David Brafman

"Among all the arts, it is the art of alchemy which most closely imitates nature." - Albertus Magnus (teacher of St. Thomas Aquinas), ca. 1250 Alchemists are notorious for attempting to synthesise gold. Their goals, however, were far more ambitious: to transform and bend nature to the will of an industrious human imagination. For scientists, philosophers, and artists alike, alchemy...

This collection of unique works by 151 Los Angeles graffiti and tattoo artists represents an unprecedented collaboration across the city's diverse artistic landscape. Many graffiti artists carry sketchbooks, called black books, and they ask crew members and others whose work they admire to inscribe their books with lettering or drawings. A few years ago, the Getty Research Institute invited artists,...