Author Archives: Sally Whitman Coleman, PhD

Ansel Adams, Aspens, Northern New Mexico, Horizontal Aspens, 1958. Ansel Adams, Aspens, Northern New Mexico, Horizontal Aspens, 1958.

Make the Time: Ansel Adams at the Wittliff Collections

Photographs by the American master photographer Ansel Adams currently are on view at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University. These iconic images are from the outstanding collection of Lynn and Tom Meredith. Adams is best known for his majestic … Continue reading

Elizabeth Murray, Children Meeting, 1978, Oil on canvas, 101 3/16 × 127 in., Whitney Museum of Art, NY, Photo by rocor via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 2.0 Generic License. Elizabeth Murray, Children Meeting, 1978, Oil on canvas, 101 3/16 × 127 in., Whitney Museum of Art, NY, Photo by rocor via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial 2.0 Generic License.

Elizabeth Murray is the Mother of the Day

Today is National Lazy Mom’s Day, so in honor of moms I’d like to share with you a painting that presents the unique perception of a mother. This painting by American artist Elizabeth Murray (1940-2007) presents the joyous play of … Continue reading

Diego Velázquez, Juan de Pareja, 1650, oil on canvas, 2′ 8″ x 2′ 4″, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. © 2016 . All rights reserved.

Take Five: The Artist Project

The website for the Metropolitan Museum of Art has many interesting and inspiring pages to explore. A current favorite of mine is The Artist Project which has a series of videos of artists talking about various works of art in the museum. It … Continue reading

Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), ALISHAN IN OBLIQUE SUNRISE, 1980, 24.25” x 52.25”, Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), ALISHAN IN OBLIQUE SUNRISE, 1980, 24.25” x 52.25”

Who is Zhang Daqian?

In April, a painting by Chinese artist Zhang Daqian that was estimated to sell at Sotheby’s in Hong Kong for $8 million sold for $35 million to Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian, who just announced he will build a third art museum in … Continue reading

Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, bronze, 3' 8" x 2' 11", Museum of Modern Art, New York, Artwork in the Public Domain, Photo via Wikimedia Commons. Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, 1913, bronze, 3' 8

What is Futurism?

Futurism is an artistic movement that originated in Italy in 1909 to become the “caffeine of Europe.” Futurism was inspired by Analytic Cubism, but with a focus on technology and “progress.” In the Futurist Manifesto, written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti and published in … Continue reading

Xu Bing, Book from the Sky, 1987-1991, Ink on Paper, Photo by Sally Whitman Coleman. Xu Bing, Book from the Sky, 1987-1991, Ink on Paper, Photo by Sally Whitman Coleman.

Make the Time: Xu Bing at the Blanton

Contemporary Chinese artist Xu Bing’s groundbreaking work of art, Book from the Sky, currently is on view at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, TX. Belonging to a group of artists who emerged from the Cultural Revolution with an … Continue reading

Etel Adnan, artist, Photo by P. K. via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License. Etel Adnan, artist, Photo by P. K. via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic License.

Etel Adnan, Renaissance Woman

Etel Adnan did not make a splash in the art world until she was 87 years old, and that’s just fine with her. She has been busy. The Lebanese-American poet, essayist, and visual artist is recognized in academic circles to … Continue reading

André Derain, 1906, Charing Cross Bridge, London, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, artwork in the Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Happy Birthday André Derain

André Derain, the co-founder of Fauvism with Henri Matisse, was born on June 10, 1880 near Paris. In 1905, Derain and Matisse exhibited their groundbreaking art in the Salon d’Automne when one critic declaired that their boldly-colored work looked like … Continue reading

Marisol, Self-Portrait Looking at the Last Supper, 1982-4, Wood, plywood, stone, plaster, aluminum, dye, charcoal, 121 ½” x 358” x 61”, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Photo via the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Marisol, Self-Portrait Looking at the Last Supper, 1982-4, Wood, plywood, stone, plaster, aluminum, dye, charcoal, 121 ½” x 358” x 61”, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Photo via the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

RIP Marisol

One of the most unique modern artists, Maria Sol Escobar, otherwise simply known as Marisol, died on April 30, 2016 at the age of 85. The French-born, Venezuelan artist first caused a sensation in the New York art world in … Continue reading