Life

The decision by Reuters to identify the street artist Banksy after decades of mystery is a reminder of the power and magic of secrets.

As a pioneer of talkback radio in Australia, Barry Jones helped establish it as a public forum for meaningful conversation – one that is now more necessary than ever.

In the 1960s, two sisters offered an exceptionally valuable portrait of their mother as a donation to the Art Gallery of NSW. It was rejected because the subject was Jewish, but now hangs at the National Gallery in London.

Donald Trump’s culture war extends to his insistence on ‘beauty’ in architecture. Why has his preferred classical style been such a popular choice among totalitarian leaders?

The author’s admiration of the hardy plant life spreading across the roof turns to alarm when the true nature of the growth is revealed.

Bianca Spender’s aesthetic is about liberation – she is scathing of the constraints imposed on her industry due to a lack of government investment.

As the author mourns the loss of the romanticism that drove the music of his heroes, he considers how the next generations will bring new human cultures into being.

The loss of a beloved pet leads the author to reflect on the nature of friendships with companion animals.

In a week of climate-driven bushfires and flooding, the author finds solace in explorations of both human ingenuity and the science of existence.

Three decades after she published The Cook’s Companion, Stephanie Alexander reflects on what drove her to write the book many regard as a kitchen bible.