NPR Topics: Art & Design http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1047&ft=1&f=1047 NPR explores the visual arts including design, photography, sculpture, and architecture. Interviews, commentary, and audio. Subscribe to the RSS feed. Copyright 2009 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.93 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Art & Design http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1047&ft=1&f=1047 Judith Fox Turns A Close-Up Lens On Alzheimer's Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120568216&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120568216&ft=1&f=1047

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]]> Cuba Was A Canvas For Artist Belkis Ayon When Ayon committed suicide in 1999, she was just 32 years old — and already a star in the Cuban art world. A major exhibit of her work now under way in Havana has revived an enduring mystery in Cuba — about art, African myths and the shadowy, all-male secret society known as Abakua. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113846410&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113846410&ft=1&f=1047 When Ayon committed suicide in 1999, she was just 32 years old — and already a star in the Cuban art world. A major exhibit of her work now under way in Havana has revived an enduring mystery in Cuba — about art, African myths and the shadowy, all-male secret society known as Abakua.

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]]> Meet The Next Best Street Photographer: Google Has Google joined the ranks of the best street photographers? Jon Rafman might argue so, and he has a collection of Google Street View photos to make the case. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:20:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114405966&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114405966&ft=1&f=1047 Has Google joined the ranks of the best street photographers? Jon Rafman might argue so, and he has a collection of Google Street View photos to make the case.

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]]> Parking Garages: A Multilevel History "House of Cars," an exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., traces the origins and design challenges of the places we store our cars. While it's unclear who created the first parking garage, the exhibit highlights some little-known and quirky facts about these structures that dot the American landscape. Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:48:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120545290&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120545290&ft=1&f=1047 "House of Cars," an exhibit at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., traces the origins and design challenges of the places we store our cars. While it's unclear who created the first parking garage, the exhibit highlights some little-known and quirky facts about these structures that dot the American landscape.

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]]> Mystery Ghost Photos By Claire O'Neill How do you think these ghostly photographs were made? This slideshow requires version 9 or higher of the Adobe Flash Player. Get the latest Flash Player. 'xrays' ... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:24:08 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114404774&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114404774&ft=1&f=1047 By Claire O'Neill How do you think these ghostly photographs were made? This slideshow requires version 9 or higher of the Adobe Flash Player. Get the latest Flash Player. 'xrays' ...

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]]> Stone Spire Forest In The Middle Of Nowhere There's a crazy landform in Madagascar called a tsingy, which, euphemistically translated from Malagasy, means "where one cannot walk barefoot." It's basically a treacherous forest of limestone spires that could impale anything, and cut straight thro... Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:25:50 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114402588&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114402588&ft=1&f=1047 There's a crazy landform in Madagascar called a tsingy, which, euphemistically translated from Malagasy, means "where one cannot walk barefoot." It's basically a treacherous forest of limestone spires that could impale anything, and cut straight thro...

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]]> Beijing's Underground Music Scene By Claire O'Neill For Americans, the days of extreme cultural revolution have arguably subsided. The heyday of rock has come and gone, as have new wave and punk — even post-punk — and grunge. So it seems like we've gotten a lot of musical subversi... Mon, 16 Nov 2009 09:21:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114400568&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114400568&ft=1&f=1047 By Claire O'Neill For Americans, the days of extreme cultural revolution have arguably subsided. The heyday of rock has come and gone, as have new wave and punk — even post-punk — and grunge. So it seems like we've gotten a lot of musical subversi...

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]]> Maxxi: Italy's New Contemporary Art Museum In the city of the ancient Romans and Michelangelo, architecture buffs got a preview over the weekend of something decidedly modern: Rome's new museum of contemporary art. It was designed by Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:00:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120448260&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120448260&ft=1&f=1047 In the city of the ancient Romans and Michelangelo, architecture buffs got a preview over the weekend of something decidedly modern: Rome's new museum of contemporary art. It was designed by Iraqi-born Zaha Hadid.

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]]> Headless Actors On A Global Playground The mannequins in Yinka Shonibare's exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art might be missing a crucial body part, but they more than make up for it in subtext. Shonibare's sculptures take on climate change, class, race and exploitation, all without losing their playful edge. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:56:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120393449&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120393449&ft=1&f=1047 The mannequins in Yinka Shonibare's exhibition at the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art might be missing a crucial body part, but they more than make up for it in subtext. Shonibare's sculptures take on climate change, class, race and exploitation, all without losing their playful edge.

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]]> Terra Cotta Warriors March Through Washington In 1974, a group of farmers digging a well in central China stumbled upon a buried figure. It turned out to be one of an estimated 7,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors in an underground tomb complex. The warriors and a host of other figures were created for China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Host Guy Raz drops by the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., to see an exhibit of the figures. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:55:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120418660&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120418660&ft=1&f=1047 In 1974, a group of farmers digging a well in central China stumbled upon a buried figure. It turned out to be one of an estimated 7,000 life-sized terra cotta warriors in an underground tomb complex. The warriors and a host of other figures were created for China's first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi. Host Guy Raz drops by the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C., to see an exhibit of the figures.

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]]> Sea Glass A Disappearing Treasure Most people visit the beach for its natural beauty. But reporter Nancy Cohen of member station WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut, introduces us to a woman who visits the beach for its trash. Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:50:17 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120431193&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120431193&ft=1&f=1047 Most people visit the beach for its natural beauty. But reporter Nancy Cohen of member station WNPR in Hartford, Connecticut, introduces us to a woman who visits the beach for its trash.

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]]> A Photographer's Polar Obsession How many people can say with nonchalance, "I've had good friends of mine ... eaten by grizzly bears"? National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen can, for one. On our Picture Show blog, see photos of his encounter with an affectionate leopard seal who kept trying to feed him penguins. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:11:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114396415&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114396415&ft=1&f=1047 How many people can say with nonchalance, "I've had good friends of mine ... eaten by grizzly bears"? National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen can, for one. On our Picture Show blog, see photos of his encounter with an affectionate leopard seal who kept trying to feed him penguins.

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]]> Warhol Painting Sells For $44 Million At Auction The work, <em>200 One Dollar Bills</em>, was one of the pop artist's first silk-screen paintings and garnered more than three times its highest presale estimate of $12 million. The current record for a Warhol is $71.7 million for <em>Green Car Crash</em> in 2007. Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:58:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120347674&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120347674&ft=1&f=1047 The work, 200 One Dollar Bills, was one of the pop artist's first silk-screen paintings and garnered more than three times its highest presale estimate of $12 million. The current record for a Warhol is $71.7 million for Green Car Crash in 2007.

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]]> Our Martian Photographer Is Stuck In Sand By Claire O'Neill Spirit, our poor little Mars rover, has been stuck in sand for the past six months with a broken front wheel. But NASA has a rescue plan. Joe Palca has the story on All Things Considered today, so be sure to tune in. The fact tha... Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:16:19 -0500 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114394701&ft=1&f=1047 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114394701&ft=1&f=1047 By Claire O'Neill Spirit, our poor little Mars rover, has been stuck in sand for the past six months with a broken front wheel. But NASA has a rescue plan. Joe Palca has the story on All Things Considered today, so be sure to tune in. The fact tha...

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