most famous work. As he set out on a European vacation, Alfred and his family were in first class, but he did not feel comfortable. He went out onto the deck and looked down a...

The brilliance of Edward Hopper is that he was able to be simultaneously specific and concrete yet vague and leave a lot up to the viewer to interpret. In a painting like Nighthawks we see people gathered in a diner, but as viewers we are stuck on the outside looking in. We feel isolated and apart from the scene and as we look closer, we discover that the people inside the diner are isolated thems...

Mark Rothko is one of the most famous painters of the Abstract Expressionist movement. While many look at his paintings as simple rectangles of various colors, he sought to express much deeper ideas and emotions in the most simple and direct way possible. He meticulously layered washes of oil paint to achieve deep, rich colors on massive canvases that overwhelm the viewer. The Seagram Murals were...

Is an AI generated image really art? How might AI tools affect the way artists create their work? Will AI replace human artists? Rosemary Lee is an artist and media researcher. Her work considers how image production technologies fit within larger narratives about art, knowledge, and relations between humans and machines. Her book Algorithm, Image, Art considers recent developments in artificial i...

Emily Kame Kngwarreye was born around 1910, a time when the Aboriginal people were not considered full citizens in their own country. Earth’s Creation is an absolutely massive painting about 9 feet tall and 20 feet wide. She painted it in 1994 when she was around 84 years old. Most biographies will say that she only painted for the last 8 years of her life, but really, she was only painting for We...

Sean Roschman is the creative director for Niko8, a dance company in Chicago. He has worked designing, choreographing and directing unique large scale spectacle performances for commercial clients such as Cirque Du Soleil, Lady Gaga, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2010, The House Of Yes, The Maritime Aquarium of Connecticut, Terminal5, The Stuyvesant Real Estate Group and others. Recently, he spent 5...

Degas is famous for his beautiful depictions of ballet dancers, but he was also giving a glimpse into the tough reality those dancers experienced. Edgar Degas, born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in 1834, grew up in a wealthy Parisian family with strong ties to the arts. In 1855, he entered the École des Beaux-Arts, where he trained under Louis Lamothe, a follower of the neoclassical artist Ingres....

Many know the image of Paris Street; Rainy Day, but somehow far fewer know the artist who painted it, Gustave Caillebotte. He was born in Paris in the mid 19th century just as massive changes were happening in urban development as well as with technology and society more generally. Caillebotte inherited a fortune that allowed him to follow his passion for art without needing to worry about what wo...

Georgia O'Keeffe was one of the greatest American painters of the 20th century. She was among the most influential painters in developing modern abstraction and she influenced numerous artists who would come to follow her including Yayoi Kusama. Her famous red white and blue cow skull was painted as a sort of joke about the New York art scene filled with painters and sculptors seeking to create th...

This week we are looking at Yves Klein and his famous photograph, Leap Into the Void, from 1960. Klein had a short but highly influential career as he pushed the boundaries of what could be considered art. He made a symphony of a single note, used humans as paint brushes, and even patented his own color. My Guest this week is Tim Bogatz, host of Art Ed Radio from The Art of Education University. I...

Angkor Wat is the largest religious structure in the world, located in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, it is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and was likely intended as the king's tomb. The temple's construction, which involved 300,000 workers and took over 30 years, showcases the Khmer Empire's impressive architectural and engineering skills. Its intricate...

I interviewed Ephraim Urevbu a contemporary artist based in Memphis Tennessee. He shared his life experiences growing up in Nigeria then coming to the United States to study art and the ways the US did and did not fit with his expectations. We discussed his painting E Pluribus Unum and his work on The Naked Truth Project which seeks to spark conversations for an honest telling of America's history...

Fun fact: almost as soon as people started walking on the moon, they started to put art on the moon. In 1969, NASA landed the first astronauts on the moon. It was a relatively short stay given the distance they had traveled to get there and the years of work preparing for the voyage. Most people don’t know this, but just a few years later, the Apollo 15 crew left an astronaut behind to remain on t...

For this episode, I interviewed Chris Boylan, an expert on Oceanic Art. He explained a little bit of history about The Laiagam Stone, an incredible carved piece created thousands of years ago by the people of Papua New Guinea. The Laiagam Stone is often compared to the Ambum Stone as both are roughly the same size with similar features and they are likely around the same age. Chris Boylan explaine...

China's Longmen Caves or Longmen Grottoes are a UNESCO world heritage site. Starting in the 5th century CE, artists chiseled away at the limestone carving out around 2300 caves and 110,000 statues. Because they were constructed over such a long period, the sculptures in the Longmen Caves not only reflect the religious tradition, but they track changes in artistic style over the centuries. Related...

The Alexander Mosaic, also known as the Battle of Issus Mosaic, is a masterpiece of ancient Roman artistry that continues to captivate viewers with its detailed depiction of a pivotal moment in history. Unearthed in the House of the Faun in Pompeii, this intricate mosaic offers a glimpse into the military prowess, political ambition, and cultural exchange of the ancient world. The mosaic captures...

Rene Magritte's painting, Son of Man, is among the most famous images of the Surrealist Movement. It is one of the few artworks that transcends the museum and has become a part of pop culture. Actually, technically it isn’t even in the museums. Son of Man is privately owned and rarely seen on public display, but it has been referenced in books, movies like Stranger than Fiction and The Thomas Crow...

Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" is an iconic Art Nouveau painting, renowned for its use of gold leaf and intricate patterns. The painting depicts a couple embracing in a passionate kiss, their bodies adorned with abstract designs that symbolize interconnectedness and the natural world. While the identities of the figures are unclear, the painting has been interpreted as representing mythological figures...

Roberto Matta was a Chilean born artist whose life and work transcended boundaries. He was always looking to explore new ideas, push his work further and to astonish. As he said, “A landscape is at peace whenever there is no visible catastrophe and yet ecologically it is violent and devouring. One must grasp what lies behind appearance.” Check out my other podcast Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science...

From 1912 to 1948, medals were awarded for artistic creations inspired by sport, alongside those for athletic prowess. This unique fusion of disciplines was the brainchild of Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympics, who envisioned the Games as a celebration of both physical and intellectual pursuits. Coubertin's vision for the modern Olympics extended far beyond athleticism. He bel...

An artist’s skillful application of paint will make an artwork good, but a good story makes that artwork great. In 2010, a painting went on auction at Sotheby’s and sold for $1.5 million and I would argue that price is not because of the image, or the artist, but rather the story. Harry Hahn was an American pilot fighting in World War 1. He was fortunate to not only survive the brutal war, but als...

This episode is about Arthur Boyd the Australian painter known for his use of symbols from mythology to express his philosophical views. My guest this week was Matthew Bliss, a podcaster and producer. Check out his work at https://matthewbliss.net/from-my-home-to-yours Check out my other podcast Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in a...

Andrew Wyeth was the son of a successful illustrator. Wyeth is best known for his painting "Christina's World" which is among the few artworks to leap from the museum walls to popular culture as it has been referenced in numerous photos, TV shows and movies. The painting was inspired by Wyeth's neighbor who was unable to walk but chose to crawl rather than use a wheel chair. He was inspired as he...