Ben Morea, Principal Provocateur of 1960s Anarchist Group, Dies at 84

Ben Morea, an abstract painter and leading figure of the 1960s anarchist group Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers, has died at age 84. Morea sought to collapse the boundary between art and political revolution, using provocative actions and profane slogans to challenge both the art world and the establishment. He was loosely at the helm of the radical collective, which blended street theater, direct action, and anti-war protest in New York City.

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, Whose Paintings Were Saturated in Black, Dies at 84

Mary Lovelace O’Neal, an artist and activist known for her monumental canvases saturated in the darkest pigments she could find, has died at age 84. Her work, deeply informed by her identity as a Black woman and her involvement in the civil rights movement, gained prominence for its bold abstraction and political resonance.

Jerry Gogosian Creator Hilde Lynn Helphenstein Dies Aged 40

Hilde Lynn Helphenstein, the artist, writer, and art-world commentator known for creating the satirical Instagram account Jerry Gogosian, has died in São Paulo, Brazil at age 40. Authorities are investigating the circumstances of her death. Helphenstein launched Jerry Gogosian in 2018 while recovering from a serious illness, using memes, market commentary, and sharp observations to critique art-world excess, social climbing, and institutional power structures. The account grew to over 150,000 followers and became one of the most influential digital platforms in contemporary art. She also hosted the podcast Art Smack, published The Jerry Report newsletter, curated exhibitions including a 2022 show at Sotheby's, and had recently announced plans to wind down the account to pursue new creative projects.

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian cartoonist author of "Persepolis," has died

È morta Marjane Satrapi, la fumettista iraniana autrice di “Persepolis”

Marjane Satrapi, the Iranian graphic novelist best known for her autobiographical work "Persepolis," has died at age 56. Her family announced her passing in a statement to AFP, attributing her death to grief following the loss of her husband Mattias Ripa just over a year earlier. Satrapi, who lived in France for about thirty years, rose to international fame with "Persepolis," published in 2000 and adapted into a successful animated film in 2007. Born in Rasht, Iran in 1969 and raised in Tehran during the Islamic Revolution and Iran-Iraq war, she later studied in Vienna and Paris, where she was introduced to the world of comics by artist David B.

The death of artist Luca Sivelli of the duo Moio&Sivelli. The memory of Luigi Moio

La morte dell’artista Luca Sivelli del duo Moio&Sivelli. Il ricordo di Luigi Moio

Luca Sivelli, half of the Italian artist duo Moio&Sivelli, has died at age 52. The news was shared by his lifelong partner Luigi Moio, who recounted their first meeting as children in Amalfi, their years at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Napoli, and their transformative Erasmus in Granada followed by a move to London in 1997. In London they lived in squats and collaborated with erotic performer Maus, whose shocking performances inspired their boundary-pushing work. The duo produced a feverish two-decade body of work blending video, performance, photography, and installation, often pulling audiences into ambiguous, erotic, and destabilizing situations.

Governor, First Partner statement on the passing of Doris Fisher | Governor of California

Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom have issued a formal statement mourning the passing of Doris Fisher, the co-founder of Gap Inc. and a renowned figure in the California art and business communities. The statement highlights her transition from a retail novice to a global business leader who, alongside her husband Don, expanded Gap into an international powerhouse with over 3,000 stores, driven by her keen eye for fashion and consumer needs.

Miami Graffiti Legend Eric Alan Hirt "Eson" Killed in Train Strike

Eric Alan Hirt, known as "Eson," a legendary Miami graffiti artist and member of the Miami Style Gods (MSG) crew, was struck and killed by a Brightline passenger train on May 13 near his home in North Miami. The 47-year-old was walking along the tracks in a designated "quiet zone" where trains do not sound horns; his wife noted he was partially deaf. Hirt gained widespread attention through a 2018 VICE documentary, where he was shown risking his life to tag highways and infrastructure, and openly embraced the label of "vandal." His death marks at least the 206th fatal Brightline strike since 2017, a line previously called the country's most fatal by the Associated Press.