Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

My guest this week is Patrick Quéré who shared a fascinating insight into the work of Nicolas de Staël. Patrick's great grandparents got to know the artist in the 1940s as he visited their Paris restaurant. Nicolas de Staël gave Patrick's great-grandparents a painting he called The Key. It was a deeply personal piece, a small canvas that had been resized, restretched, cut and patched by the artist and in the layers of heavy impasto, this abstract seascape reveals a tremendous amount about how Nicolas de Staël developed his signature style. Find more information and images on this doc. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Petra, the ancient city carved into the sandstone cliffs of Jordan, is a testament to the ingenuity and artistry of the Nabataean civilization. Established in the 4th century BC, Petra's strategic location along trade routes fueled its prosperity. The Nabataeans carved impressive structures like the Treasury and the Monastery directly into the rock face using chisels, hammers, and picks. The city's architecture reflects a blend of Hellenistic, Egyptian, and Assyrian influences. Petra's intricate carvings, water systems, and monumental tombs highlight their advanced skills and cultural beliefs. Though the city declined after an earthquake and shifting trade routes, its rediscovery in the 19th century unveiled its remarkable legacy. Many people today first laid eyes on Petra when it was featured in the popular movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Today, Petra stands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, captivating visitors with its unique blend of history, architecture, and artistry. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was established to honor those who died in the Vietnam War. Jan Scruggs, a veteran of the conflict, spearheaded the creation of the memorial and after a nationwide design competition, Maya Lin's design was chosen. Her design was controversial for its minimalist and non-traditional approach, but ultimately it was built and has become an important place for reflection and healing. The work is simple yet profound. The polished black granite is reflective like a mirror. It forces visitors to confront their own image alongside the names of the fallen creating a sense of connection and shared humanity. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is one of the 250 artworks required for AP Art History. Learn about more of those works by listening to my AP Art History Cram Session playlist on Spotify. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Max Beckmann was a German painter born on February 12, 1884. While he is often associated with the expressionist movement, he actually rejected that label. He was a part of the New Objectivity movement which shared some similarities with expressionists, but while the expressionists sought to portray their inner self for the world to see, the new objectivity movement was outward looking holding a mirror up to the world expressing the state of society as the artist saw it. In his painting The Night from 1918-1919, Beckmann shows the horrors of war and the devastation at home. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The iconic image of "Rosie the Riveter" is often associated with female empowerment and the contributions of women to the war effort during World War II. However, the image we commonly associate with Rosie, the "We Can Do It!" poster, was not originally intended for that purpose. Created by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric, it aimed to boost worker morale and reduce absenteeism in their factories. It wasn't until the 1980s that the poster gained popularity and became associated with Rosie the Riveter, thanks to its rediscovery and the feminist movement of the time. Another famous Rosie the Riveter image is Norman Rockwell's painting, which appeared on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in 1943. This image, depicting a strong woman with a rivet gun and a lunch pail, was widely circulated and used in war bond drives, inspiring patriotism and encouraging women to join the workforce. Both the "We Can Do It!" poster and Rockwell's painting have become enduring symbols of female empowerment, resilience, and the contributions of women to society. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hilma af Klint was a painter making abstract art years before men like Kandinsky and she was exploring automatic drawing long before the surrealists. She knew she was well ahead of her time, which is why she stipulated in her will, that many of her greatest works were not to be displayed until 20 years after her death. Related episodes: Hilma af Klint | What a Human Being Is Spirit Photography This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who ARTed began five years ago. My love of art began with the Impressionists and Post Impressionists, and I thought there would be no better topic to cover in my anniversary episode. We talked broadly about the movements then discussed five great works including Impression Sunrise by Claude Monet, The Cradle by Berthe Morisot, Paris Street Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte, The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh, and Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Related