Infinity Mirrored Room—My Heart Is Dancing into the Universe, 2018 by Yayoi Kusama (Hirshhorn Museum)
It’s easy to look back through art history and identify who the “important” artists were. They have stood the test of time, generally falling into the isms we’ve created as a convenient way to bookmark the course of art history. Or they’re the outliers who defied the isms, influencing art’s historical trajectory through their singular creations. But today, as the world shrinks and the market becomes increasingly global, it’s harder to identify the artists who will likely be in museum collections or remembered for years to come.
Art critic and adviser Judy Pomeranz shares insights about several contemporary artists she feels are doing critically acclaimed—and market-recognized—work that somehow stands apart from the crowd: Ai Wei Wei, whose politically charged work is waking up and shaking the world; Yayoi Kusama, whose polka dots and Infinity Rooms charm, awe, and mystify us; Anselm Kiefer, whose imposing, multimedia works exploring the horrors of World War II force us to contemplate things we’d hoped to forget; and Damien Hirst, whose controversial works, including dead animals preserved in formaldehyde, shock us as they raise the always-difficult question, “What is art?”
World Art History Certificate elective: Earn 1/2 credit*
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*Enrolled participants in the World Art History Certificate Program receive 1/2 elective credit. Not yet enrolled? Learn about the program, its benefits, and how to register here.
