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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
issues
When Facebook Is Part Of The Message
"There is a symbiotic relationship between message and medium, and that medium influences how the message is perceived. If a user posts that he or she just got married on Facebook, they are essentially encouraging all of their friends to accept and react to that status update on Facebook. The medium embodies this message - you are married, on Facebook."
"There is a symbiotic relationship between message and medium, and that medium influences how the message is perceived. If a user posts that he or she just got married on Facebook, they are essentially encouraging all of their friends to accept and react to that status update on Facebook. The medium embodies this message - you are married, on Facebook."
ReadWriteWeb 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@10:14AM
visual Italian Police Arrest Gang Using X-Rays To Help Forge Antiquities
"A two-and-a-half-year-long suspected archaeological fraud involving thousands of forged Greek and Etruscan artefacts, a hospital x-ray machine, a philanthropic aristocrat and a sophisticated network of forgers has come to an abrupt end after police raids late last year on two homes belonging to alleged members of a gang."
"A two-and-a-half-year-long suspected archaeological fraud involving thousands of forged Greek and Etruscan artefacts, a hospital x-ray machine, a philanthropic aristocrat and a sophisticated network of forgers has come to an abrupt end after police raids late last year on two homes belonging to alleged members of a gang."
The Art Newspaper 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@10:09AM
issues Decline Of The Arts? Really?
"Of course decline can be a fairly straightforward descriptive term--in the sense that we say that a person who is old and ill and will probably never entirely recover is "declining." But to speak of "The Decline of the Arts" is to suggest a development with a philosophical or ideological amplitude, to evoke thoughts about the rise and fall of civilizations and cultures, about periodicity, systemic failure, decadence, maybe even the divine retribution that is sometimes woven into arguments about the collapse of civilizations."
"Of course decline can be a fairly straightforward descriptive term--in the sense that we say that a person who is old and ill and will probably never entirely recover is "declining." But to speak of "The Decline of the Arts" is to suggest a development with a philosophical or ideological amplitude, to evoke thoughts about the rise and fall of civilizations and cultures, about periodicity, systemic failure, decadence, maybe even the divine retribution that is sometimes woven into arguments about the collapse of civilizations."
The New Republic 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@10:03AM
visual Mona Lisa Copy Draws Big Crowds At Prado
"Crowds gathered Tuesday at Madrid's Prado Museum to view a copy of the "Mona Lisa" for the first time since restoration revealed it was almost certainly painted by one of Leonardo da Vinci's apprentices as he worked on the original."
"Crowds gathered Tuesday at Madrid's Prado Museum to view a copy of the "Mona Lisa" for the first time since restoration revealed it was almost certainly painted by one of Leonardo da Vinci's apprentices as he worked on the original."
Yahoo! (AP) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@09:52AM
music Concern About Proposed Recording Industry Consolidation
"If approved, the sales would reduce the number of major players from four to three and give Universal and Sony substantial advantages over Warner. Battle lines have been drawn throughout the industry, with Warner and independent labels lobbying to block the deals and consumer groups expressing concern that the deals would stifle competition and innovation."
"If approved, the sales would reduce the number of major players from four to three and give Universal and Sony substantial advantages over Warner. Battle lines have been drawn throughout the industry, with Warner and independent labels lobbying to block the deals and consumer groups expressing concern that the deals would stifle competition and innovation."
The New York Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/21/12@09:49AM
issues University Abruptly Cancels Workshop By Tim Miller (Of "NEA Four" Fame)
"Villanova University abruptly canceled a weeklong workshop by a gay performance artist whose stage shows are often laced with nudity and simulated sex but who has taught and lectured at numerous colleges, including the nation's largest Catholic university, DePaul, in Chicago."
"Villanova University abruptly canceled a weeklong workshop by a gay performance artist whose stage shows are often laced with nudity and simulated sex but who has taught and lectured at numerous colleges, including the nation's largest Catholic university, DePaul, in Chicago."
Philadelphia Inquirer 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@09:17AM
people David Foster Wallace Would Have Been 50 This Week
"It would be weak to take Wallace's tongue-in-cheek humility as definitive evidence of what he was or wasn't as a writer. Wallace was likely aware, even in his more self-doubting moments, that he was a skilled reporter (he certainly enjoyed it, at least)."
"It would be weak to take Wallace's tongue-in-cheek humility as definitive evidence of what he was or wasn't as a writer. Wallace was likely aware, even in his more self-doubting moments, that he was a skilled reporter (he certainly enjoyed it, at least)."
Salon 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@07:31AM
ideas David Brooks: We've Become A Talent Society
"It's more accurate to say that we have gone from a society that protected people from their frailties to a society that allows people to maximize their talents."
"It's more accurate to say that we have gone from a society that protected people from their frailties to a society that allows people to maximize their talents."
The New York Times 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@07:28AM
issues The Problem With Arts CEO Salaries?
"The most common refrain is: If we don't pay these salaries, we won't get the best people. But this is rarely true. The people who run the great museums and universities would likely take jobs for half the wage because, actually, they do love museums and universities, and nothing better satisfies their lifelong passion than a top job. Still, if offered a CEO's salary, who is going to turn it down?"
"The most common refrain is: If we don't pay these salaries, we won't get the best people. But this is rarely true. The people who run the great museums and universities would likely take jobs for half the wage because, actually, they do love museums and universities, and nothing better satisfies their lifelong passion than a top job. Still, if offered a CEO's salary, who is going to turn it down?"
