Art
7 Children’s Art History Books for Gift Giving
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Visiting a museum is a tried and true diversion for children, but that very first visit isn’t guaranteed to be an unmitigated success. You’ll likely face one of three possible outcomes: 1) The child hates it and wants to leave immediately; 2) the child is mostly indifferent but sees a few things he thinks is cool, and that—plus a trip to the museum cafeteria for an overpriced burger—salvages the effort; or 3) the child loves it and doesn’t want to go when it’s time to leave. Obviously, the latter is the most desirable scenario, and the most likely to suggest a budding art lover. But what’s the best way to keep the kids engaged and wanting to head back for more—or better yet, to persuade recalcitrant youngsters to give art another try? The answer is easy: Get them a book on art history written for kids. There are loads, aimed at every age group from toddler to teen. We’ve assembled a list of the best bets with an eye toward cultivating a taste for art.
Joan Holub and Daniel Roode, This Little Artist: An Art History Primer Board book
If you want to stimulate an interest in art from the get-go, this vividly colorful introduction to the subject is perfect for tykes ages one through five. Part of a series of board books focusing on important historical figures such as presidents, explorers, and scientists, This Little Artist features icons of art history, rendered as kids themselves. It’s an all-star lineup of figures who changed history, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frida Kahlo, Michelangelo, Picasso, and Andy Warhol, among others, all rendered by illustrator Daniel Roode in crisp midcentury-style graphics. Each artists gets a spread with short rhyming texts and explanatory captions by Joan Holub, an author of more than 180 books for children. The large-type layout makes it simple and fun to follow for kids who are just starting to read.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum ABC
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York contains more than two million works spanning 5,000 years of world culture, so there were plenty of treasures to choose from for this book, which uses objects found in The Met’s vast holdings to teach the alphabet to little kids. Each letter is assigned a word that’s illustrated on an opposing page by details from four different art-historical masterpieces. “A is for Apple,” for example, is accompanied by Roy Lichtenstein’s Red Apple (1983) and Paul Cézanne’s Apples (1878–79), while “N is for Nose” is matched with a schnoz-prominent Giorgio de Chirico self-portrait in profile. Works by luminaries such as Chagall, Degas, Hiroshige, and Monet are also here, along with antiquities and historical pieces from China, Egypt, Greece, India, Persia, and more. Altogether, Museum ABCruns to 60 pages packed with 104 color reproductions.
Sharna Jackson, Black Artists Shaping the World
Only in the past several decades have artists of color received the serious notice due them. In this book from 2021, award-winning children’s author Sharna Jackson offers a concise introduction to 26 contemporary artists from Africa and the African diaspora who work in drawing, ceramics, installation art, painting, performance, photography, and sculpture. The artists featured represent a who’s who of important names from the last 50 years. Selected by Jackson with the aid of Zoé Whitley of the Tate Modern (co-curator of the landmark exhibition “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963–1983”), the roster includes Black artists from Britain and America, such as Turner Prize winner Chris Ofili, Kerry James Marshall, and Faith Ringgold, along with artists from Africa like South African photographer Zanele Muholi. Their stories are told in images and easy-to-follow texts set in a brightly colorful layout. For ages nine to twelve.
Stephen Farthing (editor), Art: The Whole Story
This book offers a beginner’s entrée to art history to anyone interested, but it makes our list because it also provides a great introduction to the subject for older kids. Weighing in at 576 pages with more than 1,100 color reproductions, Art: The Whole Story takes a period-by-period approach to art history with succinct analysis of individual objects, offering details on technique, subject matter, and the artist (where known). The text covers every genre, from painting and sculpture to conceptual art and performance art and includes a timeline providing historical context. Assembled with the help of the field’s leading scholars and curators, the book serves as a reference guide that can be used without being read cover to cover. Spirited and accessible, Art: The Whole Story will become your kid’s go-to volume on art.
Jacky Klein and Suzy Klein, What Is Contemporary Art? A Guide for Kids
The Museum of Modern Art’s collection of works from the past 60 years provides the grist for this explainer, intended for ages eight and up. Organized thematically by kid-friendly subject headings such as “Light Fantastic,” “Black Holes and Moon Rocks,” and “Playing Games,” the book ranges across all mediums and genres (including painting, sculpture, film, photography, performance, and installation) and takes an eclectic approach to making sense of a field that regularly leaves adults flummoxed, betting that the kids will get it. John Chamberlain, Dan Flavin, Jeff Koons, Jackson Pollock, and Andy Warhol are just some of the artists whose works (some 70 in all) are reproduced in full color within this generously oversized and beautifully designed volume. Co-authored by a former curator at London’s Hayward Gallery, What Is Contemporary Art? is stuffed with more than enough information to answer the titular question.
