Art

Elton John's music is nothing short of exuberant. The same can be said of his extensive collection of art and ephemera, some of which will soon be hitting auction via Christie's. Sourced exclusively from his Atlanta residence, "The Collection of Sir Elton John" contains an extraordinary list of work, such as a Banksy triptych of a man throwing flowers that was sold to the British musician by the elusive artist. Standouts within the lot include paintings from celebrated masters, such as Sol Lewitt and Keith Haring, along with photographs by Helmut Newton and Robert Mapplethorpe. The collection "reflects the sensibility of a singular artist, one whose work and vision is admired the world over," wrote Christie's. John first chose to nestle in Atlanta in 1990, during his rehab from drugs and a...

Tomás Sánchez' highly detailed landscapes are inspired by nature, but reflect a space that better describes a surrealist utopia. For his latest collaboration, the Cuban artist worked with editions purveyor Avant Arte to release a new print entitled Inner Love.Based between Miami and Costa Rica, Sánchez uses his art practice as a way to preserve the changing face of the world's wilderness. The composition was notably inspired by the neighboring forests and rivers close to his Costa Rican studio. "I believe that Inner Love is a painting that can transmit to others the same peace that it transmits to me and, today, it is invaluable to receive a bit of peace."Hailed as one of Cuba's greatest living artists, Sánchez recently held one of his biggest shows to date in 2022, encompassing his five-d...

Pex Pitakpong is a Thai artist who specializes in creating exuberant manga characters that are inspired by his daily travels, as well as complex societal issues. Opening tomorrow, January 11, NANZUKA in Tokyo will present his first solo exhibition at its UNDERGROUND location in Shibuya.Welcome To My World is a summation of the many years Pitakpong worked as an illustrator. Each character — drawing from his editorial days — are vibrant, wide-eyed and serve as a metaphor for the diverse lives of different communities around the world. In particular, Pitakpong chose to highlight the customs and challenges that the Akha peoples of Asia's highland regions — from their customs and traditions to the human rights issues, economic poverty, and educational disparities they face. View this post on In...

Untitled Painting (1989) was one of the last artworks Keith Haring created before passing away due to AIDS-related complications. The piece featured a rhythmic purple pattern in the top left corner of the canvas, but was purposefully left blank as a commentary on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which took the lives of millions around the world, including many from the LGBTQ+ community.A user on X (formerly Twitter) named @DonnelVillager recently enforced AI to imagine what the rest of the composition would have looked like. He prefaced the post by saying how sad the story behind Haring's painting was and that, thanks to AI, "we can complete what he couldn't finish!"Lots of people angry about this, but I used AI to figure out how Keith would feel and it seems he is happy with the outcome. Good job! ...

Perrotin launched an online exhibition dedicated exclusively to works on paper. The show brings together the gallery's acclaimed roster, including Claire Tabouret, Jean-Marie Appriou, Kim Chong-Hak, Daniel Arsham, Laurent Grasso, Emi Kuraya, Nikki Maloof and Aya Takano.Vincent Van Gogh once proclaimed that "drawing is the root of everything." It's here, the preliminary sketches, the first act to transfer thought to form, that PAPERS takes shape. Born in Marseille, but now based in Los Angeles, Tabouret presents two California-inspired depictions of young girls made using woodcut and ink. Grasso, on the other hand, transports viewers into an idyllic past — floating somewhere between fiction and reality — where orbital structures float along the famous Pyramids of Giza. While known today for...

Wizards of the Coast has come under fire for admitting to using AI artwork in a recent campaign for its hit card series, Magic: The Gathering. Ironically, the American gaming company had issued a release at the end of 2023, reiterating its commitment to the use of real artwork and calling on its many artists and creators "to refrain from using AI generative tools to create final Magic products." But apparently that sentiment didn't apply to ad campaigns — namely backgrounds, which fans quickly took to social media to call out."Lmao. They lasted all of 2 weeks," wrote user Nick Dobos via X. "But imagine how happy the shareholders were when they laid off all those folks right before Christmas so they can use AI and lie about it," added Archaeology Bird.I guess the whole ad campaign was made ...

JJ Manford's vibrant paintings are always rich with life, but largely devoid of any human depictions. Based in Brooklyn, the American artist purposefully leaves his compositions this way to highlight the interplay between the built and natural world. In Hayden Rowe Street, on view now at Derek Eller Gallery in Manhattan, Manford reimagines domestic spaces filled with art historical objects, textiles and furnishings, along with contemporary iconography — from Shadow the Hedgehog to Frosted Flakes' Tony the Tiger. Created using oil stick, oil pastel and Flashe paint, his idyllic scenes carry cinematic undertones that probe into the artist's memories, as well as our own."We bring to his work many of our own associations and memories, especially those of us who grew up in the same generation a...

Joan Cornellà is reuniting with AllRightsReserved to release “Nobody Loves You” — a brand-new vinyl sculpture celebrating the Spanish cartoonist’s birthday on January 11.The new piece comes in the form of a young girl holding a candlelit birthday cake that’s emblazoned with the words, “NOBODY LOVES YOU.” Clad in a pink dress and sporting a matching party hat on her head, the girl wears the hallmarked grin that’s synonymous with Cornellà’s previous artwork and vinyl figures.The sculpture stands 8.3 inches tall and is encased inside a special box, featuring a painted version of itself. On the soles of her Mary-Jane shoes is Joan Cornellà ’s signature, alongside AllRightsReserved’s logo to signify the piece's exclusive nature and official collaboration status.From January 10, 10 p.m. EST/ Jan...

Christie's will auction the only painting co-created by legendary rock band, The Beatles. Included in The Exceptional Sale, which will commence on February 1, the artwork was created in the 1960s and comes with a pre-auction estimate of $400,000 to $600,000 USD.The abstracted painting is made with watercolor and acrylic and is commonly referred to as Images of a Woman (1966). “It’s such a rarity to have a work on paper outside of their music catalog that is [a] physical relic, this tangible object with contributions from all four of the Beatles,” said Christie’s specialist Casey Rogers in a past interview. “It’s memorabilia, it’s a work of art… It’s a wonderful piece of storytelling.” Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images The Beatles created the artwork while holed up in the Hilton ...

Perrotin is showcasing a new solo exhibition by rising Japanese painter and sculptor, Otani Workshop. Housed at the gallery's Hong Kong location, Portraits features a cast of charming characters displayed across a series of wood panel paintings and ceramic plates.Otani, whose real name is Shigeru Otani, is known for creating portraits of children and fictional animals as a reflection on his personal journey. Each character's uninterested expression mirrors his own ambivalence to the curriculums he studied at art school and the discouragement he received from professor's saying that few artists could financially survive on just pottery. By conflating modern aesthetic sensibilities, such as anime and manga, with Japan's ceramic lineage, Otani looks to blur the lines between art and craft as ...