Art
Loose is a zine dedicated to making it up as you go along
Young, wild and free — Now onto their third issue – which launches with a party at London’s 71a Gallery – the team behind the DIY art and photography publication remain committed as ever to living loosely.
Written by: Niall Flynn
Inside the final years of Robert Mapplethorpe’s studio
Monochrome meditations — The iconic photographer’s old studio manager, Suzanne Donaldson, remembers his final years: ‘It wasn’t like he was gathering followers. He was trying to express himself.’
Written by: Miss Rosen
The new voices shaking up contemporary African art
Meet the next wave — A new show celebrates the most exciting young artists from across Africa: ‘It’s about getting away from outdated ideas, generating new perspectives, and sending messages of pride, strength, and being bold.’
Written by: Miss Rosen
The offbeat, fantasy world of Laurie Simmons
Big camera, little camera — For four decades, the New York artist has been using surreal imagery to explore gender, identity, reality and illusion. We catch up with her as she gets ready for her first major retrospective.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Anarchic drawings of sex, body image and womanhood
Cowgirl dental floss — For years, artist Heather Benjamin has been at the forefront of New York’s punk scene; creating zines, books and art that explore a range of social taboos.
Written by: Biju Belinky
Why you need 35,000 followers to see this artist’s show
On my level — Wizard Skull’s latest New York exhibition has divided audiences – is it a clever commentary on exclusivity and social media culture, or a provocative waste of time?
Written by: Jonathan Turton
The wonderfully weird world of Shintaro Kago, manga outsider
In living colour — Shintaro Kago is a grandmaster of the grotesque: conjuring psychedelic illustrations that inspire as much awe as discomfort. As his cult following grows, he’s on a mission to keep surprising.
Written by: Thisanka Siripala
How art is transforming the US prison system
Jailhouse blues — For the past three decades, the CPA has been helping prisoners to embrace the therapeutic possibilities of art.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Collage: from DIY cut-and-paste to radical art form
Tear it up — From Barbara Kruger and Wangechi Mutu to Lorna Simpson: women have been pioneering the DIY art form for the last century. We speak to three artists on what cutting up and piecing together mixed media can tell us about gender, activism and the modern age.
Written by: Cristiana Bedei
Inside the fight to save creative freedom
The censorship struggle — Even today, constrictive censorship laws – in Europe and beyond – are stifling creativity and artistic expression. So who will stand up for artists when they’re silenced?
Written by: Chris Hayes