Karl-Anthony Towns attempts a shot while being fouled by Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs during the first quarter in Game Four of the 2026 NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden on June 10, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
Some facts from art history to put it all in perspective.
At the same time, the full-bore urban decay that would define the decade was setting in. Graffiti, which observers hadn’t thought of as much besides vandalism before, became a self-conscious art movement.
The 1973 Whitney Biennial was actually the first Whitney Biennial, in the sense that, it previously been the Whitney Annual. In a reaction to the increasing pluralism of art that was also considered a wild revision of modern-art standards, different mediums were shown together for the first time. The 1973 show featured 220 artists, including names-you-still-know like Helen Frankenthaler, Donald Judd, and Joan Mitchell—though now-little-known painter Dan Christensen was the most-commented-upon artist in the show.
–Ben Davis, Artnet
June 12, 2026