Boston Globe Magazine 02/19/12
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Posted 02/21/12@07:26AM
theatre Colorblind "Oklahoma" Casting Has Seattle Audiences Uncomfortable
"This production has some audience members squirming in their seats. Not only are they struggling with their memories of, and expectations for the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, they're seeing on stage one of the ugliest stereotypes in our history: an imposing black man ravaging a petite white woman."
"This production has some audience members squirming in their seats. Not only are they struggling with their memories of, and expectations for the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, they're seeing on stage one of the ugliest stereotypes in our history: an imposing black man ravaging a petite white woman."
Seattle Times 02/21/12
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Posted 02/21/12@06:48AM
media Taviani Brothers, Now In Their 80s, Win Golden Lion In Berlin
"The Italian docudrama Caesar Must Die from octogenarian sibling film-makers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani won the top prize at the Berlin film festival on Saturday. The film follows real-life inmates of a high-security jail as they rehearse for a performance of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar."
"The Italian docudrama Caesar Must Die from octogenarian sibling film-makers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani won the top prize at the Berlin film festival on Saturday. The film follows real-life inmates of a high-security jail as they rehearse for a performance of William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar."
The Guardian (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:09AM
dance English National Ballet Loses Artistic Director Wayne Eagling
"The company gives no reason for this exceedingly short notice, which leaves them having to advertise the third most significant job in British ballet within the next few days, and a precipitate appointment procedure only weeks after the departure of their managing director."
"The company gives no reason for this exceedingly short notice, which leaves them having to advertise the third most significant job in British ballet within the next few days, and a precipitate appointment procedure only weeks after the departure of their managing director."
The Arts Desk (London) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:07AM
issues Is Culture Replacing Class At The Heart Of British Society?
Television broadcaster Melvyn Bragg: "Class has not slunk away from these islands. It never will. Too many people have an investment in it. But ... I would argue that we are now a nation of cultures rather than a nation of classes. If we look at the passion with which people describe what they do in their leisure time, you have a truer picture of our society today."
Television broadcaster Melvyn Bragg: "Class has not slunk away from these islands. It never will. Too many people have an investment in it. But ... I would argue that we are now a nation of cultures rather than a nation of classes. If we look at the passion with which people describe what they do in their leisure time, you have a truer picture of our society today."
The Telegraph (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:06AM
music Ben Heppner, With More Vocal Trouble, Pulls Out Of Moby-Dick In San Diego
In the West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's hit opera on Saturday, Heppner' voice was reportedly in distress. Now he has withdrawn from Tuesday's performance due to illness, with the two remaining dates up in the air.
In the West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's hit opera on Saturday, Heppner' voice was reportedly in distress. Now he has withdrawn from Tuesday's performance due to illness, with the two remaining dates up in the air.
Los Angeles Times 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:06AM
people Soprano Elizabeth Connell Dead At 65
She began her four-decade career as a mezzo and became a widely-praised dramatic soprano, working frequently at Covent Garden and Opera Australia. Born in South Africa, she starred in the historic 2004 staging of Fidelio in honor of Nelson Mandela at Robben Island prison.
She began her four-decade career as a mezzo and became a widely-praised dramatic soprano, working frequently at Covent Garden and Opera Australia. Born in South Africa, she starred in the historic 2004 staging of Fidelio in honor of Nelson Mandela at Robben Island prison.
The Telegraph (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:05AM
dance Anna Pavlova - What Made Her Great?
"She evidently lacked the dynamic virtuosity of her contemporary Karsavina ... Her technique was, by modern standards, limited. But what she did have was a unique charm, matched to a lithe but wiry physique (including an exceptionally long, pliant neck and high-arched feet) which gave her musculature a feline ease and sensuality."
"She evidently lacked the dynamic virtuosity of her contemporary Karsavina ... Her technique was, by modern standards, limited. But what she did have was a unique charm, matched to a lithe but wiry physique (including an exceptionally long, pliant neck and high-arched feet) which gave her musculature a feline ease and sensuality."
The Telegraph (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:03AM
music Memphis Symphony Hangs Onto Its Fast-Rising Conductor A Few Years Longer
"Mei-Ann Chen, whose growing stature as a conductor is earning increased notice around the country, has agreed to stay on as Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for an additional three years."
"Mei-Ann Chen, whose growing stature as a conductor is earning increased notice around the country, has agreed to stay on as Music Director of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra for an additional three years."
The Commercial-Appeal (Memphis) 02/19/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:02AM
theatre Vulture Capitalism: Musical Of Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard Headed For London
"Tony and Grammy award-winner Heather Headley will play singer Rachel Marron - the role originated by Houston" - in the adaptation of the 1992 film starring the late singer and Kevin Costner.
"Tony and Grammy award-winner Heather Headley will play singer Rachel Marron - the role originated by Houston" - in the adaptation of the 1992 film starring the late singer and Kevin Costner.
The Guardian (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/21/12@12:02AM
Monday, February 20, 2012media
Disney And Warner Bros. Fight Over Wizard Of Oz Rights
L. Frank Baum's 1899 novel may be in the public domain, but Warner Bros. still owns, and profits from, the classic 1939 film. With Disney's Oz, the Great and Powerful on the way, the studios have begun legal battles over both copyright and trademarks.
