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Articles on Artists

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The Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario Museum are among art institutions that have struggled with responses to the Israel-Hamas war. The Art Gallery of Ontario seen in Toronto in 2008. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Artists bring human richness at times of strife — and need to be allowed to speak about the Israel-Hamas war

Especially in a time when trust in political leaders and institutions wanes, arts leaders, patrons, policymakers and artists face daunting but critical questions about the value and role of artists.
A girl dressed as a ‘catrina’ takes part in the Catrinas Parade in Mexico City to celebrate Day of the Dead. Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

How ‘La Catrina’ became the iconic symbol of Day of the Dead

An obscure Mexican engraver named José Guadalupe Posada created the satirical skull in the early 1900s and sold it for a penny. But after he died, it took on a life of its own.
Activists in Newark, N.J., offer tours that teach visitors about the city’s legacy of industrial pollution and environmental racism. Charles Rotkin/Corbis via Getty Images

The importance of shining a light on hidden toxic histories

Societies celebrate heroes and commemorate tragedies. But why is there so little public acknowledgment of environmental disasters?
Generative AI used to recreate Drake’s voice was trained on many copyrighted songs featuring his voice. Drake appears on screen during a tribute to Lil Wayne at the Black Music Collective on Feb. 2, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Why the growth of AI in making art won’t eliminate artists

As a composer who has used creative AI in my music, I see that many artists will need to renegotiate terms of their labour, but there are also opportunities for different forms of collaboration.
Still from ‘All watched over by machines of loving grace’ by Memo Akten, 2021. Created using custom AI software. Memo Akten

Generative AI is a minefield for copyright law

Intellectual property law wasn’t written with AI in mind, so it isn’t clear who owns the images that emerge from prompts – or if the artists whose work was scraped to train AI models should be paid.
Henry Darger worked as a hospital custodian. After his death in 1973, hundreds of his illustrations were discovered. Brooklyn Taxidermy/flickr

What is vernacular art? A visual artist explains

The genre – also known as ‘folk art’ or ‘outsider art’ – serves as a reminder that art is a universal human pursuit.
Donald Trump appears in court in New York City, in a courtroom sketch by Jane Rosenberg. Jane Rosenberg/Reuters

Donald Trump and the dying art of the courtroom sketch

Whereas ‘the camera sees everything, but captures nothing,’ courtroom artists can channel the emotional highs and lows of a trial through a single image.
Does the moment of imagination carry more value than the work of making something real? DeAgostini/Getty Images

ChatGPT, DALL-E 2 and the collapse of the creative process

The technology’s focus on the framing of the artistic task amounts to the fetishization of the creative moment – and devalues the journey that waters the seed of an idea to its fruition.
Could AI be your next colleague – or replacement? PhonlamaiPhoto/iStock via Getty Images

AI and the future of work: 5 experts on what ChatGPT, DALL-E and other AI tools mean for artists and knowledge workers

Now that AI systems can generate realistic images and convincing prose, are creative and knowledge workers endangered or poised for productivity gains? A panel of experts says it’s not so clear-cut.
Many NFT creators come from a practice of 3D modelling, graphic design, animation or video game design. (Shutterstock)

NFTs in the art world: A revolution or ripoff?

Creators of NFT art are organizing themselves into new art scenes, but they are still searching for cultural legitimacy while museums remain skittish.
People perform during the Boi-Bumbá in Parintins. The city’s annual festival has shown how remote communities can thrive despite isolation.

Parintins: A remote Brazilian city overcoming isolation through a festival

The “Festival do Boi-Bumbá” changed the fate of Parintins, Brazil. Its success shows the crucial role that cultural festivals play in isolated territories that often lack material infrastructure.

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