Ferren Gipson, The Ultimate Art Museum
This kid-oriented intro to art history from Phaidon is organized as a fantasy museum complete with a floor plan that young readers can navigate to learn about art from prehistory to the present. The book divides its imaginary institution into three wings, 18 galleries and 129 rooms, which readers can “stroll” through to find objects spanning 40,000 years. The numbered map also serves as table of contents, with headings like “Postmodern and Contemporary Art” split into subsections such as “Girl Power,” which covers feminist art, and “Hall of Selfies,” which reproduces self-portraits by Frida Kahlo and Cindy Sherman as cell phone images. While this imagined museum isn’t meant to resemble any real-world institution, author Ferren Gipson, an American living in London who wrote the book during the Covid lockdown, was inspired by previous trips to The Met in New York, the Louvre in Paris, and other great museums. For ages 8 to 12.
Anthony F. Janson, History of Art for Young People
Usually found in the backpacks of college freshmen on their way to Art History 101, H. W. Janson’s History of Art was first published in 1962 and soon became the ur-introductory text on the subject. In 1987 Janson’s son Anthony recast his father’s magisterial tome for young readers. Now in its seventh edition, the book takes the same encyclopedic approach as the original, covering achievements in art from cave murals to performance art. Masterpieces from ancient Egypt, Classical Greece, and Renaissance Italy are just some of the works making up the 600-plus illustrations that stud the pages of the book, which spans all mediums, including architecture, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture. Much like his father, the author takes a Eurocentric view of art history. But despite this bias, History of Art for Young People serves as a vital and highly accessible reference volume for beginners.
Art
The unmissable events taking place during London's Digital Art Week – Euronews
From W1 Curates’ immersive digital projections to HOFA Gallery’s curated AI artwork showcase, don’t miss out on these stunning events during London’s Digital Art Week.
Digital Art Week is here!
Throughout the week, Londoners will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in digital art across the capital, from prestigious galleries to outdoor spaces, iconic music venues, and over 100 digital billboards.
A multitude of outdoor billboard locations, including Piccadilly Circus, will be transformed for the event, bringing digital art into the public eye and making it accessible to all. In total, works from over 120 leading artists will be showcased.
“We are thrilled to be back in London for Digital Art Week. This year will be the biggest iteration of the movement that we have ever produced. This year we are using the fabric of the city to showcase more than 120 artists across a wide variety of venues and artistic mediums,” says Digital Art Week CEO and founder Shaina Silva.
With so much happening, here’s a simple guide to some of the events you won’t want to miss:
‘New Beginnings’ at HOFA Gallery
When? – Thursday, 25 April, 6pm-9pm.
Where? – HOFA Gallery, 11 Bruton Street, London, W1J 6PY.
London’s HOFA Gallery, situated on Bruton Street, has curated an exceptional exhibition titled ‘New Beginnings,’ showcasing artists who are at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into their creative processes.
Among the featured artists in their showcase, titled ‘New Beginnings’, is Niceaunties, a Singapore-based architect and AI artist who draws inspiration from her cultural heritage to explore themes of aging, personal freedom, and everyday life through generative AI and digital art.
Also included is Sougwen 愫君 Chung, a Chinese-Canadian artist whose piece “MEMORY (Drawing Operations Unit: Generation 2)” made history as the first AI model acquired by London’s V&A museum, as well as digital artist, Agoria, known for his avant-garde BioGenArt.
W1 Curates immersive galleries
When? – During the whole of Digital Art Week.
Where? – 167 Oxford Street, London, W1D 2JP.
W1 Curates, a public art platform situated in the heart of London’s iconic Oxford Street, is hosting a series of free cutting-edge events during Digital Art Week.
These events will feature some of the world’s leading digital artists, including Beeple and Andrés Reisinger.
Here’s the schedule:
Six N Five – Tuesday, 23 April, 8pm-9pm.
GMUNK – Thursday, 25 April 8pm-9pm.
Lost Souls of Saturn – Friday, 26 April, 8pm-9pm.
Ash Thorpe – Friday, 26 April, 8pm-9pm.
Beeple – Saturday, 27 April, 8pm-9pm.
Andrés Reisinger – Sunday, 28th April, 8pm-9pm.
Krista Kim presented on Outernet’s four storey LED screen
When? – Friday, 26 April, 9am till late.
Where? – Charing Cross Rd, London, WC2H 8LH.
TAEX is presenting Canadian-Korean contemporary artist Krista Kim’s “Continuum” collection, an awe-inspiring visual meditation that will be showcased on Outernet’s four-storey LED screen.
