At first glance, The Candy Store (1969) by Richard Estes looks like a photograph. But spend a moment with it, and the illusion begins to unfold into something far more complex.
Painted at the height of the emerging Photorealism movement, The Candy Store captures a New York City storefront window filled with jars of sweets, signage, and fluorescent lighting. Yet what makes the painting so compelling isn’t just the meticulous detail — it’s the layered reflections that transform a simple shop window into a study of perception. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: The Candy Store By Richard Estes→
At first glance, Happiness (1994–95) by Victor Estrada seems to promise exactly what its title suggests: something bright, buoyant, and easy to love. The sculpture greets viewers with a riot of color and a playful, almost cartoonish presence. But as is often the case with Estrada’s work, things get more complicated the longer you look. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Happiness by Victor Estrada→
Kelly Akashi’s work often explores the impermanence of the natural world. In 2024‘s Monument (Regeneration), the artist draws inspiration from nature’s regenerative resilience. A delicately latticed borosilicate-glass sphere – balanced between fragility and strength – rests a top a weathered, steel plinth reminiscent of a tree trunk. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Kelly Akashi, Monument (Regeneration)→
At first glance, Disco Bomb (1989) looks like a joke you might spot after midnight: a mirrored disco ball topped with a synthetic orange wig. But in the hands of German artist Martin Kippenberger (1953 – 1997) , that punchline becomes a pointed meditation on surface, identity, and cultural excess. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Martin Kippenberger, Disco Bomb→
Hank Willis Thomas frequently repurposes imagery from popular culture, especially as it pertains to race and representation. A Suspension of Hostilities (2019 ) faithfully replicate the iconic muscle car from the 1980’s hit TV show The Dukes of Hazzard. Named the General Lee after Robert E. Lee, the car was famous for its airborne leaps along the hilly Georgia back roads, with the characters of Bo and Luke Duke at the wheel, typically in flight from the local law. Continue reading Modern Art Monday Presents: Hank Willis Thomas, A Suspension of Hostilities→
