Interviews
Sitting witty: Katherine Parkinson reimagines portrait painting for the small screen
For Katherine Parkinson’s TV play about portrait sitters, Roxana Halls ‘ghost-painted’ a series of portraits – a demanding role, as they tell Apollo
The poetry of Polaroids, chez François Halard
Locked down in Arles, the celebrated interiors photographer François Halard made a series of dreamlike Polaroids that emerge as an enigmatic self-portrait
Behind the mask? An interview with Gillian Wearing
Gillian Wearing is in an unusually candid mode in her lockdown paintings, writes Martin Herbert – if you take them at face value, that is
For Lisa Yuskavage, art isn’t about being right or wrong – it’s the freedom to do what you want
She may paint Penthouse pin-ups, but Lisa Yuskavage’s work is far more compassionate than some critics allow – not that she makes art with morality in mind
‘The thing is to be brave’ – Maggi Hambling toughs it out
From that scandalous scallop to her Mary Wollstonecraft monument, Maggi Hambling is no stranger to controversy
‘The future is certainly in Africa’ – an interview with Simon Njami
The writer and curator discusses his latest project at Art Abu Dhabi and how the contemporary art scene in Africa has changed in recent years
Escape artist – an interview with Rashid Johnson
The conceptual artist talks about his interest in unusual materials – and in what it means to ‘run’
‘My painting explores what it means to inhabit your own body’ – an interview with Christina Quarles
In her enigmatic paintings, the California-based artist explores the gap between our bodies and how they’re perceived
Sarah Sze makes sense of time and space
The sculptor’s installation at the Fondation Cartier uses images and streams of information to investigate the nature of reality
Sounds of silence – an interview with Oliver Beer
Oliver Beer’s sound installations reveal a music that was already quietly present
‘We are enacting a planetary crisis with electronics’ – an interview with Julia Christensen
The Ohio-based artist discusses her long-term research into our throwaway culture – and how a LACMA fellowship led to her working with NASA
Flora Yukhnovich takes on Tiepolo in Venice
The London-based artist discusses her reimaginings of the Venetian painter’s celestial visions
Art without borders – an interview with Nalini Malani
The artist talks about how the history of modern India has shaped her life and her desire to reach a wide audience
Franco Maria Ricci (1937–2020)
The legendary Italian publisher has died at the age of 82. In this republished profile from 2019, he opened his library and richly idiosyncratic art collection to Apollo
Uncertainty principle – an interview with Eric Fischl
The American artist looks back at a career firmly dedicated to painting and the possibilities of figurative art
Photo realism – an interview with Alfredo Jaar
The Chilean-born artist talks about his ambivalent attitude towards photography and his utopian feelings about art
‘We were documenting for history’ – an interview with Civil Rights photographer Doris Derby
The activist, educator and artist discusses a lifetime spent fighting for racial justice – and the role that images can play in this struggle
‘Art is important to the recovery of our country’ – an interview with Gabriele Finaldi
The director of the National Gallery on what visitors can expect when the museum reopens – and how, while it’s been closed, it has been rethinking its relationship with its audience
The joyful art of Julio Le Parc
The Argentinian-born artist, now in his tenth decade, reflects on a life devoted to trying new things
‘The truth is contagious’ – an interview with Lonnie Holley
The artist and musician first turned to sculpture after a personal tragedy, but his work is rooted in the history of the American South
‘This is the moment to reach out to our Dutch public’ – Emilie Gordenker on the reopening of the Van Gogh Museum
The museum’s director talks about how the institution can best serve its audience in challenging times
The wit and wisdom of Yinka Shonibare
The artist discusses his plans for a new residency in Lagos, and delves into the serious mischief of his sculptures
‘We are ready to open’ – the Uffizi Galleries prepare for life after lockdown
Uffizi director Eike Schmidt discusses plans to reopen the galleries as the Italian government eases lockdown regulations
‘Freedom cannot be invented’ – an interview with Christo
The artist discusses his unorthodox methods, his long partnership with the late Jeanne-Claude, and finally being allowed to wrap the Arc de Triomphe
Pilgrims’ progress? The Vatican Jubilee has frustrated Romans and tourists alike