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Ellen C. Caldwell

Ellen C. Caldwell

Ellen C. Caldwell is an LA-born and -based art historian, writer, and professor. She writes about visual culture, the arts, and popular media for publications including New American Paintings, KCET’s Artbound, Riot Material, Desert Jewels, and more. Read more of her writing at eclaire.me.

(Left) "Jamesbaldwin" by Carl Van Vechten - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3a42800. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jamesbaldwin.jpg#/media/File:Jamesbaldwin.jpg

(Right) "Ta Nehisi Coates" by Montesbradley - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ta_Nehisi_Coates.jpg#/media/File:Ta_Nehisi_Coates.jpg

“Between the World and Me”: Ta-Nehisi Coates and the Legacy of James Baldwin

Toni Morrison has compared writer Ta-Nehisi Coates to James Baldwin; find out why here.
"Heirlooms and Accessories", 2003, Ink-jet prints on paper in wooden artist's frames w/ rhinestones, in three parts.

Responding to Terror: The Art of Kerry James Marshall

Given the recent domestic terror, Kerry James Marshall and his art are more relevant and necessary than ever.
Neon colored Mural by Maya Hayuk for POW! WOW! Hawaii

The Global Rise of Street Art

Pow! Wow! mural festivals are growing internationally and exponentially. Learn about the rise and acceptance of street art.
Side-by-side posts from SuicideGirls showing the same photograph of a woman and a cat bowl sold for two very different prices

Richard, Prince of Instagram Appropriation

While recent media debates why and how his Instagram art sucks, Richard Prince’s appropriation has long been a controversial, hot topic.
Art piece titled, "Negroes were leaving by the hundreds to go north and enter northern industry" by Jacob Lawrence

The Triumphant Return of Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence’s Great Migration series heads back to NYC where it first debuted. The lasting influence of Jacob Lawrence and his series is inarguable.

Bearing Witness to the Art of Chris Burden

Artist Chris Burden died last week. Here, we remember his iconic, sculptural monuments and artistic legacy.
Okwui Enwezor

Inside Okwui Enwezor’s 56th Venice Biennale “All the World’s Futures”

Learn about Okwui Enwezor, the man behind the 56th Venice Biennale international art fair.
Statue of Father Serra

Father Junípero Serra: His Statue and Contested Legacy

While Father Junípero Serra may earn posthumous canonization this fall, his statue in D.C. may be getting the boot.
Ken Gonzales-Day's piece, "Die-in, Los Angeles, CA" depicting several protesters laying on the ground

Ken Gonzales-Day and the Art of the Die-in

Artist Ken Gonzales-Day uses die-in photos from Ferguson and Los Angeles to visually trace the roots of our justice system today.

Mental Time Travel with Frohawk Two Feathers

Recent scientific studies investigate the physical potential of time travel; see how artist Frohawk Two Feathers' colonial epics do as well.
Pam Longobardi sculpture of a cornucopia overflowing with plastic and styrofoam trinkets

Artists Respond to Plastic Ocean Pollution

We deposit eight million metric tons of plastic ocean pollution annually—see how artists teamed up with scientists to address this environmental crisis.
Sculpture of a geode divided in two with various neon colors inside; artist Elyse Graham

Sculptor Elyse Graham and The Artistic Fascination with Geodes

Artist Elyse Graham makes wonderfully bright, geode sculptures using latex and urethane, while poets pay tribute to this natural form with their words.

“Chuck Close: Face Forward” at Weisman Art Museum

Chuck Close: Face Forward is a retrospective at The Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art featuring over 70 prints of artist Chuck Close’s portraits.
Tupac Shakur in black and white

Tupac Shakur Remembered in GRAMMY Museum Exhibit

A new exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum explores the lyrics and cultural contribution of Tupac Shakur.