Art
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
How politicians killed Paris’s art-squat movement
‘Punir les pauvres’ — Over the past few years, Paris City Council has legalised several legendary artists’ squats to capitalise on their ‘cool’ factor. But as writer Eloïse Stark discovered, the move has effectively destroyed the founding principles of this underground scene.
Written by: Eloïse Stark
‘I have a compulsive hatred for Tracey Emin & Damien Hirst’
Jamie Reid talks — Famed for his work with the Sex Pistols, artist Jamie Reid defined the image of UK punk rock. To celebrate the launch of his first ever retrospective, he talks Thatcher, socialism and the fall of nature.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The story of Noirwave, Africa’s pioneering punk movement
The black house — What began as an artistic practice by musician Petite Noir has quickly morphed into a state of mind; a way of expressing the powerful but fragmented identity of today’s African diaspora.
Written by: Alexandra Genova
‘Artists make work because they have to. It’s survival’
Black in America — Artist Hank Willis Thomas explores black identity and representation; using art to probe who we are, how we came to be and what is important.
Written by: Miss Rosen
How an island in the Thames became a hedonistic hideaway
Eel Pie’s secrets — Hidden away in the depths of west London, the 500-metre long Eel Pie Island has always guarded its secrets well – but its incredible legacy is about to be uncovered.
Written by: Jessica Furseth
Hip hop photography, remixed by iconic graffiti artists
The mash-up — Legendary New York photographer Janette Beckman hands her work over to the world’s biggest streets artists for new project, The Mash-Up.
Written by: Miss Rosen
