Who Arted: Weekly Art History for All Ages

In mid-19th century Paris, the prestigious Paris Salon, sanctioned by the Académie des Beaux-Arts, reigned as the art world's epicenter, acting as the primary gateway to artistic success. By 1863, mounting rejections ignited public outcry, compelling Emperor Napoleon III to establish the groundbreaking Salon des Refusés. This exhibition, held at the Palais de l'Industrie, showcased rejected artists like Manet, Cézanne, and Pissarro, with Manet's "Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe" causing particular scandal. Despite harsh critical reception, the Salon des Refusés became a pivotal moment, exposing the Académie's rigidity, fostering modern art's rise, and demonstrating a public appetite for unconventional art, ultimately paving the way for future artistic revolutions like Impressionism, and cementing its legacy as a symbol of artistic freedom.Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 2 will begin Monday, March 3.Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round at whoartedpodcast.com/vote Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I recently had the pleasure to interview Pierre Benjamin, UK-based artist with years of experience specializing in 3D character and concept art, illustration, painting, and sculpture. His artistic journey began in childhood, deeply influenced by his photographer father and his grandfather, figurative painter Gérard Calvet. Formal training included sculpting under Serge Destarac, art history at the Louvre Museum, and a BA and MA in games and animation from the University of South Wales, where he now lectures.Find Pierre Benjamin online:https://www.instagram.com/pierre_benjaminhttps://pierrebenjamin.art/https://www.tiktok.com/@artofpierrebenjaminhttps://www.canvasgallery.com/artists/200-pierre-benjamin/works/Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 2 will begin Monday, March 3.Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round at whoartedpodcast.com/vote Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Piet Mondrian is considered an icon of modern art, but he didn't start off that way. While he always loved art, he got his degree in education. Mondrian's early paintings were somewhat traditional landscapes. He experimented with Impressionist and Post Impressionist styles, then moved on to some Cubist influence. His major breakthrough was with the De Stijl movement focusing on the basic elements of art using straight lines and primary colored rectangles. Mondrian was one of the most prominent theorists of the group as he developed a style he referred to as Neoplasticism.Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The brilliance of Edward Hopper is that he was able to be simultaneously specific and concrete yet vague and leave a lot up to the viewer to interpret. In a painting like Nighthawks we see people gathered in a diner, but as viewers we are stuck on the outside looking in. We feel isolated and apart from the scene and as we look closer, we discover that the people inside the diner are isolated themselves. It is not a group of four inside the space but rather a collection of four individuals.My guest for this episode was Julie Averbach, the founder of smARTee, a non-profit that helps people feel connected and continue their lifelong learning via free virtual museum tours. She is also the author of the upcoming book, The Art of Trader Joe's (https://theartoftraderjoes.com) which helps readers appreciate the subtle brilliance of the grocery chain. Buy the book on Amazon or at your local bookstore.Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Zaria Forman is a contemporary artist whose breathtakingly realistic, large-scale pastel drawings capture the fragile beauty of landscapes threatened by climate change. Unlike brushes or other tools, pastels allow for a direct, tactile connection with the artwork. Forman works primarily with her fingers and palms, smudging and blending the pigments directly onto the paper. This hands-on approach creates a unique intimacy and allows for an incredibly subtle layering of color and tone, resulting in the hyperrealistic detail that defines her drawings. The choice of pastels also reflects the ephemeral nature of the landscapes she depicts. Just as the glaciers are melting and the sea ice is breaking apart, the pastel itself is a delicate medium, susceptible to smudging and fading. By showcasing the breathtaking beauty of these endangered landscapes, she hopes to inspire people to protect them.Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian artist known for his provocative and satirical sculptures and installations that challenge the norms of the art world. His works often spark controversy and public discourse, blurring the lines between high art and everyday objects. Some of his most recognized pieces include, "Strategies," his mock up of a magazine cover intended to help him land a spot on the actual magazine's cover, "Comedian," a banana duct-taped to a wall, which sold for $120,000, and "America," a fully functional solid gold toilet that was once stolen from Blenheim Palace. Cattelan's art is often seen as a commentary on consumerism, celebrity culture, and the value of art itself.My guest this week was Tim Bogatz, host of Art Ed Radio from The Art of Education University (where you can also see articles I have written).In this episode, we referenced work by other artists. Listen to these episodes to learn more:Marcel Duchamp | FountainMeret Oppenheim | ObjectArts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Renoir is remembered as one of the greatest painters of the Impressionist movement. His paintings are soft and delicate, but his life and his work was a painful struggle. Most painters pride themselves on their ability to work with their hands. They spend years practicing, developing fine motor skills and muscle memory to easily render a beautiful image, but Renoir’s hands weren’t on board with the plan. As his son Jean recounted “Visitors who were unprepared for this could not take their eyes off his deformity. Though they did not dare to mention it, their reaction would be expressed by some such phrase as ‘it isn’t possible! With hands like that, how could he paint those pictures?” In 1899, Pierre-Auguste Renoir was sticken with Rhumetiod Arthritis which not only caused painful inflammation of the joints. It left his hands deformed. While even the most minor movements of his hand or wrist would bring pain, Renoir persisted. He continued making beautiful paintings until his death 20 years later because as he said, “pain passes, but beauty remains.”Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nick Cave, born February 4, 1959, in Fulton, Missouri, is a contemporary American artist best known for his "Soundsuits," wearable sculptures that blend sculpture, performance art, and social commentary. Raised in a large family that valued resourcefulness, Cave's early experiences with textiles and transformation shaped his artistic practice. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and later at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The 1991 Rodney King beating profoundly impacted Cave, leading to the creation of the Soundsuits as a response to racial injustice and a symbol of protection and empowerment. These intricate suits, made from found objects, textiles, and human hair, obscure the wearer's identity while creating a powerful visual and auditory spectacle. Cave's work extends beyond sculpture to include performances that engage communities and promote social change, solidifying his place as a significant figure in contemporary art.Arts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I interviewed Ephraim Urevbu a contemporary artist based in Memphis Tennessee. He shared his life experiences growing up in Nigeria then coming to the United States to study art and the ways the US did and did not fit with his expectations. We discussed his painting E Pluribus Unum and his work on The Naked Truth Project which seeks to spark conversations for an honest telling of America's history. One of the things that I really loved about speaking with Urevbu was his ability to discuss serious and painful truth while simultaneously recognizing the good and hope for the future.Find Ephraim Urevbu online:Website: https://www.nakedtruthartproject.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nakedtruthartgallery/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nakedtruthart?_t=8naZtXnPwNz&_r=1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Nakedtruthartproject/61551355179539/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess Phoenix is a designer based out of Seattle, Washington. She is known for making bright, bold floral patterns. She was nice enough to sit down with me to share her history, her influences and her process.Find Jess Phoenix online:Website: www.jessphoenix.comInstagram: @JessraephoenixArts Madness 2025Season 11 is all about my Arts Madness Tournament. Once again, I hope you will weigh in on your favorite artists/artworks as we go from 64 down to 1. For this year’s tournament, I put 32 works from the AP Art History list in one bracket, and on the other side, I have 32 artists/works from my personal “Salon des Refusés” that were not included in the curriculum. Voting for Round 1 will begin Monday, February 24. In the meantime, learn about all the different artists/artworks. I will be posting daily mini episodes for 64 days (mostly encore presentations with some updates and new episodes most Mondays).Arts Madness 2025 links: The Brackets Vote in the Current Round Check out my other podcasts  Art Smart | Rainbow Puppy Science LabWho ARTed is an Airwave Media Podcast. If you are interested in advertising on this or any other Airwave Media show, email: advertising@airwavemedia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices