First time in its history and half a century since the last time a living artist graced its cover, Times magazine has announced Times 100 Art – the list of 100 most influential people in the art world.
Times editor-in-chief wrote about the edition: “We have been seeking out the leaders who shape art, with an eye to find those who are writing the field’s most important headlines […] And artists don’t work in a vacuum,” Jacobs adds. “They are supported by a massive ecosystem, from philanthropists and nonprofits who fund work, to gallerists and advisers who shape careers, to curators, museum leaders, and beyond. Half of the people on this list are not artists themselves. They make art possible.”
Some of the names are already well-known. Take, for instance, Maurizio Cattelan, whose duct-taped banana has crossed the art world threshold and now entered general pop culture. The cover girl of the edition was Amy Sherald. The 53-year-old American artist is known for the realistic portraits of African-American life. She drew major headlines for her work “Trans Forming Liberty”, which re-imagined a Black woman as the Statue of Liberty.
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Liek always, there has been a conversation around who should have been included, and who shouldn’t. For instance, the inclusion of artist Vanessa Horabuenal, known for Christianity-related art and sponsorship of Donald Trump, drew some ire. Meanwhile, iconic names like Jeff Koons, Marina Abramović, and Ai Weiwei were missing from the list. Times did not release the exact criteria used to evaluate the list.
