Katy Siegel

Katy Siegel is a professor of art history at Hunter College in New York, editor in chief of Art Journal, and a contributing editor to Artforum. She has authored numerous essays on modern and contemporary artists, such as Paul Pfeiffer, Takashi Murakami, Lisa Yuskavage, Bernard Frize, and Mark Bradford. She was the curator of High Times, Hard Times: New York Painting, 1967–1975, and is currently at work on a large, historical painting exhibition for the Wexner Center in 2013. Her most recent books include Since ’45: America and the Making of Contemporary Art, published this spring; and Abstract Expressionism, due out this fall. Since ’45 details the collision of American history and modern art. For the more than half-century since World War II, New York has been the center of world art, with an influence that extends well beyond the continent. Since ’45 discusses how artists’ preoccupations with issues of race, mass culture, the individual, suburbia, apocalypse, and nuclear destruction have shaped their art. Siegel explores how American culture dominated not only American artist—replacing the conditions of the European avant-garde—but created conditions that now, after the globalization of the art world, affect artists around the world.

** A book signing in conjunction with the publication of Siegel’s book Since ’45: America and the Making of Contemporary Art will precede the lecture.**

This popular series of lectures and presentations by artists, scholars, and critics is free and open to the public. To assure seating, free admission tickets are available at the Modern’s admission desk beginning at 5 pm on the day of the lecture. Seating begins at 6:30 pm and is limited to 250. A live broadcast of the lectures is shown in Café Modern for any additional guests. Lectures begin at 7 pm. The Museum galleries and the café remain open until 7 pm on Tuesday evenings during the series.

Podcasts of these lectures are available here, two weeks after presentation date.

Tuesday Evenings Cocktails and Light Bites
Guests can enjoy refreshments from 5 to 7 pm in Café Modern before Tuesday Evenings lectures. Choose from Café Modern’s unique cocktail menu or distinctive wine list. Coffee, tea, and light snacks are also available.