Artist Stories: Spotlight
Openly gay and working during the height of the sexual revolution in 1980s New York, street artist Keith Haring felt compelled to speak out about the AIDs epidemic that gripped the city. Building awareness about the deadly disease – which he himself contracted and sadly succumbed to aged just 31 – Haring produced this poster to promote safe sex.
Beneath a busy composition lies a welter of symbolism. Gilded gold leopards, jaguars, and white-bearded monkeys follow Greek goddess Diana and her nymphs on a hunt. Originally created in 1926 by Scottish Art Nouveau artist Robert Burns (1869–1941), this highly decorative painting was part of an impressive first floor redesign for Crawford’s Tea Rooms in Edinburgh.
Join us as we catch up with Hastings-based abstract landscape painter Louise Body to discuss fisherman’s smocks, juggling work and home life, and her previous career as a wallpaper designer.
Christina’s World is one of the most iconic – and most mysterious – American realist paintings of the twentieth century. The meaning of Andrew Wyeth’s painting changes dramatically when we learn about his subject, Christina Olson, who has captivated and haunted critics for decades.
‘Don’t look back, ooh, a new day is breakin’ cried Bob Dylan in 1965. As we usher in a new year filled with hope and positivity, we’re thrilled to announce Don’t Look Back as our very first Artwork of the week. When it was released, the film broke box office records and is considered a classic of both documentary and rock filmmaking. It has a fascinating story to tell...
From ancient Peruvian masks at British Museum to visionary paintings, documentary photography, fashion, film and sculpture by Caribbean artists at Tate, there’s a whole host of exciting exhibitions to see this holiday season.
Before spearheading the Pop Art movement in the 1960s, Andy Warhol made a name for himself creating illustrations for some of New York’s most prestigious magazines. The route to his success was not easy though. Often overlooked, this exceptionally creative period in his life is a fascinating prequel to his iconic pop art aesthetic.
Black perspectives remain consistently marginalised or erased altogether. This Black History Month, we’ve rounded up some must-see exhibitions celebrating black culture. Many of the museums and galleries featured in this round up are our long-standing partners, including Tate, Charleston, and Royal Academy.
This Black History Month, we explore the ways Basquiat told a story of black struggle through his seminal paintings and the black idols he revered including jazz pianist Thelonious Monk, legendary bebop saxophonist Charlie Parker, and boxers Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali...
Celebrated for his political activism, his philanthropy, and his creation of an artistic language that resonates with diverse audiences, street artist Keith Haring’s popularity endures today. We explore the artworks that helped him rocket to international fame.
To celebrate London Fashion Week 2021, we take a look at 1960s British fashion from our historic Photography archive. Expect short skirts, futuristic headgear, and trippy patterns...
We catch up with painter and printmaker Andrew Lansley. In this interview, he discusses his creative practice, his artist residency in Antarctica, and how seeing wildlife in its natural habitat inspired a recent series of polar paintings.