episodes: Claude Monet Berthe Morisot Gustave Caillebotte Vincent van Gogh Georges Seurat Mary Cassatt Edgar Degas Pierre Auguste Renoir This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ouija Board was patented in 1891 by Elijah Bond, and that is an odd and interesting story. Bond filed a patent for the "Ouija or Egyptian luck-board" but the patent office was initially hesitant to grant it. They considered the board's ability to answer questions to be unexplainable and potentially fraudulent. To convince the patent officer, Bond and Helen Peters (his sister-in-law) conducted a demonstration. They asked the board to spell out the patent officer's name, which it supposedly did correctly, even though they claimed not to know it. The demonstration worked! The patent officer, reportedly quite shaken by the experience, approved the patent. For a spooky fun bonus fact, learn why sheets became symbols of ghosts. Related episodes: Spirit Photography This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian artist known for his provocative and satirical sculptures and installations that challenge the norms of the art world. His works often spark controversy and public discourse, blurring the lines between high art and everyday objects. Some of his most recognized pieces include, "Strategies," his mock up of a magazine cover intended to help him land a spot on the actual magazine's cover, "Comedian," a banana duct-taped to a wall, which sold for $120,000, and "America," a fully functional solid gold toilet that was once stolen from Blenheim Palace. Cattelan's art is often seen as a commentary on consumerism, celebrity culture, and the value of art itself. My guest this week was Tim Bogatz, host of Art Ed Radio from The Art of Education University (where you can also see articles I have written). In this episode, we referenced work by other artists. Listen to these episodes to learn more: Marcel Duchamp | Fountain Meret Oppenheim | Object This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting in 1917, the US Radium Corporation hired a bunch of young women to paint watch faces with radium based paints that would glow in the dark. For these young women, it seemed like a great job. They were paid about 3 times what the average working woman was getting at that time, they got to work with this cool new material that glowed like something from science fiction, and the job was relatively easy. They just had to lip, dip and paint. But that first part, the lip part turned out to be a major problem.  The women were using camel hair brushes to paint tiny details on watch faces and instrument dials. As any painter could tell you, after just a few brush strokes, the bristles start to splay requiring them to point their brush. The women working for the US Radium Corporation, and a few rival companies of that day were all told to use their mouths to point the brush. While they could have achieved similar results with water and rags, it was more efficient for the workers to simply put the brush in their mouth using their lips, teeth and tongues to get the bristles realigned. Listeners today would no doubt be horrified at the prospect of putting radioactive material into their mouths, but for the so called radium girls, it was part of the job and for many of them, it seemed like a fun perk. There are stories of the young women painting their teeth, or their nails with the radioactive paints. Of course, as the old saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone’s jaw falls off. Unsurprisingly, it was the dentists who first noticed the health effects of radium ingestion. The radium girls developed a condition referred to as radium jaw or necrosis of the jaw which simply put means the cells in their jaws were dying from radiation poisoning and along with that teeth fell out and bones would become distorted due to tumors or even they might be left with holes in the jawbones.  This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reggie Laurent is a contemporary artist based out of Atlanta. Laurent is a largely self-taught artist working in a variety of media and often on unexpected surfaces. He is known for his DNA series of paintings characterized by bold colors and elaborate patterns in abstract compositions. He says that the DNA series is largely similar to his childhood doodles and the creative expression that was always in him. While many artists inspire students with their stunning work, Laurent goes further by explaining his process and working with groups of students via Zoom. Find Reggie Laurent Online: https://www.laurentoriginals.com/  www.instagram/laurentoriginals https://woodpeckerscrafts.com/reginald-laurent-dna-collection/ This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. If you are thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It is online, flexible and convenient to meet your needs on your schedule. