Let me be blunt: Subtlety sucks. This statement might anger you. Most of us take for granted that subtlety, in the arts, is a virtue. You can see it in our critical language: It’s common to say that a ...

Midway through my maiden visit to the derelict Domino Sugar refinery near the Williamsburg Bridge, while gaping in awe at Kara Walker’s great gaudy monstrosity, her towering naked sphinx with the head ...

In his piece “Against Subtlety,”, Slate writer Forrest Wickman argues that critical emphasis on subtlety is wrong and art should, in fact, be more heavy-handed and direct. To put my reaction into ...

In art and in real life, the power of subtlety cannot be underestimated. The best type of writing is subtle, rather than too much in the face. Nuances work far more powerfully than hyperboles. A quiet ...

2) Critics who give negative reviews to Neveldine/Taylor movies for any reason whatsoever. 3) Critics who complain when a metaphor isn’t subtle enough. Number three’s the worst because it’s most ...

The sphinx-like sculpture that drew throngs of people to a former sugar factory in Brooklyn over the summer is coming back—at least in part. Sikkema Jenkins & Co. on Nov. 21 will open a solo ...

Flirting comes in many forms: a casual gaze that lingers a half second longer than necessary, a light touch, an amorous expression, an overenthusiastic laugh during conversation, or even some playful ...