L. Frank Baum's 1899 novel may be in the public domain, but Warner Bros. still owns, and profits from, the classic 1939 film. With Disney's Oz, the Great and Powerful on the way, the studios have begun legal battles over both copyright and trademarks.
The Hollywood Reporter 02/13/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:58PM
people Philip Seymour Hoffman On Acting And Directing At The Same Time (He Didn't Like It)
"[If] you're directing and acting you're on both sides of that equation so everyone's just waiting on you completely which is ... it needs to be shared, that relationship. There needs to be an actor and a director and they should be sharing the responsibility of getting it right. ... I remember going, 'Phil, remember this, remember this feeling right now. Don't do this again'."
"[If] you're directing and acting you're on both sides of that equation so everyone's just waiting on you completely which is ... it needs to be shared, that relationship. There needs to be an actor and a director and they should be sharing the responsibility of getting it right. ... I remember going, 'Phil, remember this, remember this feeling right now. Don't do this again'."
The Arts Desk (London) 02/18/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:57PM
music L.A. Opera Offers $25 'Bring-Your-Newbie-Friends' Tickets
"The company said that ticket holders for [Britten's] Albert Herring can bring along friends who have never been to the opera before for just $25 per seat."
"The company said that ticket holders for [Britten's] Albert Herring can bring along friends who have never been to the opera before for just $25 per seat."
Los Angeles Times 02/20/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:55PM
ideas When Academic Economists Think About Beer
"Do people drink more during difficult economic times? What effect does social milieu have on personal preference? Can television change the course of an entire industry? ... [A number of] scholars have come together to create a new field, 'beeronomics,' devoted to analyzing the economics of beer and brewing."
"Do people drink more during difficult economic times? What effect does social milieu have on personal preference? Can television change the course of an entire industry? ... [A number of] scholars have come together to create a new field, 'beeronomics,' devoted to analyzing the economics of beer and brewing."
The Boston Globe 02/19/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:54PM
visual Aspen Puts Abstract Art On Ski-Lift Tickets
"Ski-lift tickets usually just consist of a logo, a bar code and an expiration date. But in Aspen, Colo., they now display limited editions of Mark Grotjahn's art. The Aspen Art Museum arranged for the release last week of five different batches of tickets featuring his work, part of an effort to bring art to unlikely places."
"Ski-lift tickets usually just consist of a logo, a bar code and an expiration date. But in Aspen, Colo., they now display limited editions of Mark Grotjahn's art. The Aspen Art Museum arranged for the release last week of five different batches of tickets featuring his work, part of an effort to bring art to unlikely places."
The Wall Street Journal 02/18/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:54PM
visual Even Wasilla, Alaska Can Have Fights Over Public Art
"Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, is back in the news - but not for anything the former vice presidential candidate has said or done. A public sculpture at the town's high school is causing a ruckus for what some claim to see as a depiction of the female genitalia."
"Sarah Palin's hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, is back in the news - but not for anything the former vice presidential candidate has said or done. A public sculpture at the town's high school is causing a ruckus for what some claim to see as a depiction of the female genitalia."
Los Angeles Times 02/20/12
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Posted 02/20/12@11:53PM
visual A New Generation Of Civil Rights Museums
"Collectively, they also signal an emerging era of scholarship and interest in the history of both civil rights and African-Americans that is to a younger generation what other major historical events were to their grandparents."
"Collectively, they also signal an emerging era of scholarship and interest in the history of both civil rights and African-Americans that is to a younger generation what other major historical events were to their grandparents."
The New York Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/20/12@08:11AM
issues The Value Of Humor (Really)
"More than music, more than sports, more than "personal style," comedy has become essential to how young men view themselves and others, the research showed. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said their sense of humor was crucial to their self-definition, 74 percent said 'funny people are more popular,' and 58 percent said they sent out funny videos to make what might be called a special impression on someone else."
"More than music, more than sports, more than "personal style," comedy has become essential to how young men view themselves and others, the research showed. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said their sense of humor was crucial to their self-definition, 74 percent said 'funny people are more popular,' and 58 percent said they sent out funny videos to make what might be called a special impression on someone else."
The New York Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/20/12@08:09AM
ideas Do We Need "Reputation Insurance" On The Internet?
"We need a mandatory insurance scheme for online disasters. For what is an accidental disclosure of information if not an online disaster--a ferocious man-made information tsunami that can destroy one's reputation the way a real tsunami can destroy one's home?"
"We need a mandatory insurance scheme for online disasters. For what is an accidental disclosure of information if not an online disaster--a ferocious man-made information tsunami that can destroy one's reputation the way a real tsunami can destroy one's home?"
Slate 02/19/12
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Posted 02/20/12@08:07AM
visual Where Will The Getty Now Stand On Antiquities Repatriation?
"Getty director James Cuno has denounced repatriation claims of looted antiquities as "nationalistic" and argued against placing limits on museum purchases of objects with an uncertain origin. Getty Museum director Timothy Potts, whose appointment Cuno announced this week, has echoed some of those views."
"Getty director James Cuno has denounced repatriation claims of looted antiquities as "nationalistic" and argued against placing limits on museum purchases of objects with an uncertain origin. Getty Museum director Timothy Potts, whose appointment Cuno announced this week, has echoed some of those views."
