I write about all aspects of art and the art world – from artists, museums, galleries, and the market to museum issues, art history, conservation, and art law. Writing about art has allowed me to tackle virtually any subject I've wanted to, from politics and technology to military history and contemporary culture. It is the perfect beat for anyone who wants to be a generalist in specialist's clothing.
You can find my work in The New Yorker, Town & Country, WSJ., T, The New York Times, Smithsonian, and 1stdibs, among others. I have also written for Slate, The Atlantic, Abu Dhabi's National, Art + Auction, Art in America and many more.
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Latest Work
Inka Essenhigh: The Power of Creative Confidence
Published on the occasion of an exhibition at Miles McEnery, New York, N. Y., November 5, 2026 - January 9, 2027
A journey back to the moment when Inka became an Art Star, and a discussion of some of the changes her work has been through since then.
link to pdf
The Rooms Where Art Happened
Elle Decor, September 2026
Memory and inspiration infuse the walls, objects, and paint-splattered barn floor at the East Hampton home of Lee Krasner and Jackson Pollock, whose genius gets a fresh look in a major new exhibition.
What Happens When a Commander-in-Chief Becomes a Collector?
Town & Country, Summer 2026
What’s the difference between a collector and a commander-in-chief? As the array of art at the new Obama Presidential Center, opening in June in Chicago, proves, it’s not as clear-cut as you might think.
see piece in print
The Dream of Having It All
Smithsonian, September/October 2025
A close look at the first career-women magazines reveals a portrait of immense creativity and hope
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Flashback - looking back at old stories
Following a celebrated show at Mass MoCA and CAMH in 2025-26, Vincent Valdez finally won the long-overdue recognition he deserved - and finally, a MacArthur award. Over 20 years ago, I wrote the catalog for his first museum show at the McNay Museum in San Antonio, his home town, where he had long been known as a prodigy.
Catalog essay for Vincent Valdez, Stations • McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, 2004
Mel Edwards just died. Here’s my profile from 2012 - the first major story when he was making his comeback into the gallery world. He was still in his crazy dilapidated studio, and he did not stop talking for an instant, even when the rain beat so loudly on the metal roof that it drowned out his voice and I had to turn off the recorder. (This loquaciousness was frequently mentioned at his memorial.)
Rediscovering Someone Recognized • New York Times, Oct. 17, 2012
The great British artist David Hockney just died. Here’s a profile from 2009, the year he showed his paintings in New York after a seven-year gap, and a visit to Yorkshire, where he grew up.
David Hockney’s Long Road Home • New York Times, Oct. 15, 2009 • cover, most e-mailed list
• Joan Semmel’s monumental nudes, painted from her point of view, are currently on view in Joan Semmel: In the Flesh, a terrific solo show at New York’s Jewish Museum. Here’s a review I wrote for Art in America when her work first reappeared in New York in a tiny show at Mitchell Algus, then in SoHo. The review pictures Sunlight (1978), the same painting the museum features on its website (they now own it).
Reviews: Joan Semmel at Mitchell Algus • Art in America, November 1999 • lead review
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