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Trained in literature and entrepreneurship, Rainey is the founder of Glasstire, the online magazine of visual art in Texas and the oldest online-only art magazine in the country. In 2019, she stepped down as publisher after over 18 years at the helm.

She is currently editing a book about the Rice Gallery and writing for magazines.

Rainey has spoken or written about arts journalism at Emory University, the USC Annenberg School, the El Paso Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, College Arts Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other places. She has also spoken about caregiving at Houston Methodist Hospital. She lives in Houston.

Trained in literature and entrepreneurship, Rainey is the founder of Glasstire, the online magazine of visual art in Texas and the oldest online-only art magazine in the country. In 2019, she stepped down as publisher after over 18 years at the helm.

She is currently editing a book about the Rice Gallery and writing for magazines.

Rainey has spoken or written about arts journalism at Emory University, the USC Annenberg School, the El Paso Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, College Arts Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other places. She has also spoken about caregiving at Houston Methodist Hospital. She lives in Houston.

Trained in literature and entrepreneurship, Rainey is the founder of Glasstire, the online magazine of visual art in Texas and the oldest online-only art magazine in the country. In 2019, she stepped down as publisher after over 18 years at the helm.

She is currently editing a book about the Rice Gallery and writing for magazines.

Rainey has spoken or written about arts journalism at Emory University, the USC Annenberg School, the El Paso Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, College Arts Association, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other places. She has also spoken about caregiving at Houston Methodist Hospital. She lives in Houston.

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Rainey Knudson

Dec 7, 20241 min read

82. Grupo Mondongo, Calavera 4 (Skull 4)

Grupo Mondongo (Juliana Laffitte, Manuel Mendanha, and Agustina Picasso), Calavera 4 (Skull 4), 2009. Plasticine on wood, approx. 77 × 77 × 3 inches.

Look closely. This massive skull is made from over 1,000 tiny images molded in 3-D plasticine. We can make out a last supper across the forehead with Gandhi, a mummy, Yoda, Chairman Mao, and… is that Hitler at the table? Jesus. (Literally.) Such gleeful, nihilistic heresy—the background is Pac-Man—is a contemporary take on an old artistic trope: skulls mean death. Think of Hamlet marveling at poor Yorick, or all the beautiful still life paintings with food and wine and musical instruments… and skulls. So don’t get distracted, stay calm and clear, because none of this worldly craziness matters!

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