political art – Maura McGurk

Picasso's Guernica painting is about the horrors of war.

365 Days of Art: September 10 – Picasso’s Guernica Returns to Spain After 42-Year Exile

September 10, 1981 Picasso’s anti-war mural, which he insists must never rest on Spanish soil until democracy is restored there, returns to Spain after 42 years. Although Picasso doesn’t live to see this happen (he dies in 1973), it seems like his posthumous salute to Spain’s democracy after decades of dictatorship. The painting is inspired […]

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Mary lovingly cradles Jesus' limp body in her lap.

365 Days of Art: August 27 – Michelangelo Takes 1st Commission, Krakatoa Colors Sky for The Scream, and Guernica is Displayed for 1st Time in US

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Another big day in the history of art! August 27, 1498 At age 25, Michelangelo receives his first big commission: a statue of Mary and Jesus for a cardinal. He selects the Carrera marble himself from the quarry and carves the statue from that single piece of stone. The 450 ducats he’s paid make him

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An installation of a simple twin-sized bedframe made of wire, with a pillow.

365 Days of Art: May 29 – Mona Hatoum Exhibition Closes

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May 29, 2005 A retrospective exhibition by Mona Hatoum closes at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney. Her work is intimate and broadly political at the same time. Here’s a description of her work that I like (you can read more here): In Interior Landscape (2008)…Hatoum worked with a local blacksmith to transform the wire

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A poster by the Guerrilla Girls, which asks about museum representation for female artists.

365 Days of Art: May 17 – The Guerrilla Girls Are Born!

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May 17, 1984 The Guerrilla Girls are born! The backstory: An International Survey of Painting and Sculpture opens on this day at the Museum of Modern Art. Curator Kynaston McShine writes that any artist not included in the show should rethink “his” career. The exhibit features 169 artists. All are white. All are from the

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Diego Rivera poses next to small artwork.

365 Days of Art: April 24 – Art and Politics Collide for Diego Rivera and Little Mermaid

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Two instances of politics colliding with art today: April 24, 1933 With Diego Rivera’s mural for Rockefeller Center two thirds of the way finished, the NY World-Telegram inflames tensions between the artist and patron by publishing this headline: Rivera Paints Scenes of Communist Activity and John D. Jr. Foots Bill” Then: April 24, 1964 Oh

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365 Days of Art: April 18 – Exhibition of Spanish Civil War Drawings Closes at MoMA

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April 18, 1938 The exhibition Luis Quintanilla: An Exhibition of Drawings of the War in Spain, for which Ernest Hemingway wrote the catalog, closes at MoMA. Quintanilla was a distinguished leader of the opposition to the Fascists, director of the Republic’s intelligence services in the Basque country, and earned a spot on General Franco’s first

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Corpses are loaded onto a cart bound for the cemetery in Goya's black and white print.

365 Days of Art: March 31 – Goya is Born

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March 31, 1746 Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes is born. His paintings have haunted me ever since I first saw them in the Prado as a teenager. His prints on The Disasters of War should be required viewing.

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Maura McGurk Named Artist of the Week by theStudio4Art

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TheStudio4Art named Maura McGurk “Artist of the Week” for her paintings in response to gay bullying, and recognized her for her work with various charities that stand behind LGBT youth. In bestowing this honor, theStudio praises the paintings and mixed media work that not only display “a magnificent use of color and texture”, but also

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Thank You, Mr. President

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Sometimes the planets align, and I find that what’s on my mind is on other people’s too. When I first started making paintings about gay bullying, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it struck a chord with people. Folks suddenly confided all kinds of things to me… “I’ve seen what bullying is and it’s

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Maura McGurk’s First Solo Show: Pride and Prejudice, An Exhibition on Gay Bullying

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Maura McGurk’s first solo exhibition will feature paintings created in response to gay bullying. McGurk began this body of work in fall of 2010, on the heels of several suicides by teenaged boys who had been bullied by classmates. These suicides were well-publicized due to their sheer number and proximity in time: five suicides in

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The Only Art Worth Doing Is the Art That Makes Things Better: An Interview with Maura McGurk

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In an interview with fellow artist Gina Marie Dunn, Maura McGurk discusses her creative process and inspirations for creating political art. She also considers some practical issues about being a fine artist, and, true to form, even finds a way to reference the Red Sox/Yankees rivalry.

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A Long Overdue Thank You Letter to Sue Coe

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People always ask me how I became a vegetarian. Usually this happens over a meal, after we’ve placed our orders (theirs meat, mine veggie) which makes it a bit awkward for me. It just doesn’t seem like good manners to discuss the gory details there at the table. But since this is ultimately a blog

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Vermont Studio Center: The Bread and Puppet Museum

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The Bread and Puppet Museum has to be seen to be believed. None of the pictures you’ll see here can possibly do it justice, but I found myself snapping away anyway, to the point where I ran down the batteries in my camera less than halfway through the place. Located in Glover, VT, the Museum

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Rotunda with chandelier and skylight ringed with scenes of historical judges on thrones, interpreting laws for crowds.

Chaos and Classicism at the Guggenheim

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Or, Classicism, Propaganda . . . and Jury Duty I’ve always thought that history could best be taught through art and music. So cheers to the Guggenheim for putting together a great history lesson with Chaos and Classicism: Art in France, Italy, and Germany, 1918-1936. The show blew my mind, and I haven’t been able

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Collage from sketchbook, with watercolor, Islamic arches and oclumns.

Maura McGurk’s Sketchbook to Tour U.S.

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New York artist Maura McGurk has created a sketchbook as part of The Sketchbook Project, sponsored by the Art House Co-op, which will tour various cities around the U.S. McGurk says: “My sketchbook contains collages, drawings, and writings about my daily life from the fall and winter of 2009. They reflect my individual concerns and

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Small satellite shapes seem to fly away from larger shape.

Maura McGurk Again Chosen as Featured Artist at climate/gallery

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Maura McGurk was chosen as a Featured Artist for the exhibition Paint! at climate/gallery. Her painting Over and Out was selected by juror Jason Andrew, Director of Norte Maar for Collaborative Projects in the Arts, as one of the ten Best in Show. McGurk says the painting was inspired by a layover in Salt Lake City,

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