Design Matters with Debbie Millman

20th Anniversary celebration with legendary artists Bisa Butler, Deborah Kass, Marilyn Minter, Amy Sherald, and Ai Weiwei

41 snips
Sep 22, 2025
In a vibrant celebration, multimedia artist Deborah Kass shares her journey through art history and feminism. Portrait painter Amy Sherald discusses her bold color choices and the significance of her subjects, like Michelle Obama. Contemporary artist Marilyn Minter dives into the provocations of her work, addressing feminism and explicit imagery. Fiber artist Bisa Butler reveals her deep connection with fabric, especially in creating a quilted portrait of her grandmother. Each conversation highlights the role of art in challenging societal norms.
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ANECDOTE

Formative Chaos At Art School

  • Deborah Kass describes chaotic, drug-fueled art school experiences and a transformative Whitney Independent Study period.
  • Those moments exposed her to ambitious peers and set the stage for her appropriation-based art history paintings.
INSIGHT

How Feminism Reframed Art History

  • Deborah Kass links 1970s feminist painters with later photo-based critiques to explain her art-history appropriations.
  • She fused personal subjectivity and media critique to reopen the canon of painting.
ANECDOTE

Caretaking Interrupted Then Clarified Practice

  • Amy Sherald recounts pausing painting to care for elderly relatives and rediscovering her practice later.
  • She developed her signature gray skin after experimenting to avoid marginalizing her subjects.
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