A Page By Ad Reinhardt 

Ad Reinhardt created this page of comic strips at an unknown date, using ink on paper. It looks like something you might find in a newspaper, but Reinhardt uses it to comment on art and culture. The comic book format became popular in America, and comic books were soon seen as lowbrow entertainment. Reinhardt references this medium to elevate and ridicule the institutions of art. A reference to “Look, Comics” in the top-left hints at the use of popular culture as the subject of high art. The work’s absurdist humor pokes fun at art critics and artists alike. To better understand such a work, one could look at art criticism during the mid-20th century, and also the rise of pop art. Ultimately, Reinhardt suggests that art is always influenced by popular culture and institutional norms.