Art & Design

Litterbugs Beware: Turning Found DNA Into Portraits

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:38:00 -0400

A dropped cigarette butt, a chewed-up piece of gum, a stray hair. Artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg uses DNA from trash she's picked up around New York City to generate 3-D portraits of those who left it behind.

Banksy Mural May Be Coming To U.S. After All

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:05:00 -0400

The stencil of a young boy sewing the Union Jack is the centerpiece of an exhibition in London, after which it will head to the U.S. where it is to be part of a private collection. Organizers say Slave Labour is not being put up for sale, but residents of the London neighborhood from which it disappeared want it back.

A Fresh Answer To Vermeer's Mystery

Fri, 10 May 2013 15:09:00 -0400

The work of the Dutch master Johannes Vermeer has long puzzled the art world. Some of his pieces just don't quite fit. They're a little off. What gives? Author Benjamin Binstock has an idea, an idea that commentator Alva Noë finds appealing.

At The Met Ball, Those Are Some Crazy Dresses

Tue, 07 May 2013 14:15:00 -0400

The Met Ball brings out some of the highest of fashion, and Monday night, it brought boots of fire, lots of skin, and a new hair color for Anne Hathaway.

Family Fights Sale Of Iconic Thomas Cole Painting

Mon, 06 May 2013 12:25:00 -0400

While serving as governor of New York, William Seward received a Thomas Cole landscape painting as a gift for his work on the Erie Canal. Since then, its value has exploded and its caretakers are looking to sell. On Tuesday, Seward's great-great-grandson will be in court to try to stop them.

A 'Decadent And Depraved' Derby With Hunter S. Thompson

Sat, 04 May 2013 12:07:00 -0400

Illustrator Ralph Steadman had never heard of Hunter S. Thompson before he flew to Churchill Downs on assignment to cover the Kentucky Derby. But after an unforgettable, booze-ridden weekend with the writer, Steadman's life was never the same.

One Of These Shells Is Not Like The Others

Fri, 03 May 2013 14:50:00 -0400

Diana Zlatanovski's Typology series showcases the intricacy of collections, and the beauty of individual objects within the group.

The Real Costs Of Cheap Fashion

Wed, 01 May 2013 12:00:00 -0400

The collapse of a Bangladesh clothing factory building has renewed worries about the ethics of the fashion industry. Host Michel Martin speaks with Pulitzer Prize winning fashion critic Robin Givhan about the real costs of cheap fashion.

Things Come (Very, Very) Apart

Wed, 01 May 2013 11:46:00 -0400

Photographer Todd McLellan dismantles common household objects, then meticulously arranges the parts to show the inner workings of everyday stuff.

How One Family Built America's Public Palaces

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:24:00 -0400

The National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., has a new exhibit about the soaring tile vaults built by a famous father-son team. The Guastavinos came to this country from Spain in the late 1800s, and left their mark on some of America's most important public spaces.

When Sculpting Cedar, This Artist Is Tireless And Unsentimental

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 05:29:00 -0400

Ursula von Rydingsvard is 70 years old, but she still spends eight hours a day working massive blocks of cedar into sculptures. "I don't want the cuteness associated with the wood," she says, "or even the nostalgia."

A Photographer And His Friend, 'That Tree'

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 15:57:00 -0400

For one year, photojournalist Mark Hirsch took one photo a day of a towering bur oak on the edge of a cornfield in southwest Wisconsin. Over time, he says, his relationship with the project changed: "The longer I spent down there, the greater my appreciation for what a unique force [this tree] was."

Masterpiece In A Mug: Japanese Latte Art Will Perk You Up

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:20:00 -0400

You think clovers and hearts are impressive? Wait till you get a load of these Japanese latte drawings. A culture that values the beauty of the ephemeral has brought us a new level of art in foam.

Presidential Libraries Inspire Design Of George W. Bush Center

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:00:00 -0400

On Thursday, the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is dedicated on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. David Greene talks to former first lady Laura Bush about the library and life after the White House.

Allan Arbus, Who Played Psychiatrist On TV's 'M.A.S.H.,' Dies At 95

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:03:00 -0400

Arbus was most famous for his role as the Army psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman in the hit TV comedy.