Millennia of Mosaics
The mosaics in New York City's new 2nd Avenue subway stations follow a tradition thousands of years old.
John Berger, 1926-2017
John Berger has died at the age of 90. Famous for his television series and book Ways of Seeing, he was a critic, artist, novelist, poet, and radical.
The American Counter-Narrative of Ledger Drawings
Plains Indian ledger drawings offer a rich counter-narrative to the often-glamorized, or forgotten, history of the American West.
Did the Aztecs Simply Disappear? Surviving Biombo Paintings Tell Another Story
Colonial narratives often boast triumphant victory and catastrophic defeat, but Mexican biombo paintings suggest a surprising alternative.
DADA at 100, or, I Zimbra!
The anti-art art movement Dada was born in 1916 in Zurich's Cabaret Voltaire.
The Making of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Though now celebrated for its modern, minimal design and contemplative space, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was once the subject of heated debates.
Drinking Wine in Ancient China
History tells us that the fermentation of various fruits and grains to create alcoholic beverages was a worldwide phenomenon. Case in point: wine in China.
The Rediscovery of Photographer Seydou Keïta
Seydou Keïta captured Bamako life at the turn of independence in Mali. Keïta’s story is mythic and rich, as is that of his art and photography.
How to Read the Bones Like a Scapulimancer
In Shang Dynasty China, fortune-telling with oracle bones was the key to political power.
Which Came First, the Spoon, Fork, or Knife?
The spoon predates the knife and the fork. It exists in every age and culture in a wide variety of shapes.