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NPR Topics: Visual Arts

NPR explores the visual arts including design, photography, sculpture, and architecture. Interviews, commentary, and audio. Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Warhol Was Right About '15 Minutes Of Fame' American artist Andy Warhol once said, "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." In an era of reality TV and YouTube, it looks like his prediction came true. Sherri Geldin, director of the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio talks about Warhol's new relevance in the digital age. Ombre Is The New Tie-Dye Once a cheap way to make colorful clothes, high-end designers have brought back tie-dye and even given it a new name. 'Great Outdoor Fight' Flows From Web To Page Chris Onstad's web-comic Achewood may be modeled on stuffed animals, but it's anything but cuddly. The new print compilation of the strip highlights The Great Outdoor Fight — featuring three days, three acres and 3,000 men. Sandbag House Wins Humanitarian Award This week, the Curry Stone Design Prize was awarded to a South African architecture firm that figured out how to make a cheap house with a timber frame and a whole lot of sandbags. The houses are energy efficient and easily assembled, and could replace more hazardous structures in the shantytowns around Cape Town. Howard Bingham: Photographing Ali And America Howard Bingham describes himself as the "Forrest Gump of photojournalism" — frequently "popping up" at just the right time to document some of the greatest moments in U.S. history. He is best known for his portraits of boxing great Muhammad Ali. Artist Taps Into Anger At Corporate CEOs A Brooklyn artist is giving Wall Streeters the opportunity to vent their irritation with corporate America. Geoffrey Raymond takes his over-sized paintings of CEOs to Wall Street, then asks passers-by to write comments on his artwork. In San Francisco, Making Art At The Dump San Francisco recycles or diverts 69 percent of its trash, but sends 1,800 tons of garbage to the landfill each day. One way the city makes a dent in its landfill load is through an unusual program — sponsoring artists who turn garbage into art. 'Pushing Daisies,' Alive With Fantasy, Mystery In the ABC series, Pushing Daises, co-executive producers Barry Sonnenfeld and Bryan Fuller combine romance, fantasy and mystery to tell the story of a man who can bring the dead back to life. The first season of the show is now out on DVD. Prefab: From Utilitarian Home To Design Icon Architects' answer to efficient design is the prefab home, which has been both a design sensation and a cookie-cutter bore over the years. A current MoMA exhibit explores the history of that house and shows how technology could make innovative design more affordable. Daniel Mendelsohn, Examining The 'Beautiful' A classical scholar with a voracious appetite for high and low culture alike, he's dauntingly smart — but far too interested in why we love what we love to be a snob. Jacki Lyden talks to Mendelsohn about his new essay collection. Pigs Out, But Artist Sells Tattoo Off Man's Back Eight tattooed pigs were supposed to be part of Wim Delvoye's exhibit at a Chinese art show. But authorities didn't consider them art, so Delvoye tattooed an elaborate scene on a man's back and displayed him instead. A collector has purchased the tattoo — with the right to remove it after the man dies. Artist Personifies NPR Listener's Grocery List Hillary Carlip interprets shopping lists as if they were Rorschach inkblots. She selected a typed, meticulously organized list sent by a listener and created a character based on clues. The result is "a little sinister," according to the list's actual author. Saving Superman's House: Comic Book Fans Unite In 1986, the city of Cleveland declared the house where Jerry Siegel thought up the Superman character to be a landmark. But today, the house is falling apart — and a group of high-profile fans is trying to save it, by auctioning art and other work. What Is She Wearing? Fashion Laws Of Politics Americans are not only scrutinizing presidential candidates for their positions on the issues. There are also lots of opinions about the sense of style embraced by the candidates' wives and other women on the campaign trail. A fashion reporter and former congresswoman discuss the style of would-be first ladies Michelle Obama and Cindy McCain. Can Taste Be Taught? Justin Davidson, a classical music critic for New York Magazine, ponders when, where and how kids learn to have taste in music and art. He talks about his quest to teach his 10-year-old son Milo about the finer things in life.