Barry Schwabsky

Art Critic

Barry Schwabsky is the art critic of The Nation.

The Secret Powers of William Klein

The Secret Powers of William Klein The Secret Powers of William Klein

Using the street as his studio, he did more than just freeze a time and place in one frame. His photographs captured the world in motion.

Aug 31, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Philip Guston’s Philosophy of Doubt

Philip Guston’s Philosophy of Doubt Philip Guston’s Philosophy of Doubt

A delayed, divisive, and long-awaited retrospective finally debuts in Boston. 

Jul 28, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

The Whitney Biennial Isn’t As Bad as It Looks

The Whitney Biennial Isn’t As Bad as It Looks The Whitney Biennial Isn’t As Bad as It Looks

But it sure does make a poor first impression.

May 11, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Landscapes of the Mind

Landscapes of the Mind Landscapes of the Mind

On Joseph E. Yoakum and Etel Adnan.

Mar 29, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Are Museums in Crisis?

Are Museums in Crisis? Are Museums in Crisis?

As institutions around the world deal with various challenges—politically and economically—it is worth asking if museums have lost their authority.

Mar 8, 2022 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Masaomi Yasunaga’s Fused Pots

Encounters With the Unknown Encounters With the Unknown

Returning to New York’s galleries in search of surprise.

May 19, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Guston in his Woodstock studio

Philip Guston’s Peculiar History Lesson Philip Guston’s Peculiar History Lesson

On the painter’s politics of self-questioning.

Apr 12, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

Lawrence Ferlinghetti At City Lights

The World Lawrence Ferlinghetti Built The World Lawrence Ferlinghetti Built

As a poet, publisher, and bookstore owner, he helped foster a literary ecosystem where politics and culture for the better seemed possible.

Mar 3, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

The Unknown Radicals of Black Photography

The Unknown Radicals of Black Photography The Unknown Radicals of Black Photography

A recent exhibition on the Kamoinge Workshop tells the story of a group of photographers who explored the artistic and political potential of the medium to its fullest.

Feb 15, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

When the Painting Has Really Begun

When the Painting Has Really Begun When the Painting Has Really Begun

On the mid-career work of Cecily Brown and Inka Essenhigh.

Jan 19, 2021 / Books & the Arts / Barry Schwabsky

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