Lines of control – the story of Jackson Pollock's drips
The American painter may be famed for a chaotic approach, but in reality he had complete command of his materials – and he owed his technique to a printmaker
Immaterial girl – Madonna enters the metaverse
Madonna was once NSFW. Now, thanks to Beeple, she has turned herself into an NFT
In the studio with… Larry Bell
The American artist divides his time between Venice Beach and New Mexico, with one studio in a church and the other in a former commercial laundry
Roy Keane’s long road to respectability
The winning entry in the inaugural Football Art Prize depicts Roy Keane in sombre mood, but Rakewell still treasures the player-turned-pundit’s more devilish side
Sheena Wagstaff to leave Met’s modern and contemporary department
Plus: the Smithsonian adopts new ethical returns policy and 2,000 works of art reported to have been looted from Mariupol
Advert
Acquisitions of the Month: April 2022
A terrifically grumpy portrait of Goya and a mythical landscape by Paul Bril are among this month’s highlights
‘An elegy to a disappearing planet’ – Katie Paterson in Edinburgh, reviewed
Over the course of an almost a decade, the Scottish artist has gathered and crushed ancient geological specimens to create a work of real conceptual power
Advert
In the studio with… Shilpa Gupta
The artist’s studio in Mumbai is animated by the rumbling of the railway – and home to a collection of cough-syrup bottles
In the studio with… Michael Craig-Martin
The conceptual artist is careful about who he invites to the studio, but counts George Michael as one of his most interesting visitors
May 2022
• The method in Jackson Pollock’s madness
• The problem with Russian money in the art world
• What war photography looks like today
• Philip Guston’s uneasy quest for freedom
Plus: The women artists gazing at men, the portraits of Glyn Philpot, and Elizabeth David’s taste in Old Masters; and reviews of Donatello in Florence, Boilly in Paris, Kafka’s drawings and Stephen Shore’s memoir.
In the studio with… Amie Siegel
The American artist accumulates a mass of materials while working but when she finishes a project, her space must be cleared to begin afresh
The strange and sinister world of Julia Soboleva
The Latvian-born artist takes found photographs and paints over them to make enigmatic and eerie images – but they’re not meant to be scary, she insists
A question for Viola Davis: what is the world without critics?
Following Viola Davis’ recent claim that critics serve no purpose, Rakewell asks the actor to reconsider their role as champions of the overlooked
Advert
‘A curatorial masterclass’ – the 59th Venice Biennale, reviewed
Cecilia Alemani’s focus on women artists goes beyond tokenism to present a strong statement about both contemporary art and the world we live in
The art of armour – uncovering the details of a Renaissance shield
Pierre Terjanian of the Metropolitan Museum of Art tells Apollo why a Renaissance pageant shield is such a beguiling work of art
The Soane Museum provides a masterclass in the art of architectural drawing
Frances Sands’ selection from one of the world’s greatest collections of architectural drawings will delight both experts and the general reader alike
The fine lines of Franz Kafka
The writer’s drawings are every bit as fastidious as his sentences – and full of the same preoccupations
Lines of control – the story of Jackson Pollock’s drips
The American painter may be famed for a chaotic approach, but in reality he had complete command of his materials – and he owed his technique to a printmaker
The art world’s problem with Russian money
As the number of global billionaires has ballooned, the art world has become increasingly reliable on questionable funds from Russia and elsewhere
Why aren’t more women artists gazing at men?
There is no great tradition of male nudes by women artists, but this underlines an asymmetry of power rather than a lack of female desire
Give and Take: Photos upon Photos
The Hamburger Kunsthalle looks at 20 contemporary artists who incorporate archival materials into their work
Cornelia Parker
The sculptor’s fantastical installations made from mundane things are celebrated in this retrospective at Tate Britain
Feminine Power: The Divine to the Demonic
The British Museum explores 5,000 years of cultural conceptions about women
Risky business – why is New York getting rid of auction regulations?
The city claims that its decision to loosen the rules governing art auctions seeks to create a more consumer-friendly environment – but how can it?