July 31, 2025
Art
Social Issues
Kate Mothes
“Untitled” (2009), acrylic on PVC panel, 155.3 x 185.1 centimeters. Yale University Art Gallery, Purchased with the Janet and Simeon Braguin Fund and a gift from Jacqueline L. Bradley, B.A. 1979. © Kerry James Marshall. ‘Kerry James Marshall: The Histories’ is organized by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in collaboration with the Kunsthaus Zürich and the Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris. All images courtesy of the Royal Academy of Arts
Drawing upon art historical sources, contemporary culture, and comics, Kerry James Marshall vibrant paintings boldly challenge the past. Through often monumental portraits of Black figures, the Chicago-based artist (previously) delves into themes of race, identity, legacy, and representation to bridge history and the present and imagine a better future.
In the largest survey of the artist’s work ever presented outside of the U.S., the Royal Academy of Arts hosts Kerry James Marshall: The Histories. Organized in collaboration with Kunsthaus Zurich and the Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris, the exhibition opens next month and features more than 70 works that span the artist’s career thus far. The show also includes a monumental oil painting commissioned for the Chicago Public Library titled “Knowledge and Wonder,” which is on loan for the first time.
“The Academy” (2012), acrylic on PVC, 182.9 x 154.9 centimeters. Collection of Dr. Daniel S. Berger, © Kerry James Marshall. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
The Histories is organized into 11 groups of works made between 1980 and the present, inviting viewers through a thematic and stylistic journey. The exhibition opens with “The Academy,” painted in 2012. A male model in a life drawing class stands in front of a patterned backdrop and looks directly at the viewer, giving the iconic raised fist of the Black Power movement.
Marshall has long been guided by his early encounters with European art in museums and books, where he recognized a stark lack of Black figures. By the 1980s, he focused on the idea of visibility, creating the seminal piece “A Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self,” which emphasizes his interest in confronting stereotypes. […]
“Vignette #13” (2008), acrylic on PVC panel, 182.9 x 152.4 centimeters. Susan Manilow Collection. © Kerry James Marshall. Image courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
“Untitled (Porch Deck)” (2014), acrylic on PVC panel, 180.3 x 149.9 centimeters. Kravis Collection, © Kerry James Marshall. Image courtesy of the artist and David Zwirner, London
More: More than 70 Iconic Works by Kerry James Marshall Shape a Major Survey in the U.K.
This video explains game theory of power-to-the-powerful. It looks at questions such as: What does it mean to “have power”? What is game theory? How do competition and cooperation coincide? What can we do about power-to-the-powerful?
Image credit for John Kenneth Galbriath:
By Hans van Dijk for Anefo – [1] Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANeFo), 1945-1989, Nummer toegang 2.24.01.05 Bestanddeelnummer 931-9937, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index…
[…]
Jess Wade explains the concept of chirality, and how it might revolutionise technological innovation.
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @theroyalinstitution
Watch the Q&A here (exclusively for our Science Supporters): • Q&A: How materials science could revolutio…
This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 14 June 2025.
Imagine if we could keep our mobile phones on full brightness all day, without worrying about draining our battery? Or if we could create a fuel cell that used sunlight to convert water into hydrogen and oxygen? Or if we could build a low-power sensor that could map out brain function?
Whether it’s optoelectronics, spintronics or quantum, the technologies of tomorrow are underpinned by advances in materials science and engineering. For example, chirality, a symmetry property of mirror-image systems that cannot be superimposed, can be used to control the spin of electrons and photons. Join functional materials scientist Jess Wade as she explores how advances in chemistry, physics and materials offer new opportunities in technological innovation.
—
Dr Jess Wade is a Royal Society University Research Fellow and Lecturer in Functional Materials in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London. Her research considers new materials for optoelectronic devices and quantum technologies, with a focus on chiral systems and the identification of strategies to control photon and electron spin. Outside of the lab, Jess is involved with several science communication and outreach initiatives. She is committed to improving diversity in science, both online and offline.
—
The Ri is on Twitter: / ri_science
and Facebook: / royalinstitution
and TikTok: / ri_science
Listen to the Ri podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh…
Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: https://www.rigb.org/support-us/donat…
Our editorial policy: https://www.rigb.org/editing-ri-talks…
Subscribe for the latest science videos: http://bit.ly/RiNewsletter
[…]
Vanilla is one of the most expensive spices in the world. That’s no surprise when you learn just how complicated it is to grow and extract. So how did vanilla become such a popular flavor?
*****
Delishtory brings you a tasty exploration into our favorite food obsessions. It’s delicious, it’s history – it’s Delishtory!
Kae Lani Palmisano is an Emmy Award-Winning television host, food and travel writer, recipe developer and home cook who loves to explore the journey that food takes to get to the plate.
Delishtory is a production of WHYY.
*****
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateORIG
[…]
msamba 