Art

The History of India Ink: From Drunk Poets to Sumi-e

Ink has been essential for thousands of years of Chinese history All the drawing materials we use have a history, and some of them go back much earlier than we can imagine. This is the case for India ink, known in some countries as "China ink," as it has been used in the countries in disciplines ranging from tattooing to comics, and whose existence is deeply linked to the history of the country. Discover everything you always wanted to know about India ink in the video below: its origins, the reasons for its importance both in your country and in the rest of the world, and its unexpected connection to everything from the political to the economic, and, finally, the artistic.

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7 World-renowned Artists Exploring LGBTQ+ Identity

Art has always been a powerful form of activism. Today we’re celebrating 7 artists who have stood up and spoken out for LGBTQ+ rights. Zanele Muholi, David Hockney, Keith Haring, Catherine Opie, Gilbert & George, Annie Leibovitz, and Robert Mapplethorpe have each used their medium of choice to speak out against social injustice, break down barriers, subvert gender norms, or draw attention to, normalize and celebrate queer identities and relationships. To celebrate Pride month, here we take a look at some of their most iconic works of art.

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BCN Rise & Fall: The Street Art of Barcelona

Watch this documentary on the golden age of Barcelona street art In the nineties, Barcelona became an unmissable destination for urban artists. Suddenly, the city walls were flooded with the art of internationally renowned creators such as Banksy, Space Invaders, London Police, and Os Gemeos, among many others. The documentary BCN Rise & Fall reviews the golden age of street art in Barcelona and reflects on its current state. It is an important analysis of how the peculiar graffiti and urban art scene was created in the city.

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10 Key Moments from Geek Culture

From the founding fathers in the 18th century to Star Wars and Rick & Morty, understand how this tribe of brilliant and unusual people have reached the pinnacle of pop culture Nerd, geek, otaku, dork, poindexter. None of these terms existed a hundred years ago. However, individuals who share these characteristics–high IQ, bad social skills, acute obsessions with particular topics, an affinity for math or science–have lived among us since long before their creation. The biographer and writer Tom Schachtman, in Gentlemen Scientists and Revolutionaries: The Founding Fathers in the Age of Enlightenment, gathers data that illustrate how some of the so-called 'founding fathers' in the United States in the 18th century, such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, were geeks of the technological world, polymaths obsessed with research and inventions who had little time for things like family or "normal" friends. Today, nerds come in all shapes and sizes, from the classic computer geek to the anime obsessed otaku, and the school nerd boffin. While they were ridiculed when they were younger, many are now leaders of industry, superstars, and billionaires associated with entrepreneurship, discipline, and professional success. This Geek Pride Day, a celebration that began in Spain and has now spread across the world, we look at ten key moments in geek culture, from its prehistory in the 18th century to today. 1. The Founding Fathers

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3 Museums Offering 2000 Art Books

Learn about free use of art books to awaken your creativity If you are looking for inspiring content on fine art, art criticism, theory, or art history, the following resources will interest you. Three museums are letting you download and read thousands of books covering all of the above areas, as well as monographic studies on schools of thought, movements, and artists of all different eras and regions. Find out about the collections available in three large New York museums and some of their most significant treasures free to consult right now. The Metropolitan Museum of Art The Met has collected around 1,700 art books from across the world. You will be able to consult the contents table to check if any particular book has what you need to research. Each book also indicates any award or press review received and includes links to related work and areas of interest. You can download the books for you to keep or read them online here.

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You Now Have 2.8 Million Free Images to Use on Your Projects

The Smithsonian Institution releases millions of high-resolution images from across its collections into the public domain The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research complex, a must-see attraction in Washington D.C. that documents the history and heritage of the United States while also highlighting the world's natural and cultural diversity. The collection held in its vault is, by all accounts, staggering. It is estimated to have nearly 155 million pieces altogether, including more than 146 million artifacts and specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. The Institution has started digitizing its entire catalog, a process that will take years to complete. Less than 25% of it has been digitized thus far! The site offers high-resolution 2D images and 3D models, as well as research datasets and collections metadata. The Smithsonian's 19 museums, research centers, libraries, and even the National Zoo have contributed. The database includes content across the arts, sciences, history, culture, and design, from portraits of American historical figures to 3D scans of dinosaur skeletons.

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Don’t Miss: BBC Culture in Quarantine

The BBC's Culture in Quarantine is delivering a new program of art and culture to Brits at home In challenging times, art and culture have the power to unite, inspire reflection, and offer solace. Since museums, theaters, cinemas and other cultural venues across Britain closed their doors in March as a result of the national lockdown, the BBC has been collaborating with organizations and individuals–from the Tate Modern and the Royal Shakespeare to writer Margaret Atwood and scholar Mary Beard–to deliver an eclectic mix of art and culture to the public at home. The BBC’s Culture in Quarantine Festival grants access to shuttered exhibitions and performances, festivals which have turned virtual, as well as new work, offering a rich program available to consume via the BBC: online, on television, or over the radio. "It’s important during this period that we maintain access not just to news and information, but to the arts and culture. For many people, they are a valuable part of their lives and a way of stimulating imagination, thought, and escapism. It’s a vital part of who we are as individuals and part of our identity as a nation,” said Director-General Tony Hall. Here, we pick some of the highlights from the program that are sure to not only entertain but inspire.

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Sketchbook: 5 Great Masters Who Sketched

Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Goya all sketched before their masterpieces Seeing them hung in art galleries around the world, it can seem that the most important paintings in the world came out of nowhere. However, the creative process is often far more important, the tests and mistakes, in creating something really great. Many of the greatest artists in history would take their sketchbooks everywhere, drawing whatever interested them. Behind every masterpiece, there is an entire life of practice. See in the video below five of the biggest artists who also sketched.

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Four Initiatives to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing

If you’re experiencing creator’s block during quarantine, here are four initiatives to get your juices flowing Most creatives would agree that the best source of inspiration is to go out into the world and make observations, so what happens when you are stuck staring at the same four walls every day? If you’re experiencing creator’s block during lockdown, know that you are not alone. It’s OK to not be at the top of your game right now. This is a challenging time. So, first things first: give yourself a break. Being housebound will affect everyone in different ways–perhaps you are dealing with increased anxiety, feeling lethargic, and/or struggling to concentrate on work. You don’t have to be productive right now. But if you are itching to create and are not sure where to start, look to the creative community for support and inspiration. Right now, lots of brands and organizations are reaching out to their followers and the wider creative community to unite artists and inspire them to get started on different creative projects by setting fun tasks and launching competitions. So if you’re stuck for ideas, here are four initiatives that are sure to get your creative juices flowing.

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10 Artists Who Were Inspired By Their Cats

Meet the artists whose cats inspired their masterpieces From drawing to architecture, we have composed a list of ten cat-loving artists who used their felines as sources of inspiration. As all cat-lovers know, the lives of these artists were deeply connected to that of their pets: they roamed their studios, interrupted their work, and often, served as models and parts of their studio production. Edward Gorey The American illustrator Edward Gorey, famous for his macabre and dark sense of humor, said that his greatest loves were his cats. He looked after them for more than 60 years, and on his death, he gave most of his wealth to an animal care organization. In this video, animated by Benjamin and Jim Wickely, Gorey himself speaks of his love of cats.

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20 Museums You Can Visit Online

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The art from the Everything but the Kitschen Sync Exhibition

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Domestika Creatives: Paula Bonet

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7 Habits of Effective Artists

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What Is an Art Curator?

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