©2009 KERRY JAMES MARSHALL AND MCA CHICAGO/NATHAN KEAY
Revising History
Kerry James Marshall, whose Met Breuer show opens next week, on his work: “When you talk about the absence of black figure representation in the history of art, you can talk about it as an exclusion. . . . My interest in being a part of [history] is being an expansion of it, not a critique of it.” [T Magazine]
The Uffizi Museum in Florence reopened yesterday following a major renovation, allowing for better flow of visitors through the collection and better lighting. [The New York Times]
Crime
Letters belonging to the German dealer Hildebrand Gurlitt have been found in Güstrow, Germany. Gurlitt is best known for looting a number of artworks during World War II. [Deutsche Welle]
A new report shows that the Italian mob has been trading weapons with ISIS in exchange for looted artworks. [The Daily Beast]
Things to Buy
Somehow, the Karlbox, a $2,850 set of colored pencils designed by Karl Lagerfeld, already has a waitlist. Have no fear: the Museum of Modern Art promises they’ll be back. [CNET]
Things to Sell
Alec Baldwin’s lawsuit against Mary Boone over an allegedly misidentified Ross Bleckner painting may be having a surprising side effect—it has inspired at least one collector to buy a Bleckner. [Page Six]
Politics as Usual
With an election on the horizon, Hank Willis Thomas discussed his recent projects, among them The Truth Booth, noting, “All art is political.” [ArtsATL]
For a new article in which Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Gloria Steinem, and others offer some thoughts on Michelle Obama, Collier Schorr debuted two new portraits of America’s First Lady. [T Magazine]
Art Education
Cornelia Parker, Stuart Maconie, and Yinka Shonibare on the decision to stop teaching art history courses in British high schools, starting in 2018. [The Guardian]
Extras
A Yoko Ono sculpture was unveiled yesterday in Chicago’s Jackson Park. The work is called Sky Landing and resembles a lotus rising out of the ground. [Chicago Sun Times]