Laylah Ali’s Greenheads Are More Than They Seem (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Laylah Ali creates images which are as simple as comic books and as complex and hieroglyphics. Their flat, cartoonish aesthetic sharply contrasts their aggressive and ambiguous subject matter, creating an ambiguously violent viewing experience. Ali creates both intuitive drawings, made in a process she likens to notetaking, and far more meticulous gauche-on-paper paintings, which can …

Molly Crabapple’s ‘Shell Game’ Paintings Depict A Year In Crisis From Occupy Wall Street To Anonymous Hacks

By Leigh Silver Follow: Health Care Crisis, Molly Crabapple, Tunisian Revolutions, Anonymous, Greek Protests, m15 Movement, Molly-Crabapple, Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Wall Street Art, Paintings, Political Art, Arts News Activist artist Molly Crabapple’s new series of paintings titled “Shell Game” at Smart Clothes Gallery in New York portray a darkly humorous year in cartoonish figures. …

Beyonce Rocks Braids And Bold Printed Outfits During Anniversary Trip To Cuba (PHOTO)

The Huffington Post  |  By Julee Wilson Bold printed ensembles and a head full of box braids have become one of Solange Knowles’ signature looks. However, it was big sister Beyoncé who was spotted rocking the dynamic style while in Cuba on a wedding anniversary trip with hubby Jay-Z. On Wednesday Bey dined in a …

Afros On Our Minds, A Homage To The Au Naturale Hairstyle (PHOTO)

The Huffington Post  |  By Julee Wilson Whether being praised or despised, black women and our hair is a hot topic. And the latest headline-making story comes courtesy of the creative ambassador for Barneys New York, Simon Doonan, who recently penned a story for Slate calling for the resurgence of “the freak ‘fo.” Our response, …

Toni Morrison – Mini Bio

Born Chloe Anthony Wofford, in 1931 in Lorain (Ohio), the second of four children in a black working-class family. Displayed an early interest in literature. Studied humanities at Howard and Cornell Universities, followed by an academic career at Texas Southern University, Howard University, Yale, and since 1989, a chair at Princeton University. She has also …

Madonna to sell Fernand Leger painting worth over $5 million to support girls’ education

The pop diva puts her philanthropic hat on and parts ways with the ‘Three Women at the Red Table’ piece she’s owned for more than 20 years. Madonna is parting with an abstract French painting she’s owned for more than 20 years to support educating girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries. It’s expected to …

Halle Berry lashes out at paparazzi, restrains fiancé Olivier Martinez in airport altercation

The photogs swarmed the couple as they descended a Los Angeles Airport escalator with Berry’s daughter, Nahla Halle Berry has no tolerance for paparazzi when daughter Nahla is around, and on Monday night she turned into a mother grizzly, lashing out at photographers hounding the Oscar-winning actress and her family at a Los Angeles Airport. “Get …

Change: On Kehinde Wiley’s ‘An Economy of Grace’ at Sean Kelly

Bobby Elliott Writer living in New York City On the surface, “An Economy of Grace” at Sean Kelly (528 W. 29th) is a well-timed game-changer for painter Kehinde Wiley. After making a name for himself by exclusively painting men, “An Economy of Grace” presents Wiley’s first series of portraits featuring women. For those who have …

Kara Walker Addresses Art and Controversy at the Newark Public Library

by Jessica Kramer Conference Producer, The Conference Forum Kara Walker is no stranger to controversy. On Thursday, March 7, 2013, the African-American visual artist addressed a room of more than 100 people in New Jersey’s Newark Public Library to talk about her work and its most recent firestorm. Walker, perhaps best known for her murals …

On Michael Rosenfeld’s Benny Andrews: There Must Be a Heaven

Bobby Elliott Poet and writer living in New York City For fans and collectors of 20th century African-American art, the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery has emerged as the place to go. I visited in early February, shortly after “Storm Nemo” had come to town (leaving the streets slushy and the galleries almost empty) and some two …

Nigeria’s Biggest City Holds A Carnival (PHOTOS)

LAGOS, Nigeria — In Nigeria’s biggest city, a Monday morning typically sees bumper-to-bumper traffic as people struggle through heat and exhaust fumes to get to work. This Monday, however, the roads were not filled with cars, but with people celebrating the Lagos Carnival. Dancers in colorful costumes resembling those of Brazil’s Carnival shimmied and shook …

Leslie Cheung Exhibit Pays Tribute To Memory Of Hong Kong Singer-Actor On 10th Anniversary Of Death

Origami cranes, folded by fans are displayed at an exhibition for paying tribute to Leslie Cheung at a shopping mall in Hong Kong Saturday, March 30, 2013. The exhibition is held to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of Hong Kong screen and singing legend Leslie Cheung. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) HONG KONG — Almost …

Investing in Art and Photography

A free guide to investing in Art and Photography Investing in Art and Photography “… the search for alternatives to the classic forms of investment will ensure that art as an asset class will enjoy an unimagined upswing.”  Wolfgang Wilke, vice-president, Dresdner Bank’s economics department The art and photography sector is awash with stories of …