Los Angeles Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/20/12@08:04AM
ideas The Science Of Willpower
"Willpower--the popular idea is that it's something that you use to resist temptation and to make yourself work. But they've also found that this same energy is used in making decisions, simply deciding what to have for lunch, what to do at a meeting; all these things deplete the same resource. After a while, when you've depleted this resource, it's a state called ego depletion."
"Willpower--the popular idea is that it's something that you use to resist temptation and to make yourself work. But they've also found that this same energy is used in making decisions, simply deciding what to have for lunch, what to do at a meeting; all these things deplete the same resource. After a while, when you've depleted this resource, it's a state called ego depletion."
Reason 03/12
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Posted 02/20/12@07:49AM
issues Has TED Lost Its Glow?
"What began as something spontaneous and unique has today become a parody of itself. What was exceptional and emergent in the realm of ideas has been bottled, packaged, and sold back to us over and over again. The whole TED vibe has come to resemble a sales pitch."
"What began as something spontaneous and unique has today become a parody of itself. What was exceptional and emergent in the realm of ideas has been bottled, packaged, and sold back to us over and over again. The whole TED vibe has come to resemble a sales pitch."
The New Inquiry 02/18/12
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Posted 02/20/12@07:45AM
Sunday, February 19, 2012visual
Ruin Porn Isn't Anything New - And It's All Too Human
"This sense of having lived on too late, of having survived the demolition of past dreams of the future, is what gives the ruin its specific frisson, and it still animates art and writing. But it's historically bound up with more pressing worries about the fate of one's own civilisation."
"This sense of having lived on too late, of having survived the demolition of past dreams of the future, is what gives the ruin its specific frisson, and it still animates art and writing. But it's historically bound up with more pressing worries about the fate of one's own civilisation."
The Guardian 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:26PM
theatre What's It Like Playing A Horse's Ass? 'War Horse' Actors Tell All [VIDEO]
Playing a war horse is no walk in the park, say the actors in the Toronto version of the hit play.
Playing a war horse is no walk in the park, say the actors in the Toronto version of the hit play.
CBC 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:23PM
media Skip The Movie; The Title Sequence Shows The Real Art
Title sequences can set up the rest of the movie. Of course, the rest of the movie often disappoints. That's OK: New title sequence websites mean you never need to watch a full movie again.
Title sequences can set up the rest of the movie. Of course, the rest of the movie often disappoints. That's OK: New title sequence websites mean you never need to watch a full movie again.
Irish Times 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:20PM
media Music Sales Up; Music Press Way Down
New figures say that in the new media world, "the recorded music business, for all its troubles, is actually faring far better in the transition to digital than the British music press."
New figures say that in the new media world, "the recorded music business, for all its troubles, is actually faring far better in the transition to digital than the British music press."
The Guardian (UK) 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:19PM
dance How Many Ballet Dancers Does It Take To Screw In A Lightbulb?
So how many does it take? The image goes viral - do the count for yourself.
So how many does it take? The image goes viral - do the count for yourself.
Ballet News 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:17PM
people Hand-Made Art With Content? Yep. A Q&A With British Artist Grayson Perry
Perry: "The number of wishy-washy semi-abstract paintings I saw was incredible. It was as though they wanted to make art, but didn't want to say anything. I hate the aimless, apparently transcendent thing in sub-Rothkos: 'Oh, this is all about spirituality.' Fuck off."
Perry: "The number of wishy-washy semi-abstract paintings I saw was incredible. It was as though they wanted to make art, but didn't want to say anything. I hate the aimless, apparently transcendent thing in sub-Rothkos: 'Oh, this is all about spirituality.' Fuck off."
The Art Newspaper 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:13PM
theatre The Depressing State Of (California's) Regional Theatre
"The problem in a nutshell is this: Established theaters have by and large grown larger, public funding has become a monumental challenge and artistic directors have moved in an increasingly commercial direction, adopting a bottom-line mentality that has put publicity and profitability over bold and substantive choices."
"The problem in a nutshell is this: Established theaters have by and large grown larger, public funding has become a monumental challenge and artistic directors have moved in an increasingly commercial direction, adopting a bottom-line mentality that has put publicity and profitability over bold and substantive choices."
Los Angeles Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:11PM
issues The Clyfford Still Museum Suddenly Has A Lot Of Money. Why Isn't Admission Free?
"It's not about the bottom line, according to [director Dean] Sobel. It's about value, and charging gives a museum an intrinsic worth. Nearly all museums charge, even though ticket revenue tends to be a small percentage of income."
"It's not about the bottom line, according to [director Dean] Sobel. It's about value, and charging gives a museum an intrinsic worth. Nearly all museums charge, even though ticket revenue tends to be a small percentage of income."
Denver Post 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:09PM
ideas When Did 'Downton Abbey' Jump The Shark? (And What's The Deal With The Batman, Anyway?)
"Certain values the earl represents (benevolent paternalism toward employees, for instance, or the ability to see when his own inherited attitudes have become outdated and inappropriate) have been carefully chosen. And it is noticeable that the aristocrats in the series, even the ones who are supposed to be the most ridiculous, never lapse into the most offensive kind of upper-class drawl one would expect of them."
"Certain values the earl represents (benevolent paternalism toward employees, for instance, or the ability to see when his own inherited attitudes have become outdated and inappropriate) have been carefully chosen. And it is noticeable that the aristocrats in the series, even the ones who are supposed to be the most ridiculous, never lapse into the most offensive kind of upper-class drawl one would expect of them."
