The Easel

22nd July 2025

Amy Sherald’s Subjects

Elenor Nairne | London Review of Books | 24th July 2025

Sherald pays attention to her subject’s clothes, so much so that, according to one writer, “you cannot find fresher clothing in the work of any contemporary painter”. This points to what makes her portraits so different. Rather than revealing a subject’s interiority, Sherald is all about surface effect and the declaration of identity. Those who feel scrutinised in public “use appearance as a kind of armour, [It makes us] ask what it costs to present oneself with this degree of polish”.

Collection View: Louise Nevelson

Jillian Russo | The Brooklyn Rail | 1st June 2025

Nevelson gravitated to a branch of sculpture that has surrealist tinges – junk-assemblage sculpture. Her favoured material, wood and especially wood boxes, could be easily found on New York streets. One major work comprised 40 stacked boxes, each one a mini stage to be filled with “ornate bed posts, antique chair legs, picture frames, banister railings … “ and all painted black. Such works, she explained, were an ode to New York city, “the greatest collage in the world.”. A video (30 sec) is here.

Sea Change: Uncovering Whistler’s Violet and Silver

Kimberley Muir and Annelise Madsen | Art Institute Chicago | 15th July 2025

Ever wondered whether art museums go overboard on conservation labs? If so, this piece is for you. Whistler was renowned for evanescent landscapes and pearly fogs, all of which involved subtle colour harmonies. Old yellow varnish ruined those effects. giving one of his works the “character of a laminated placemat”. Cleaning it restored the original colour scheme, revitalising the work and making it more readable. A slider that shows the “before and after” is a revelation.

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