Art & design
-
'We're stepping out of a binary' – celebrating the art of marginalized LGBT MuslimsThe Third Muslim show aims to encourage inclusivity by challenging stereotypes giving voice to queer Muslims -
Titian painting given to Charles I's plumber goes up for saleOliver Cromwell’s government gave artwork as part payment of money owed for palace repairs
-
'I don’t know how they live with themselves' – artist Nan Goldin takes on the billionaire family behind OxyContinThe photographer became an addict after getting hooked on a prescription opioid. Now clean, she is waging war on the art philanthropists who have profited from the crisis -
Fresh hope for art loan schemesLetters: Vivien Lovell recalls a picture loan scheme she introduced in Tower Hamlets in the late 70s, and Ros Napier says her library in Solihull also lent reproductions of famous art -
Letter: Gavin Stamp obituaryGraham Coster writes: It was entirely characteristic of Gavin Stamp to worry that he had ‘wasted his time’ not writing ‘proper books’
-
David Lynch and Patricia Arquette, Sundance film festival 1997Susan Meiselas captures a surrealist master and his shadowy heroine as they set out on the Lost Highway -
Classic photography from the OFM archivesClassic images to celebrate Observer Food Monthly’s 200th issue -
The 20 photographs of the weekProtests in Ramallah, surfing in Praia do Norte, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Roger Federer in the Australian Open – the week’s biggest news stories captured by the world’s best photojournalists
-
A blueprint for British housing in 2028Imagine this: in two years, riots force the government to transform planning, design and building – and make Britain a world leader in housing. A utopian dream? It’s not as unlikely as you think -
Could a Channel bridge be as bold and beautiful as these marvels?From the ‘writhing sea monster’ in Qatar to the magic carpet ride above the clouds in France, there is no shortage of inspiration for magnificent long-span bridges. What could architects create for Boris Johnson’s proposed Channel link? -
A bridge too far? Longest bridges around the world - in picturesBoris Johnson has proposed a 22-mile link across the Channel – a distance which sounds impressive, but which is exceeded by many existing bridges. We look at some of the longest and most spectacular around the world -
Instagram's urban flaneur: 'This could be your city … it could be any city'Jan Halle’s photographs reflect his experience exploring cities at leisure and on foot. His peaceful scenes, devoid of human activity, speak to the universal nature of urban environments
Visual arts
-
Laura Cumming’s best art of 2017There was revolutionary fervour from Russia, dazzling critiques of the American dream, and unforgettable faces… -
Meals on pedestals: art gallery restaurantsA new wave of caterers is changing the way we eat in galleries by creating their own visual feasts for visitors, says Juliana Piskorz
-
Peter Conrad’s best art books of 2017A quest for the real Leonardo da Vinci, a memorial to Leonora Carrington and the art in Proust fascinate and illuminate
You may have missed
-
Alternative election posters: from psychic love waves to Chicken Cottage pledgesDoes your vote go to Cornelia Parker’s right-sniffing dogs, Bedwyr Williams’ comic-book villains or Corbyn’s manifesto rebranded as a fashion choice? -
Judy Chicago on the Beatles: 'They represent things we have lost – hope and freedom'For Sgt Pepper’s 50th anniversary, the great psychedelic visionary of feminist art has created a giant mop-top mural inspired by Fixing a Hole – a song that sums up what she has spent her entire career doing -
Flat caps and bowler hats: Neil Libbert's bygone Britain – in picturesFor six decades, the celebrated Guardian photojournalist has chronicled everyday British life. Here, he trains his lens on postwar austerity – and flying cats -
Warriors in weaponised kilts: where Outlander creator Diana Gabaldon gets her ideas fromThe author of the cult Highland time travel series transports our writer back to the era of tartan onesies and exploding sporrans
Charles I: King and Collector review – majestic collection fit for an unfit king