Kim’s Rothko-inspired artwork, created from LED light photography and cutting-edge software, offers vibrant colourscapes that aim to elevate consciousness and inspire positivity in the digital realm.
Also, you can look forward to the soothing sounds of electronic group Ligovskoï, whose healing frequency music complements Kim’s mesmerising visuals.
But Kim isn’t the only artist on display at Outernet. You can also catch AMIANGELIKA / Ouchhh (23 April), Zach Lieberman (24 April), Jesse Woolston (25 April), and Sasha Stile (27 April).
‘Daata’ at Shoreditch Arts Club
When? – Thursday, 25 April, 7pm-11pm
Where? – Shoreditch Arts Club, 6 Redchurch Street, London.
If you enjoy cocktails, reggae music and trippy, surreal digital animations then this could be the event for you.
Shoreditch Arts Club, in collaboration with their long-time moving image partner Daata, is hosting a party to celebrate Digital Art Week. Visitors can expect to experience mesmerising digital artworks on screens, accompanied by the legendary sounds of reggae DJ Manasseh.
The evening will showcase The Rockers Uptown – The Shoreditch Version, a curated playlist of commissioned video animations handpicked by Daata’s founder David Gryn. Featuring works by esteemed artists such as George Barber, Phillip Birch, and many more, this event promises to be an immersive journey into a surreal world of digital art.
Art
Random: We're In Awe of Metaphor: ReFantazio's Box Art – Push Square
There’s nothing quite like video game box art that makes you stop and say “wow”. Admittedly, it’s been a while since such a cover caught our eye, but we simply can’t gawk at the newly revealed box art for Metaphor: ReFantazio and not write an article about it.
The upcoming RPG looks to be a stunner in terms of art direction, and the cover gives you a taste of that before you even get started. It features gorgeous character-focused art, and although we still think the name ‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ is a bit… overwrought, we can’t argue with the logo, which is striking.
NieR: Automata’s Kazuma Koda is credited as Metaphor’s concept artist, so we’re assuming it’s his work that’s decorating this box, but it’s also worth noting that longtime Persona character designer Shigenori Soejima is running the show.
Are you as taken with Metaphor’s box art as we are? Have a quick say in our poll and then make some room on your shelf in the comments section below.
Art
Hajime Sorayama on the erotic aesthetics of his sexy robot art
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We speak to the controversial Japanese artist about fetishism, his never-before displayed ‘hardcore’ paintings and Desire Machines – one of the inaugural exhibitions at the Museum of Sex opening soon in Miami
©Hajime Sorayama Courtesy of NANZUKA
©Hajime Sorayama Courtesy of NANZUKA
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“articleBody”: “Shoyer adds: “I appreciate how Sorayama’s work engenders discussions about the real and the fantastic, the erotic appeal of the inorganic, and the porous boundaries between being human, machine, and animal, especially in relation to subjectivity or myths of consent.” She says there’s one particular piece she wants to highlight – and one that ties the Museum of Sex Miami’s inaugural programme together nicely. “The painting [an untitled work painted by Sorayama in 2022] features a fembot using a vibrator,” she explains. “Gold halos hover over the robot’s head and the head of the vibrator, sanctifying both machines. The vibrator features a hand crank, referencing the early history of vibrators – a history that’s also on view in Modern Sex. Hand-cranked vibrating stimulatory machines were first invented during the industrial revolution. An object like the Vee Dee vibrator (1900-1915) features a similar hand-crank to the vibrator on view in Sorayama’s painting. As such, in this work, Sorayama seems to combine the early history of mechanical stimulators with a futuristic look at self-stimulation. Here, the past, present, and our visions for the future compound. The painting seems to ask, ‘How has erotic desire, self-stimulation, and the subjectivity of other-than-human figures manifested, and how will it play out going forward?’.”
By referencing the past in this way (see also his Marilyn Monroe android pin-up), Sorayama imbues his ‘sexy robots’ – who he refers to as his wives and daughters – with a past. They’re simultaneously human, with realistic, supple flesh and familiar histories, and yet disorientingly non-human, futuristic, and fantastical. At a time when we have more tools than ever than envision a different kind of eroticism – and yet people use AI to reinforce the same Western ideals of sexiness – Sorayama remains one of the few still really pushing the boundaries of what eroticism can look like. “I’m excited and very proud of how [Desire Machines] came together,” he concludes. “I can’t wait to see the viewers’ reaction. I just need to keep behaving myself so I won’t get arrested before the show starts.”
Visit the gallery above for a closer look at some of the artwork going on display at the Musuem of Sex in Miami.
Museum of Sex Miami opens in 2024. Follow their Instagram for updates.”,
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