Seductive stitches, Warhol in Nottingham, and a giant Italian igloo – Art Week | Art and design

Exhibition of the week

Jessica Rankin
This New York artist’s abstract works hover between embroidery and painting and have a seductive, lyrical beauty.
White Cube Mason Yard, London, from 28 January to 28 February

also appear

Andy Warhol
The artist who defines America is still captivating, even if Trump’s America isn’t.
Lakeside Arts Gallery, Nottingham, from 24 January to 19 April

as long as like it takes
An interesting exploration of how drawing grows from performance art, or vice versa, with Caralie McCall, Janica Perna and others.
Patrick Hyde Contemporary Art, London, until 7 March

For John Constable
David Hockney, John Holland and others pay tribute to the great landscape artist.
Bernard Jacobson Gallery, London, from 29 January to 27 February

Mario Merz
A protective and welcoming igloo sculpture and other works by environmentally sensitive legend Arte Povera.
Sprovery, London, until 13 March

Picture of the week

Henry, 78, is a regular at Barrass Market in Glasgow’s east end and is always well dressed. “How are you, Henry? Are you okay?” “Better than good – I’m lucky.” His photograph, taken by Stuart Edwards, is one of the winning shots in this year’s Photo of Britain competition. See more here.

What we learned

A 67,800-year-old hand shape in an Indonesian cave may be the world’s oldest rock art

Ai Weiwei’s new book On Censorship is at its most lively when he thinks about artificial intelligence

Beryl Cook put on a saucy display of bouncing breasts, smiling smokers, and a splash of BDSM in her hometown

Colombian artist Beatriz Gonzalez, known for her powerful political work, has died at the age of 93.

A new book celebrates the golden age of clear package design

Tracey Emin has curated an exhibition of the work of her melancholy heroes

Montez Press, champions of queer feminist art, reach a global audience

Sally Tallant will be the new director of the Hayward Gallery in London

Masterpiece of the week

Madonna of humility With Saints Mark and John by Lorenzo Veneziano, C.1366-70

The tender gaze between mother and child elevates this medieval painting from gold-laden piety to human depth. Maryam is not so humble as she is devoted to her child. The infant also shows the need for it. It is a painful real-life moment and a recognizable experience. This Venetian work was painted at a time when Italian artists were pioneering a new sensitivity to gestures and expressions, giving art an unprecedented emotional power. The colder, more distant and regal figures in early medieval art were giving way to psychological intensity and emotional drama. Veneziano shares this new mentality with artists such as Giotto and Simone Martini – and writers such as Dante, Boccaccio, and the British Geoffrey Chaucer.
National Gallery, London

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