Meet the Artist: Five Fascinating Fine Arts Talks

By Troy Segal

Sure, a great work of art speaks for itself–but hearing an artist speak about his or her work is always an enriching experience. Here are some of the intriguing events in New York coming up over the next few weeks.

Kara Walker. Photo: Sari Goodfriend

May 20. Kara Walker discusses the themes of race, gender and sexuality that flow through her tableaux and paper cut-out silhouettes. New York Public Library, 7:00 p.m.

Mark Kostabi’s Far from Home. martinlawrence.com

May 22. Mingle with painter Mark Kostabi, known for his fluid, faceless figures, at a Meet the Artist reception and get first dibs on a new crop of oils. Martin Lawrence Galleries, 457 W. Broadway, 212-995-8865, 7:00 p.m., free.

Jun. 12. Join fashion designer Mary Ping as she deconstructs the ideology behind, and the fashion references in, her capsule clothing collections. Museum of Arts & Design, 7:00 p.m.

Jun. 17.  Photographers Martha Cooper, Henry Chalfant, Flint Gennari, and Jon Naar share evocative images and dramatic stories from the field, as they went about documenting graffiti writing in the 1970s and 1980s. Museum of the City of New York, 6:30 p.m. Main page photo: © Jon Naar; mcny.org

Jun. 26. Self-taught architect Tadao Ando self-analyzes the motivations, concepts and dreams that lie behind his structures. Japan Society, 6:30 p.m.