Art Is Essential vol. 6
Writers on the art that matters to them.
Victim of his own intent: On Alvin Feinman
“My ambition, nonetheless, is that someday in the distant future, just one lonely reader will wander the shelves of a library and discover a slim volume of my poetry, taking inspiration from my work in the way I found it in Alvin Feinman’s.”
The Artist’s Home Undone
A collaborative image threatens the relationship between artist and muse.
An Open House
America’s pioneer political drama saw the nation falling short of its ideals. Almost one hundred years later, the play is more relevant than ever.
Art Across America
How to Tell a Dance on Film
Elliot Caplan and Mirra Bank watch dance with eyes and minds open to creative possibilities. They...
Drop Out. Tune In. Start a Revolution.
Mario Torero on leaving art school, his place in the Chicano art movement, and fifty years of...
Begin at the End
Ken Thomson exemplifies a new generation of composers tasked with picking up the pieces of music...
Art has history.
Online since 2016, Critical Read is a nonprofit publisher dedicated to making American art and art history more inclusive and discoverable.
First Person Stories
The Lewis Chessmen, Deer Antler, and a French Bulldog
“What could I make with antler?” I recalled the Lewis Chessmen and figured I could attempt to carve a set myself, although I’ve never worked with antler as a medium before. I had no pretensions that it would be even close to the famed Lewis set. In the end, the design was mine, a unique variant of classic.
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Art is Essential Essays Vol. 1 April 14, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them
Art Is Essential Vol. 5 June 30, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them.
Art is Essential Essays Vol. 4 June 3, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them
Art Is Essential vol. 6 July 28, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them.
Art is Essential Vol. 2 May 5, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them
Art is Essential Essays Vol. 3 May 19, 2020 Writers on the art that matters to them
The Lewis Chessmen, Deer Antler, and a French Bulldog June 23, 2020 "What could I make with antler?" I recalled the Lewis…
Art Is Essential
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Stuffed
February 14, 2020• Commentary, In-Depth, Visual Art
As taxidermy moves from the natural history museum to the art gallery, how should an artist handle the political dilemma of the animal as object?