The New York Review of Books 02/16/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:05PM
issues Tighten Up On Music Pirates, Says Member Of Britain's Shadow Cabinet
"Young people are massively connected with music. They not only want to use the music but they want to actually work in the music industry, many of them. Many of them want a future in the industry. Therefore the industry must have a future. That means public policy action, not just standing back and saying 'we are too busy to do any of this; we're just going to cut the deficit and let the free market rip content off from creators'. Every day they don't act, money is haemorrhaging."
"Young people are massively connected with music. They not only want to use the music but they want to actually work in the music industry, many of them. Many of them want a future in the industry. Therefore the industry must have a future. That means public policy action, not just standing back and saying 'we are too busy to do any of this; we're just going to cut the deficit and let the free market rip content off from creators'. Every day they don't act, money is haemorrhaging."
The Independent (UK) 02/20/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:03PM
visual Bronze Boy (With A Bit Of Cheek) To Decorate Trafalgar Square
"With his curls and wry smile, this golden boy in his little shorts and braces peers down from his bronze steed, one arm raised delicately. He looks almost classical. But look again. Those shorts could be leather. He might also be down the disco."
"With his curls and wry smile, this golden boy in his little shorts and braces peers down from his bronze steed, one arm raised delicately. He looks almost classical. But look again. Those shorts could be leather. He might also be down the disco."
The Guardian 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@09:00PM
theatre Utah Shakespeare Fest Wants An Indoor/Outdoor Theatre
"Keeping 'Shakespeare under the stars' became the top focus with the design of the theater. But if the weather turns rainy, too windy or cold, technicians will be able to close a retractable roof when the new theater is completed; stars will still be there, but painted on the ceiling when it's closed."
"Keeping 'Shakespeare under the stars' became the top focus with the design of the theater. But if the weather turns rainy, too windy or cold, technicians will be able to close a retractable roof when the new theater is completed; stars will still be there, but painted on the ceiling when it's closed."
Desert (Utah) News 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:51PM
music NPR Critic Accuses Composer Of Copying (But What Does That Even Mean?)
Tom Manoff says that Osvaldo Golijov's "Sidereus" is just a little too much like Michael Ward-Bergeman's "Barbeich."
Tom Manoff says that Osvaldo Golijov's "Sidereus" is just a little too much like Michael Ward-Bergeman's "Barbeich."
The Eugene Register-Guard 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:49PM
dance Will Islamic Fundamentalism Put An End To Belly Dancing In Egypt?
One Canadian dancer thinks so.
One Canadian dancer thinks so.
Vancouver Sun 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:57AM
music English National Opera Called 'Pro-Terrorist' Because Of 'Klinghoffer'
"Jewish groups have accused ENO of 'giving a voice to terrorism' and have threatened to mount protests after the company's decision to stage the rarely-performed work, which the opera company itself says will 'shock.'"
"Jewish groups have accused ENO of 'giving a voice to terrorism' and have threatened to mount protests after the company's decision to stage the rarely-performed work, which the opera company itself says will 'shock.'"
The Telegraph (UK) 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:54AM
media Historic Theatres In Danger, Thanks To Switch To Digital
"With the future of motion pictures headed quickly toward an all-digital format played only on pricey new equipment, will the theaters be around? Or will they be done in by the digital revolution that will soon render inadequate the projectors that have flickered and ticked with a little-changed technology for more than 120 years?"
"With the future of motion pictures headed quickly toward an all-digital format played only on pricey new equipment, will the theaters be around? Or will they be done in by the digital revolution that will soon render inadequate the projectors that have flickered and ticked with a little-changed technology for more than 120 years?"
Boston Globe (AP) 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:51AM
people Judi Dench Fights Blindness, Learns To Adapt
Oscar-winner Dench, 77, has macular degeneration. She said in an interview published Saturday that her eyesight was already so bad that she couldn't read her scripts. Instead, she relies on friends and family to help her with her lines.
Oscar-winner Dench, 77, has macular degeneration. She said in an interview published Saturday that her eyesight was already so bad that she couldn't read her scripts. Instead, she relies on friends and family to help her with her lines.
Chicago Sun-Times (AP) 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:49AM
issues Don't Like Your Country's History? Just Leave It Out Of Textbooks
"Winners write the history books - which is why the Afghan government's recent decision to eliminate any post-1973 events from its school texts is so worrisome. Since none of the major groups can agree on a basic set of facts, the country's new school books simply leave out the last four decades of events: no Soviet involvement, no brutal years of civil war, no rise of the Taliban, and no U.S. involvement."
"Winners write the history books - which is why the Afghan government's recent decision to eliminate any post-1973 events from its school texts is so worrisome. Since none of the major groups can agree on a basic set of facts, the country's new school books simply leave out the last four decades of events: no Soviet involvement, no brutal years of civil war, no rise of the Taliban, and no U.S. involvement."
The Council on Foreign Relations 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:47AM
music What Makes An Opera American? (And Does An Opera In French Qualify?)
"America's rich tradition of musical theatre means that audiences expect operas to be accessible. A good example is Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick, which was commissioned by the Dallas Opera and opened in Dallas in 2010. The opera turned a classic American novel into a spectacular stage show, featuring ladders, masts and winches and stormy screen projections."
