VISUAL

How David Hockney Celebrated, Sometimes Mischeviously, Gay Life

“What’s so revolutionary about Hockney’s paintings is not just that they portray male nudity and desire, but scenes of domesticity: men swimming, showering and brushing their teeth together.” - The Guardian (UK)

The Sensual, Forbidden Pleasures Of Touching Art

“One of the cardinal rules of museum-going is that art should be enjoyed from a comfortable distance and never touched. However, in the 1960s, a cohort of artists began inviting audiences to interact with, and thus alter, their works.” - Aeon

This Los Angeles Museum Knows How WWII Shaped Global Soccer

As the men’s World Cup gets underway, LA’s Holocaust Museum has a show on the “beautiful game” that "shines a light on the important but largely overlooked relationship between Jewish life and the global game” - and how WWII changed everything. - Los Angeles Times (MSN)

In Houston, Two Young White Men Scraped And Punctured A Painting By A Black Man

“The museum initially removed the painting to have it repaired but later decided to display it — with the damage — on the last day of the exhibition.” - The New York Times

How David Hockney Taught His Beloved, Adopted Los Angeles To See Itself

“‘He loved the sunlight, the weather, the boys,’ said Richard Benefield, a veteran museum executive who served as the first director of the David Hockney Foundation.” - The New York Times

Why Impressionists Were So Fascinated With Gardens

One answer lies in the sheer ubiquity and sensory intensity of gardens by the second half of the 19th century, when impressionism came into being. Social change that made leisure gardens accessible to all (no longer just kings and aristocrats). - The Conversation

Cleveland Museum Of Art Launches $600M Campaign To Sustain Its Future

“Visitors rightly expect exceptional exhibitions, meaningful educational experiences, digital access, welcoming spaces, and opportunities for deeper engagement. Those expectations require sustained investment. That challenge is particularly significant for an institution that remains committed to free general admission for all.” - ARTnews

Scientists May Have Discovered A New Way To Spot Counterfeit Van Goghs

“By analyzing the surfaces of eight Vincent van Gogh paintings, surface metrology indeed confirmed the veracity of one long-contested but recently confirmed Van Gogh specimen — and correctly flagged another that’s been debunked.” - Artnet

Why Pace Gallery Imploded

According to several people familiar with the call, Glimcher spent much of the meeting explaining why Pace had reached this point. The gallery had grown too large. Costs had risen too high. The model no longer worked. - ARTnews

Survey: Nearly Half Of Mid-Career Women Are Considering Leaving The Arts

While the inaugural survey revealed gaps in leadership roles and pay for women, this edition offers a more detailed picture of the structural pressures determining who is—and, crucially, who isn’t—able to build a sustainable long-term career in the arts. - Artnet

A New Penn Station We Won’t Dread Walking Into?

PTT's plan features a design by PAU and HOK that references the original beaux-arts station – unceremoniously demolished in the 1960s – and retains Madison Square Garden (MSG) on the site. - Dezeen

How Gaudí’s Design Keeps Sagrada Familia Standing Tall Without Flying Buttresses

The great Barcelona architect despised flying buttresses, especially in 20th-century neo-Gothic architecture, calling them “crutches” for a building that couldn’t support its own weight. To keep the walls and towers of his masterpiece church standing tall, he relied on an even older architectural feature, one that dates back to antiquity. - BBC

Archaeologists Find Intact 18th Century Ship Off Norway

In addition to the well-preserved ceramics, researchers found barrels of grain and an array of high-end European-made goods ranging from chandeliers to stemmed glasses. They also discovered a box filled with mysterious substances, possibly coffee, tea, cocoa or medicine. - Smithsonian

Museum With World’s Largest Collection Of Kahlo And Rivera Paintings Reopens After Long, Unexplained Closure

“Set in lush gardens patrolled by peacocks and ... dogs, the (Museo Dolores Olmedo in Mexico City) closed in 2020 during the coronavirus outbreak. It remained shuttered, with little explanation, long after the pandemic abated. Then on May 30, it reopened — in time, the management said, for the World Cup.” - The New York Times

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