Native Perspectives on Michael Heizer's "City"

September 22, 2022 • View in browser

Good morning. 🍂🌧️ Today, Native American artists and thinkers voice their sincere thoughts about Michael Heizer's new desert installation City. They spoke with our staff reporter Jasmine Liu about the pitfalls of American land art in general, and in particular, Heizer's treatment of a history-rich stretch of land as a "blank canvas." These important perspectives have been missing from discussions in the media about Heizer's work.

Also today, a Palestinian farmer discovers a stunning Byzantine mosaic in his olive grove, the story of a Keith Haring painting at Bard College, reviews of Aubrey Levinthal and Alyssa Monks, and much more.

And by the way, today is the first official day of fall. Congrats if you're a fan of the season. I'm biased toward spring but I can appreciate the melancholic beauty of autumn.

— Hakim Bishara, Senior Editor

What Do Native Artists Think of Michael Heizer’s New Land Art Work?

Characterizations of the artist's newest work, and that of other White land artists of his generation, sometimes ignore questions of place and locality that are central to Indigenous thinking. | Jasmine Liu

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IN THE NEWS

Salman al-Nabahin and his son clean the mosaic they found under their olive orchard. (photo by and courtesy Ahmed Zakot)

A Palestinian farmer accidentally discovers a Byzantine floor mosaic underneath his olive grove.

With over 19 million digitized newspaper pages, the Library of Congress expands its “Chronicling America” initiative to encompass the entire US.

Bard College announces a $3.2M endowment for its Keith Haring Fellowship and the relocation of the artist's drawing on a professor's wall.

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After Three Years, Printed Matter’s NY Art Book Fair Returns In Person

Catch a broad range of artists, publishers, antiquarian booksellers, and more from October 13 through 16 at the fair’s historic first location in Chelsea. Learn more.

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Alyssa Monks Captures the Energy and Anxiety of Being in Paint

With the numerous self-portraits Monks has painted throughout her career she offers her “self” to the viewers while also generating a sense of dissolution. | John Seed

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NOMA Presents Called to the Camera: Black American Studio Photographers

With over 250 photos from the 19th century to today, this exhibition in New Orleans looks at the artistic, social, and political impact of Black photographers working in commercial portrait studios. Learn more.

Aubrey Levinthal Chronicles the Estrangement in Everyday Encounters

Finding her subject matter in ordinary, everyday encounters, Levinthal hints at a subject’s interiority and to the way strangers are separated from each other. | John Yau

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2022 KMAC Triennial: Divided We Fall on View in Louisville

The KMAC Museum’s triennial highlights the practices of contemporary artists who have personal and professional ties to the Kentucky region. Learn more.

Indie Filmmakers Shine a Light on the American South

Documentaries about xenophobia, Black gospel music, and hazing are trenchant explorations of social issues in the South. | Jasmine Liu

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Immy Humes’s The Only Woman is a deeply satisfying array of women scientists, artists, writers, medical students, politicians, and even criminals, all pictured among their fellows. | Sarah Rose Sharp

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IN MEMORIAM

Bang Hai Ja (1937-2022)
Painter | Art Asia Pacific

Valerie Maynard (1937-2022)
American sculptor | Artnews

Semi Semi-Dikoko (1953-2022)
Artist, architect, and New Haven arts advocate | The Arts Paper

Natalya Nesterova (1944-2022)
Painter | via Hal Bromm Gallery

Art Rosenbaum (1938-2022)
Painter and folk musician | NYT

Melvin Sokolsky (1933-2022)
Fashion photographer | NYT

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