Barry Schwabsky

Art Critic

Barry Schwabsky is the art critic of The Nation.

Margins of Modernism: A New Historicism in Art Margins of Modernism: A New Historicism in Art

In the paintings of Silke Otto-Knapp and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, there's an unending entanglement, and dialogue, between the present and the past.

May 4, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

‘You’re So Pretty’: On Laurel Nakadate ‘You’re So Pretty’: On Laurel Nakadate

Most of what we think we see in the photos and films of Laurel Nakadate is our own projection.

Apr 6, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Shelf Life: On Poets and Painters Shelf Life: On Poets and Painters

Tibor de Nagy’s Painters & Poets; Bill Berkson’s For the Ordinary Artist; William Corbett’s Albert York.

Mar 23, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Little Resistance to Gravity: On Lynda Benglis and David Hammons

Little Resistance to Gravity: On Lynda Benglis and David Hammons Little Resistance to Gravity: On Lynda Benglis and David Hammons

Radiant and obscure, the art of Lynda Benglis and David Hammons has a way of hiding itself.

Mar 10, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Amazement in Reverse: On Martin Creed and Gabriel Orozco

Amazement in Reverse: On Martin Creed and Gabriel Orozco Amazement in Reverse: On Martin Creed and Gabriel Orozco

Martin Creed and Gabriel Orozco reduce the artistic gesture to the smallest effective intervention into reality.

Feb 10, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Vanishing Points: Language Poetry Remembered Vanishing Points: Language Poetry Remembered

The Grand Piano is a highbrow Friends—a collective history of the early years of Language poetry.

Jan 12, 2011 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Shelf Life: On Philip Guston, Carolee Scheemann and Ilya Kabakov Shelf Life: On Philip Guston, Carolee Scheemann and Ilya Kabakov

The truly consequential choices an artist makes are never experienced as choice but as necessity.

Dec 22, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Options Open: On Kurt Schwitters and Blinky Palermo

Options Open: On Kurt Schwitters and Blinky Palermo Options Open: On Kurt Schwitters and Blinky Palermo

Kurt Schwitters and Blinky Palermo made art that was deliberately elusive, that does not want to be pinned down.

Dec 16, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

No Images of Man: On Nancy Spero

No Images of Man: On Nancy Spero No Images of Man: On Nancy Spero

Nancy Spero began using only the female figure in her paintings to push back the limits of her world.

Nov 10, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Old Vagabond: Paul Gauguin at Tate Modern Old Vagabond: Paul Gauguin at Tate Modern

In his paintings and travels, Paul Gauguin sought a corner of himself that was still unknown.

Oct 13, 2010 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

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