Hundreds of shoelaces form just three words. Here, the artist takes an abstract idea and makes it immediate. Nari Ward, We the People (black version) by Dr. Mindy Besaw, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Dr. Steven Zucker
Ai Weiwei synthesizes the clash between reverence for the past and the irrepressible drive for the future. The Case for Ai Weiwei by The Art Assignment
Using the language of advertising, Jaar conveys a political message about who “Americans” really are. Alfredo Jaar, A Logo for America by Dr. Doris Maria-Reina Bravo
Haring’s subway drawings were born from his desire to create art that was accessible for everyone. Keith Haring, Subway Drawings by Dr. Amy Raffel
Wiley wryly places himself alongside the great master painters of history with his reimagined Napoleon. Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over ... by Dr. Gayle Clemans
Tuffery’s iconic “tinned bull” addresses contemporary concerns about ecological health and food sovereignty Michel Tuffery, Pisupo Lua Afe (Corned Beef ... by Dr. Billie Lythberg
Richter revives the genre of history painting in the 21st century in this work showing the events of 9/11. Gerhard Richter, September by Gerhard Richter studio
John Cage and Richter never met, but there was a kinship between these two artists with diverse practices. Gerhard Richter, The Cage Paintings (1-6) by Gerhard Richter studio
Xu Bing’s text is illegible—even to those who can read Chinese. Xu Bing, Book from the Sky by Dr. Allison Young and Dr. Steven Zucker
Hyperreal paintings like “Betty” are just one part of Richter’s practice, which resists stylistic classification. Gerhard Richter, Betty by Sal Khan and Dr. Steven Zucker
Over 100 million porcelain seeds filled the Tate’s Turbine Hall in a critique of conformity and censorship. Ai Weiwei, Kui Hua Zi (Sunflower Seeds) by Megan Lorraine Debin
When thousands of schoolchildren died in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, Ai Weiwei refused to stay silent. Ai Weiwei, Remembering and the Politics of ... by JP McMahon
In this work, a contemporary Ethiopian artist explores the utopian potential of chaos in a globalizing world. Julie Mehretu, Stadia II by Dr. Allison Young
Why watch the tides when you can read about it in the newspaper? Kentridge comments on social class in this drawing. William Kentridge, drawing from Tide Table (Soho ... by Josh R. Rose
Neshat’s series examines the complexities of women’s identities in the Middle East’s changing cultural landscape. Shirin Neshat, Rebellious Silence, Women of Allah ... by Dr. Allison Young
Cheap fabric with a garish print becomes an eerie specter of surveillance thanks to some creative chemistry. Sigmar Polke, Watchtower series by Katrina Klaasmeyer
Hugh Hefner turned women into objects, and Sigmar Polke turned those objects into dots. Sigmar Polke, Bunnies by Katrina Klaasmeyer
Richter toys with both visual and ethical clarity in this evocative, ambiguous painting of an uncle lost to WWII. Gerhard Richter, Uncle Rudi by Dr. Steven Zucker