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhoARTed today and get 10% off your first month. Check out my new favorite history podcast, Calm History: Want to dive even deeper into history? Try the podcast Calm History You'll learn about famous explorers, leaders, inventions, civilizations and ancient wonders all narrated in a calm voice to help you relax or fall asleep. Find Calm History on your favorite podcast app: https://podfollow.com/calm-history Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hieronymus Bosch was a 15th-century Dutch painter whose fantastical and often unsettling works continue to captivate viewers today. His most famous painting, "The Garden of Earthly Delights," is a triptych that depicts a complex narrative of creation, temptation, sin, and damnation. Bosch's unique visual vocabulary, drawn from religious iconography, folklore, alchemy, and contemporary social mores, challenged the established norms of religious art and introduced an element of ambiguity into his narratives. Bosch's exploration of human psychology and the darker aspects of human nature contributed to the subversive nature of his art, offering a more nuanced and unsettling view of the human condition. Despite the often disturbing imagery in his paintings, Bosch was a respected member of his community and a devout Catholic. The enduring power of his work lies in its masterful balance between the concrete and the ambiguous, inviting viewers to decipher the complex relationships and narratives within his paintings. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My guest this week is Emily Beeny, the Curator in charge of European paintings for The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She spoke with me about Mary Cassatt at work, an exhibition coming to The Legion of Honor after being displayed at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Check out these links to learn more: https://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2014/degas-cassatt.html  https://www.famsf.org/exhibitions/mary-cassatt Mary Cassatt was born in Pennsylvania, but she became a part of the French Impressionist circle. Today, she is widely remembered for her somewhat sentimental paintings of mothers and daughters, but the exhibition shows us there was far more to the life and work of Mary Cassatt. We discussed her biography, her paintings and prints including The Coiffure, which is one of the works required for AP Art History. Students studying for the test can check out my AP Art History Cram Session playlist Listen to these other Impressionist episodes: Edgar Degas Gustave Caillebotte Pierre-Auguste Renoir Berthe Morisot Claude Monet Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On November 26, 1922, Howard Carter prepared to enter the tomb of a little-known pharaoh. Nobody had set foot inside the space for over 3,000 years, but as Carter held up his candle, his partner, Lord Carnarvon who had financed the expedition called out asking if he saw anything. Carter responded, “Yes, wonderful things.” Though his reign may have been short, the treasures found in Tutankhamun’s tomb have given him an outsized place in the history books and popular culture. Related episodes: Art Smart | Ancient Egyptian Art Who ARTed | The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead Who ARTed | The Mummy's Curse Who ARTed | The Pyramids at Giza Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I spoke with Carrie Rickey, the author of a new biography of Agnes Varda. Varda is considered to be one of the greatest female directors in film history. She is one of the greatest French directors in film history. She is among the greatest and most influential directors in really any category of film. In her decades of work producing film, photographs and installations, she inspired generations of creators with her exploration of fresh perspectives. Varda helped to define the French New Wave. Buy A Compliecated Passion: The Life and Work of Agnes Varda on Amazon or wherever you get your books. Learn more about Varda: https://www.amazon.com/Early-Women-Filmmakers-International-Dual-Format/dp/B06X42G2RT    A DVD box set of films by women filmmakers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RR1361-7nw Interview with Agnes Varda for the Academy Library https://youtu.be/4cG0JF9tuf0?si=qGJDi1JPWyjkPiml  The young Varda photographs Brassai in a slapstick documentary for French TV. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my new favorite history podcast, Calm History: Want to dive even deeper into history? Try the podcast Calm History You'll learn about famous explorers, leaders, inventions, civilizations and ancient wonders all narrated in a calm voice to help you relax or fall asleep. Find Calm History on your favorite podcast app: https://podfollow.com/calm-history Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alfred Stieglitz is considered by many to be the father of modern photography. He looked at the camera as not simply a tool to document the world, but an artistic medium. His photograph The Steerage from 1907 is possibly his most famous work. As he set out on a European vacation, Alfred and his family were in first class, but he did not feel comfortable. He went out onto the deck and looked down at the people on the lower deck, the steerage. He said he wished he could mingle with them and he was struck by the lines and shapes on the ship as well as on the people's clothing. Everything about the scene laid out before him felt like a modern artwork and he sought to create a photograph using those lines and shapes to express his feeling in the moment. He ran back to his room and got his camera but only had one glass plate, one shot to capture the scene. Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brilliance of Edward Hopper is that he was able to be simultaneously specific and concrete yet vague and leave a lot up to the viewer to interpret. In a painting like Nighthawks we see people gathered in a diner, but as viewers we are stuck on the outside looking in. We feel isolated and apart from the scene and as we look closer, we discover that the people inside the diner are isolated themselves. It is not a group of four inside the space but rather a collection of four individuals. My guest for this episode was Julie Averbach, the founder of smARTee, a non-profit that helps people feel connected and continue their lifelong learning via free virtual museum tours. She is also the author of the upcoming book, The Art of Trader Joe's (https://theartoftraderjoes.com) which helps readers appreciate the subtle brilliance of the grocery chain. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my new favorite history podcast, Calm History: Want to dive even deeper into history? Try the podcast Calm History You'll learn about famous explorers, leaders, inventions, civilizations and ancient wonders all narrated in a calm voice to help you relax or fall asleep. Find Calm History on your favorite podcast app: https://podfollow.com/calm-history Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Rothko is one of the most famous painters of the Abstract Expressionist movement. While many look at his paintings as simple rectangles of various colors, he sought to express much deeper ideas and emotions in the most simple and direct way possible. He meticulously layered washes of oil paint to achieve deep, rich colors on massive canvases that overwhelm the viewer. The Seagram Murals were initially commissioned for an upscale restaurant in the building designed by Mies van der Rohe, but after eating there and seeing the space, Rothko returned the money and kept his paintings in storage because he felt the patrons would not understand and appreciate his work. September is suicide prevention month. If you are struggling or in crisis, https://988lifeline.org/ or phone 988 can help. It is free and confidential. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is an AI generated image really art? How might AI tools affect the way artists create their work? Will AI replace human artists? Rosemary Lee is an artist and media researcher. Her work considers how image production technologies fit within larger narratives about art, knowledge, and relations between humans and machines. Her book Algorithm, Image, Art considers recent developments in artificial intelligence in relation to historical tendencies in image production. She was kind enough to share her thoughts on AI in relation to artistic production. We talked about AI tools as a revolutionary moment with great promise and peril much like the advent of photography in the mid 19th century. We also discussed some of the ethical implications, the limitations of AI, ways that artists can work with the tools and some of the ways artists are shifting toward processes AI tools cannot replicate. Check out Rosemary-Lee.com Buy Algorithm, Image, Art on Amazon. This episode was created because of a request from a listener. If you would like to suggest a topic, feel free to email me at whoartedpodcast at gmail dot com And of course, if you like the show, please leave a kind rating or review on your favorite podcast platform. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emily Kame Kngwarreye was born around 1910, a time when the Aboriginal people were not considered full citizens in their own country. Earth’s Creation is an absolutely massive painting about 9 feet tall and 20 feet wide. She painted it in 1994 when she was around 84 years old. Most biographies will say that she only painted for the last 8 years of her life, but really, she was only painting for Western audiences for that period. She spent her life learning, practicing, and creating in line with the Aboriginal customs. Earth’s Creation is an absolutely massive piece she created in 1994. Kngwarreye was about 84 years old when she painted it. It shows an evolution in her style from the more earth toned traditional pieces she painted as she first began to work on canvas. In this piece we see rich blues, yellows, and greens referencing the lush “green times” that follow periods of heavy rain. She was moving beyond the clay and ochre pigments but still creating work deeply rooted in her connection to the land and nature. This painting is about 9 feet tall and 20 feet wide and when it went up for auction in 2007, it sold for an equally large price of just over $1 million. It set a record for the highest price of a work by an aboriginal artist and the highest price for an Australian female painter. A decade later it sold for over $2 million once again setting the record for the highest price by an Australian female painter. Check out our sponsor Factor at www.FactorMeals.com/whoarted50 Enter the promo code whoarted50 to get 50% off your first box and 20% off your next month! Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science Lab Who ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices