How Lillian Bassman Pushed Fashion Photography to the Edge of Abstraction

A new exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Lillian Bassman: Harper's Bazaar and Beyond," highlights the pioneering work of fashion photographer Lillian Bassman. The show reveals how Bassman, through darkroom experimentation like selective exposure and blowing cigarette smoke under the enlarger, created moody, abstract images that often reduced clothing to mere suggestion, pushing the boundaries of commercial fashion photography in the 1940s and 1950s.

‘Barbara Windsor smacked our bottoms!’ Pet Shop Boys on showstopping visuals, horrified bosses – and snubbing the queen

The Pet Shop Boys have released a comprehensive 600-page visual monograph titled 'Pet Shop Boys: Volume,' documenting over 40 years of their aesthetic evolution. The book explores the duo's collaboration with high-profile artists, photographers, and directors including Wolfgang Tillmans, Alasdair McLellan, Derek Jarman, and long-time designer Mark Farrow. It highlights how Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe utilized the music industry's 1980s boom to treat pop music as a 'Gesamtkunstwerk' (total work of art), merging avant-garde fashion, minimalist graphic design, and cinematic music videos.

‘A cauldron of people with their tops off!’ Goldie, Estelle, Courtney Pine, Flo and more pick great moments in Black British music

Prominent figures in Black British music, including Goldie, Estelle, and Dennis Bovell, reflect on iconic photographs and visual artifacts that define the history of their genre. The article highlights specific works such as Eddie Otchere’s portrait of drum and bass pioneers Kemistry and Storm, Janette Beckman’s photography of Slick Rick, and Adrian Boot’s documentation of the Race Today offices in Brixton.

Senior Spring Art Exhibits

Asbury University is launching its Senior Spring Art Exhibits on March 2, a semesterly tradition that serves as a capstone for graduating art majors. The exhibitions will be spread across multiple campus venues, including the Blue, Kinlaw, Purple, and Red Galleries, as well as the Reasoner Hallway Gallery. Featured students include Vanessa Fischer, Ella Nelson, Hope Eland, Joshua Owen, and Kaja Jaques, showcasing a diverse range of media such as sculpture, graphic design, photography, and fabric arts installations.

Warsaw’s Neon Museum sparks revival of interest in cold war signs and aesthetic

Warsaw is experiencing a significant revival of interest in its Cold War-era neon signs, a movement spearheaded by the city’s Neon Museum. Founded in 2012 by photographer Ilona Karwińska and designer David Hill, the museum has rescued hundreds of historic illuminations that were once discarded as worthless relics of the communist past. Originally commissioned by Soviet-era authorities as a form of "socialist modernization," these signs were designed by leading artists of the Polish Poster School and have now transitioned from propaganda tools to beloved cultural icons.

Franklin College presents senior art exhibition, music concerts

Franklin College is set to showcase the creative achievements of its graduating seniors through a series of public art and music events this April. The programming includes a senior art exhibition on April 20 featuring five student artists, alongside two chamber concerts scheduled for April 14 and 16. The art exhibition, held at the Johnson Center for Fine Arts, highlights diverse works from studio art, graphic design, and art therapy majors.

Franklin College presents senior art exhibition, music concerts

Franklin College is set to showcase the creative achievements of its graduating class through a series of public art and music events this April. The programming includes a senior art exhibition on April 20 featuring five student artists, alongside two chamber music concerts scheduled for April 14 and 16. These events will take place across the Johnson Center for Fine Arts and the Custer Theatre, highlighting the diverse talents of students specializing in studio art, graphic design, and vocal and instrumental performance.

WestConn Senior Art Exhibition Featuring Local Students To Open In Danbury

Western Connecticut State University is set to host its annual Senior Portfolio Exhibition starting April 23 at the Visual and Performing Arts Center in Danbury. The showcase features the capstone projects of 18 graduating undergraduate art majors specializing in graphic design, illustration, photography, and studio arts.

Cathalijn Wouters’s Lyrical Practice Blurs Painting and Drawing

Amsterdam-based artist Cathalijn Wouters has joined the roster of SmithDavidson Gallery. Her practice, which blends painting and drawing through fields of color and linework, is informed by her graphic design training and a pivotal encounter with modern art at the Stedelijk Museum. She describes her process as beginning with drawings and sketches on linen treated like paper, and cites influences ranging from Marcel Proust to Egon Schiele and postwar painting.

NCCU’s art museum creates space for student expression, social commentary

North Carolina Central University's Art Museum hosted the "New Horizons" Exhibition, a juried showcase of student work across disciplines like fashion, studio art, graphic design, and animation. The event, which ran from March 22 to April 26, featured nearly 50 student artists and community members, with participants explaining their creative processes and the meanings behind pieces like Natna Kesete's "This Can't Be America."

'Paintings of Whimsy' opening May 2

Local artist Roz Davis is set to debut her solo exhibition, "Paintings of Whimsy," at the MaineHealth Lincoln Hospital hall gallery in Damariscotta. Running from May 2 through June 28, the show features a collection of paintings and mixed media works that transform everyday subjects—such as donuts, candies, and footwear—into playful, narrative-driven compositions.

The Underrated Architect of the Avant-Garde

Der unterschätzte Architekt der Avantgarde

The Fondazione Antonio Dalle Nogare in Bolzano is hosting a comprehensive retrospective dedicated to Ilja Sdanewitsch, known as Iliazd, a Georgian-Russian-French avant-garde polymath. The exhibition, titled "Toutité Iliazd. Die Erforschung der Form," showcases his diverse output as a writer, designer, and publisher who viewed the book as a primary art object. The display includes architectural reliefs, textile designs for Coco Chanel, and his significant collaborations with icons like Picasso and Duchamp.

‘Tender Hell’ exhibit makes graphic design into autobiography

The Yale School of Art is hosting "Tender Hell," an exhibition showcasing the thesis work of five Master of Fine Arts students in graphic design. The show features the work of Michael Stevens, Amy Fang, David Wonsik Jung, Camille J. Gwise, and Izza Alyssa, who utilize diverse media including collage, metal sculpture, and large-scale grids to explore the intersection of design and personal narrative.

Heartware Store & Gallery’s Latest Pop-Up Is A Quirky Convenience Store-Themed Art Exhibition In Joo Chiat

Heartware Store & Gallery in Singapore's Joo Chiat district has launched "555 MART," a solo exhibition by Bangkok-based illustrator and graphic designer Nene (Nanthawan Jamsai). The gallery has been transformed into a neon-lit, immersive convenience store where everyday grocery items like cup noodles and canned sardines are reimagined through ballpoint pen sketches and vibrant Risograph printing. The show features a mock checkout belt and art displayed alongside groceries, blending a retail environment with a traditional gallery space.