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14:47
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Featured this week

Carrie Mae Weems in "Compassion"

October 7, 2009

Through a mixture of archival personal photos and the artist’s first major photo-documentary series, Carrie Mae Weems takes the viewer on a personal journey through her childhood in the 1950s to a broader examination of the history of Black subjects in photography.

New and noteworthy

12:01
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Haunting the West

Michael Rakowitz

February 17, 2021

8:07
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An Open Horizon (or) the Stillness of a Wound

Firelei Báez

February 10, 2021

5:49
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"Light of Freedom"

Abigail DeVille

January 27, 2021

Art21 Library

The Art21 Library includes every film produced by Art21 since its first broadcast in 2001. Over 65 hours of full episodes from each of Art21’s television and digital series are always on view, free of charge.

Suggested starting points:
Kerry James MarshallJordan CasteelKara WalkerWilliam KentridgeDo Ho SuhNick CaveCarrie Mae WeemsJulie Mehretu
From the library
16:05
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John Akomfrah in "London"

September 18, 2020

7:19
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Featured

Jordan Casteel Stays in the Moment

November 17, 2017

Artist Jordan Casteel reflects on the complex dynamic between herself and her subjects while adjusting to the recent commercial success of her paintings.

History reimagined

13:26
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Kerry James Marshall in "Identity"

September 28, 2001

9:37
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"A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby"

Kara Walker

May 23, 2014

17:02
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El Anatsui in "Change"

April 14, 2012

Playlists

Essence of a History
Kevin Beasley’s Raw Materials New York Close Up
An Artist's Life Extended Play
Jordan Casteel Paints Her Community New York Close Up
Michael Ray Charles in "Consumption" Art in the Twenty-First Century
Layers of Meaning Extended Play
Channeling Miles Davis Extended Play
Theaster Gates in "Chicago" Art in the Twenty-First Century
"Nelson's Ship in a Bottle" Extended Play
On Museums Extended Play
Zanele Muholi in "Johannesburg" Art in the Twenty-First Century
Projections Extended Play
Carrie Mae Weems in "Compassion" Art in the Twenty-First Century
Rashid Johnson Keeps His Cool New York Close Up
Meaning Extended Play
Abigail DeVille's Harlem Stories New York Close Up
Creative Growth Art Center in "San Francisco Bay Area" Art in the Twenty-First Century

Essence of a History

Jack Whitten’s “Black Monoliths”paintings embodied the artist’s way of memorializing figures who have impacted him as an artist and citizen. As institutions make efforts to showcase more artists of color, previously hidden figures are emerging throughout museum galleries, academic curriculum, and media platforms to better reflect the contemporary conversations of a multicultural community.

Essence of a History
by Art21February 14, 2019 16 videos • 1:57:21 total runtime

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Art in the Twenty-First Century

The only series on television in the U.S. to focus exclusively on contemporary visual art and artists, Art in the Twenty-First Century is a Peabody Award-winning biennial program that follows artists at work as they transform inspiration into art.

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Extended Play provides unmediated, behind-the-scenes access to today’s leading artists through process-revealing footage and intimate interviews, chronicling a diverse scale of projects, ranging from major commissions to exploratory sketches.

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New York Close Up is devoted to capturing early-career artists living and working in New York City, providing a unique window into the next wave of art-making in the city.

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William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible

William Kentridge: Anything Is Possible gives viewers an intimate look into the mind and creative process of William Kentridge, the South African artist whose acclaimed charcoal drawings, animations, video installations, shadow plays, mechanical puppets, tapestries, sculptures, live performance pieces, and operas have made him one of the most dynamic and exciting contemporary artists working today.

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