"America's rich tradition of musical theatre means that audiences expect operas to be accessible. A good example is Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick, which was commissioned by the Dallas Opera and opened in Dallas in 2010. The opera turned a classic American novel into a spectacular stage show, featuring ladders, masts and winches and stormy screen projections."
More Intelligent Life 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:45AM
media Berlinale: Far From Lackluster, And Catering To, Well, Everyone
"Last fall the German Film Critics Association held a symposium on the future of the Berlinale titled 'What Now After All the Bad Reviews?' The Berlinale's director, Dieter Kosslick, who has headed the festival since 2001 and whose contract was recently renewed through 2016, has a ready answer for detractors: Look at the numbers."
"Last fall the German Film Critics Association held a symposium on the future of the Berlinale titled 'What Now After All the Bad Reviews?' The Berlinale's director, Dieter Kosslick, who has headed the festival since 2001 and whose contract was recently renewed through 2016, has a ready answer for detractors: Look at the numbers."
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:41AM
music Windsor Symphony Orchestra Searches For A New Conductor, Via YouTube
How to thin the ranks of prospective composers? Digital video, of course. "'Maybe we are doing a little pioneering,' says symphony executive director Jeth Mill. ... 'It is an entirely different world than 11 years ago when the symphony went looking for (leaving conductor) John Morris Russell.'"
How to thin the ranks of prospective composers? Digital video, of course. "'Maybe we are doing a little pioneering,' says symphony executive director Jeth Mill. ... 'It is an entirely different world than 11 years ago when the symphony went looking for (leaving conductor) John Morris Russell.'"
Toronto Star 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:38AM
issues No-Secrets Art: The Transparency Grenade
Want to leak information from private, closed meetings? Ask artist Julian Oliver for help. He's got an explosive design for you.
Want to leak information from private, closed meetings? Ask artist Julian Oliver for help. He's got an explosive design for you.
Wired 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:35AM
media You Think Hollywood Loves Itself, But What You See Is Actually Self-Loathing
"The Oscar nominees may not be just a demonstration of a sudden burst of nostalgia. They may be a demonstration of the self-contempt of an industry that is finally tired of itself and of the movies that have defined it for two decades. This doesn't mean that they will retreat from teenage blockbusters. It just means that they are using the Oscars to stage a small protest against the sorts of movies they feel we the audience sadistically forces them to make."
"The Oscar nominees may not be just a demonstration of a sudden burst of nostalgia. They may be a demonstration of the self-contempt of an industry that is finally tired of itself and of the movies that have defined it for two decades. This doesn't mean that they will retreat from teenage blockbusters. It just means that they are using the Oscars to stage a small protest against the sorts of movies they feel we the audience sadistically forces them to make."
Los Angeles Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:33AM
ideas Without Distractions, No Opportunity For Art
"For me, now, things do get done; books are finished, and other projects are started that are also finished. They take the time they take, and the breaks are as important as the continuities. Only a fool would think that someone should be able to bear boredom and frustration for long hours at a time and that this would be an achievement."
"For me, now, things do get done; books are finished, and other projects are started that are also finished. They take the time they take, and the breaks are as important as the continuities. Only a fool would think that someone should be able to bear boredom and frustration for long hours at a time and that this would be an achievement."
The New York Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:30AM
people Cate Blanchett, Theatre Boss (Even When She Leaves Her Artistic Director Post)
"'I was hoping you'd come later in the week.' It's a curious thing to hear from someone who has five Academy Award nominations, and who took an Oscar home for playing Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. But this is theatre, and Blanchett, like any stage actor before press night, doesn't quite know how it will go."
"'I was hoping you'd come later in the week.' It's a curious thing to hear from someone who has five Academy Award nominations, and who took an Oscar home for playing Katharine Hepburn in The Aviator. But this is theatre, and Blanchett, like any stage actor before press night, doesn't quite know how it will go."
Intelligent Life March/April 2012
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Posted 02/19/12@08:26AM
people The Backlash To Frank Gehry - And His Response
"According to the art critic Hal Foster, Gehry's Walt Disney concert hall in Los Angeles is a 'media logo' and his style of architecture is a 'winning formula' for 'any corporate entity that desires to be perceived, through an instant icon, as a global player'. Someone started selling T-shirts saying 'Fuck Frank Gehry' (and he bought some)."
"According to the art critic Hal Foster, Gehry's Walt Disney concert hall in Los Angeles is a 'media logo' and his style of architecture is a 'winning formula' for 'any corporate entity that desires to be perceived, through an instant icon, as a global player'. Someone started selling T-shirts saying 'Fuck Frank Gehry' (and he bought some)."
The Observer (UK) 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:12AM
media Cirque Returns To The Oscars - Without Setting The Theatre On Fire, This Time
After a decade, Cirque de Soleil gets another invitation to the Oscars show. Producers just hope the 50-performer extravaganza isn't quite as boisterous this time.
After a decade, Cirque de Soleil gets another invitation to the Oscars show. Producers just hope the 50-performer extravaganza isn't quite as boisterous this time.
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:08AM
visual Manhunt Launched For Art Thieves In Greece
"A manhunt was under way Saturday in Greece for two suspects who tied up a guard, stormed the Archeological Museum of Olympia, smashed glass casings and stole dozens of small statues." Meanwhile, the Minister of Culture resigned.
