Chicago Amplified

John Ronan Connects with Brice Marden

Chicago architect John Ronan discusses his own work in relation to that of Brice Marden, American Minimalist painter.

Recorded on 12.5.2009

The Vinteuil Sonata--Where Music and Literature Collide

Composer John Adams discusses how novelists such as Marcel Proust and Thomas Mann describe the act of listening to music.

Recorded on 11.12.2009

Caravaggio—Beyond Biography

Keith Christiansen of the Metropolitan Museum of Art discusses Caravaggio's genius, in conjunction with the extraordinary loan of The Supper at Emmaus.

Recorded on 10.8.2009

Cézanne and Pissarro in the 1870s

T. J. Clark reviews the period when Pissarro and Cézanne painted side by side, before differences emerged constituting a parting of the ways within modernism.

Recorded on 10.1.2009

The Billionaire's Vinegar-The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine

Wine journalist Benjamin Wallace recapped highlights from his popular book which investigates discoveries of wine and questions the foundations of connoisseurship.

Recorded on 9.17.2009

Cy Twombly, the Natural World, and the "Nature" of Sculpture

Kate Nesin discussed how Cy Twombly plies the diverse but confluent materials of found-object assemblage, plaster, paint, poetry, as well as traditional bronze casting.

Recorded on 9.10.2009

Gifts of Wishful Thinking--Genji Screens and the Bridal Trousseau in Tokugawa Japan

Professor Melissa McCormick selected scenes from the Japanese novel The Tale of Genji to illuminate the literary classic's role in the genre of Japanese screens.

Recorded on 8.27.2009

Wine of the Pharaohs

Do you prefer red wine to white? So did King Tut. Egyptologist Leonard Lesko reviews the legacy of winemaking and tasting in Egypt from 5000 years ago.

Recorded on 7.16.2009

The Concept and Production of Mountain Lake Screen Tachi

Kyoto-based minimalist sculptor Okura Jiro shares the philosophy and inspiration behind his 1990 screen installation, Mountain Lake Screen Tachi.

Recorded on 7.9.2009

Still Life-Some Thoughts on the Late Work of Cy Twombly and the Artist's Studio

This lecture by Nicholas Cullinan, assistant curator of the Tate Modern, focused on the late style of Cy Twombly inhis paintings, sculptures, works on paper and photography.

Recorded on 6.18.2009

Reading: Ilya Kaminsky

Ilya Kamisky co-founded Poets for Peace and edits Words Without Borders, an online magazine. The poet activist presented selections of his work in English and Russian.

Recorded on 5.28.2009

Bauhaus to Green Haus: Updating Germany

The "Bauhaus to Green Haus" lecture series brings to Chicago European architects/designers who draw on the Bauhaus tradition and address today's sustainability challenges. In this installment, Matthais Böttger of Germany discussed his recent projects and design concepts.

Recorded on 4.30.2009

Artists Connect: Michael Dinges Connects with Joseph Cornell

Michael Dinges is a latter-day exemplar of the scrimshaw tradition. He etches serious social commentary and critique onto broken laptops, PVC piping, plastic buckets and lawn chairs.

Recorded on 4.4.2009

Bauhaus to Green Haus: From Pyramids to Spacecraft

Arturo Vittori talks about applying aerospace technologies to architecture and design in order to address today's environmental challenges.

Recorded on 4.2.2009

The Invisible Artist: Creators from Chicago's Southside

This program explores the “invisibility” of artists from Chicago’s Southside and their struggle to make their mark on their own city.

Recorded on 3.26.2009