Streaming tips

Exploring art and design... Abstract: The Art of Design This series features a different leading designer in each episode and specializes in inspiration. Highlights include Olafur Eliasson’s experimentations with light, sneaker designer Tinker Hatfield on his iconic designs for Nike, and graphic designer Paula Scher on the art of painting with words. Netflix

Art21

Baffled by contemporary art? You won’t be after a tour of this series, which profiles the 21st century’s greatest artists in their studios. Watching all 65 hours isn’t necessary, but once you start, you may not want to stop. art21.org

Black Art: In the Absence of Light

Art21 doesn’t bypass the most prominent Black artists, but think of this documentary as a necessary companion, expanding the conversation by illuminating the work of Faith Ringgold, Theaster Gates, Kara Walker, and many others. HBO Max

Objectified

Director Gary Hustwit begins this film by ticking off the assumptions we tend to make about the ordinary humanmade objects in our lives, then—through conversations with designers—complicates those objects in variously rewarding and disturbing ways. Kanopy

Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art

In the late 1990s, a trove of fake paintings—attributed to Rothko, Pollock, and other 20th-century giants—went on sale in New York and fooled everyone in the art world. How that happened turns out to be a lesson in our willingness to be duped. Netflix

Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint

Years before Vasily Kandinsky “pioneered” abstract art, Swedish artist Hilma af Klint was painting brilliantly in the style. This eye-opening documentary makes an unshakable case for her place in art’s pantheon. Kanopy