"A manhunt was under way Saturday in Greece for two suspects who tied up a guard, stormed the Archeological Museum of Olympia, smashed glass casings and stole dozens of small statues." Meanwhile, the Minister of Culture resigned.
CNN 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:02AM
visual This Art Project Isn't For Chickens (Though It Does Involve Killing A Few)
"'The Story of Chickens: A Revolution' is set to begin with an unveiling of a mobile chicken coop. ... It ends with a public-invited slaughter and a potluck dinner with the chickens on the menu."
"'The Story of Chickens: A Revolution' is set to begin with an unveiling of a mobile chicken coop. ... It ends with a public-invited slaughter and a potluck dinner with the chickens on the menu."
Lawrence (Kansas) Journal-World 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@08:00AM
visual Papermaker Might Save History, One Page At A Time
"The notion of a page is being expanded as we speak. I imagine the book going in two directions -- one as an art object, printed on paper in small quantities and so expensive only the rich can afford it, and the other as an electronic form that will incorporate still images, animation, a diverse set of links to the open Web and a significant social component."
"The notion of a page is being expanded as we speak. I imagine the book going in two directions -- one as an art object, printed on paper in small quantities and so expensive only the rich can afford it, and the other as an electronic form that will incorporate still images, animation, a diverse set of links to the open Web and a significant social component."
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@07:56AM
media Holocaust Movies: Always A Good Oscars Bet
J. Hoberman: "In the 52 years since Shelley Winters won a supporting actress Oscar for The Diary of Anne Frank, there have been 20 nominated features -- including foreign-language and documentary films -- that treated the Holocaust from the perspective of its victims. Only two have gone home unrewarded."
J. Hoberman: "In the 52 years since Shelley Winters won a supporting actress Oscar for The Diary of Anne Frank, there have been 20 nominated features -- including foreign-language and documentary films -- that treated the Holocaust from the perspective of its victims. Only two have gone home unrewarded."
Los Angeles Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/19/12@07:52AM
theatre Can You Spare A Nickel (For Off-Off-Broadway)?
The League of Independent Theater has an idea: If every Broadway show included 5 cents for Off-Off-Broadway, the money available for independent theatre would shoot up - without affecting Broadway ticket prices much.
The League of Independent Theater has an idea: If every Broadway show included 5 cents for Off-Off-Broadway, the money available for independent theatre would shoot up - without affecting Broadway ticket prices much.
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@07:48AM
music A Symphony of Horns - Car Horns, That Is
"New York artist Zefrey Throwell flew in to create the Entropy Symphony, a series of aural interventions around the world that's included air horns in Berlin and an attempt to get all the guards at the Whitney to use their walkie talkies at once. The Los Angeles edition was an orchestrated movement in five parts of some 1,000 cars across the Southland. Each participant received an mp3 attuned to their car horn and were instructed to honk along with the mp3."
"New York artist Zefrey Throwell flew in to create the Entropy Symphony, a series of aural interventions around the world that's included air horns in Berlin and an attempt to get all the guards at the Whitney to use their walkie talkies at once. The Los Angeles edition was an orchestrated movement in five parts of some 1,000 cars across the Southland. Each participant received an mp3 attuned to their car horn and were instructed to honk along with the mp3."
Hyperallergic 02/17/12
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Posted 02/19/12@07:46AM
issues Who Owns Venezuela's 'El Sistema'? Not Chavez, Critics Say
"'A lot of us are upset that Chávez has taken Sistema as his own child, and it's not,' said Gabriela Montero, a Venezuelan pianist with an international career who has written a piece, 'Ex Patria,' denouncing the Chávez government and the fraying of civil society here. 'It's almost like he's stolen something that we lived with for the past 40 years and dirtied it with his presence.'"
"'A lot of us are upset that Chávez has taken Sistema as his own child, and it's not,' said Gabriela Montero, a Venezuelan pianist with an international career who has written a piece, 'Ex Patria,' denouncing the Chávez government and the fraying of civil society here. 'It's almost like he's stolen something that we lived with for the past 40 years and dirtied it with his presence.'"
The New York Times 02/18/12
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Posted 02/19/12@07:34AM
Friday, February 17, 2012media
Video - "The Beginning Of The Future"
Although "it's been pretty fashionable for different pundits to bash television," said Bill Duggan, group executive vice president at the advertiser association, watching video content and interacting with it on various screens is booming.
Although "it's been pretty fashionable for different pundits to bash television," said Bill Duggan, group executive vice president at the advertiser association, watching video content and interacting with it on various screens is booming.
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/17/12@09:17AM
music The Orchestra As Multimedia Experience
"Is multimedia the breakthrough orchestras have been looking for to attract new audiences - as supertitles were for opera 25 years ago? Audiences have shown little resistance to visual elements incorporated into the Houston Symphony's concerts, orchestra CEO Mark Hanson said. Yet other factors complicate the question."
"Is multimedia the breakthrough orchestras have been looking for to attract new audiences - as supertitles were for opera 25 years ago? Audiences have shown little resistance to visual elements incorporated into the Houston Symphony's concerts, orchestra CEO Mark Hanson said. Yet other factors complicate the question."
Houston Chronicle 02/16/12
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Posted 02/17/12@08:26AM
issues Libya Turns To Cultural Tourism
"Muammar el-Qaddafi disavowed pre-1969 history as colonialist and un-Libyan. Now that he is gone, heritage-conscious Libyans have drafted a plan to preserve the ruins at Cyrene and promote them as a tourist attraction in a rural area where unemployment is high."
"Muammar el-Qaddafi disavowed pre-1969 history as colonialist and un-Libyan. Now that he is gone, heritage-conscious Libyans have drafted a plan to preserve the ruins at Cyrene and promote them as a tourist attraction in a rural area where unemployment is high."
The New York Times 02/17/12
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Posted 02/17/12@08:14AM
music The Financial Peril Of The American Orchestra (Explained)
So, why is the financial health of so many American classical music institutions unstable?
So, why is the financial health of so many American classical music institutions unstable?
ArtsFuse 02/05/12
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Posted 02/17/12@08:11AM
visual Social Media - The New Artist Gallery
"Try not to think of your art and your personal life as disparate entities -- have your Twitter and Facebook feeds be a blend of your own personality and your art, which makes it easier for people to get to know you, and makes the act of social networking feel more natural."
"Try not to think of your art and your personal life as disparate entities -- have your Twitter and Facebook feeds be a blend of your own personality and your art, which makes it easier for people to get to know you, and makes the act of social networking feel more natural."
Mashable 02/17/12
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Posted 02/17/12@07:53AM
issues They They Know What You Want To Buy
The reason Target can snoop on our shopping habits is that, over the past two decades, the science of habit formation has become a major field of research in neurology and psychology departments at hundreds of major medical centers and universities, as well as inside extremely well financed corporate labs. "It's like an arms race to hire statisticians nowadays,"
The reason Target can snoop on our shopping habits is that, over the past two decades, the science of habit formation has become a major field of research in neurology and psychology departments at hundreds of major medical centers and universities, as well as inside extremely well financed corporate labs. "It's like an arms race to hire statisticians nowadays,"
New York Times Magazine 02/19/12
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Posted 02/17/12@07:47AM
ideas Humans May Have Parallel Moral Systems
"Why do we sometimes wrestle with moral dilemmas? A twist on a classic psychology experiment suggests that our minds have two parallel moral systems, and they don't always agree."
"Why do we sometimes wrestle with moral dilemmas? A twist on a classic psychology experiment suggests that our minds have two parallel moral systems, and they don't always agree."
New Scientist 02/16/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:14AM
dance Mass Resignations From Charleston Ballet Theatre's Board
"Financial strain and concerns over management have prompted seven board members of the Charleston Ballet Theatre, including President Charles Patrick, to resign in recent days."
"Financial strain and concerns over management have prompted seven board members of the Charleston Ballet Theatre, including President Charles Patrick, to resign in recent days."
The Post and Courier (Charleston, SC) 02/17/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:10AM
issues Viola Davis On A Well-Meaning Mindset That Cripples Black Actors
Responding to discomfort that her widely-praised portrayal in The Help is of a maid: "That very mind-set that you have and that a lot of African-Americans have is absolutely destroying the black artist. The black artist cannot live in a revisionist place. The black artist can only tell the truth about humanity, and humanity is messy. People are messy. Caucasian actors know that."
Responding to discomfort that her widely-praised portrayal in The Help is of a maid: "That very mind-set that you have and that a lot of African-Americans have is absolutely destroying the black artist. The black artist cannot live in a revisionist place. The black artist can only tell the truth about humanity, and humanity is messy. People are messy. Caucasian actors know that."
The New York Times 02/14/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:07AM
music Louisville Orchestra Musicians Reject Binding Arbitration
"Louisville Orchestra musicians rejected the board's offer Thursday to settle a nearly yearlong contract dispute through binding arbitration, calling the details of the proposal 'draconian'."
"Louisville Orchestra musicians rejected the board's offer Thursday to settle a nearly yearlong contract dispute through binding arbitration, calling the details of the proposal 'draconian'."
Louisville Courier-Journal 02/17/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:06AM
visual Opposition To Gehry's Eisenhower Memorial Going McCarthyite?
Christopher Knight calls out a conservative group whose campaign against Gehry's very un-Neoclassical design for the monument includes, as Knight sees it, guilt by association and smears against an artist whom Gehry used as a consultant regarding the memorial's sculpture.
Christopher Knight calls out a conservative group whose campaign against Gehry's very un-Neoclassical design for the monument includes, as Knight sees it, guilt by association and smears against an artist whom Gehry used as a consultant regarding the memorial's sculpture.
Los Angeles Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:05AM
theatre Julie Taymor And Spider-Man Producers Reach Partial Settlement
"As part of the settlement, the producers said they have agreed to pay Taymor full royalties for her services as director of the New York production. ... The settlement also provides for other payments to Taymor as a 'collaborator' when the show's New York production recoups its investment."
"As part of the settlement, the producers said they have agreed to pay Taymor full royalties for her services as director of the New York production. ... The settlement also provides for other payments to Taymor as a 'collaborator' when the show's New York production recoups its investment."
Los Angeles Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:04AM
people Who Is Cindy Sherman? Don't Look At Her Self-Portraits To Find Out
"Over the course of her remarkable 35-year career she has transformed herself into hundreds of different personas: the movie star, the valley girl, the angry housewife, the frustrated socialite, the Renaissance courtesan, the menacing clown, even the Roman god Bacchus. ... 'None of the characters are me,' she explained ... They're everything but me."
"Over the course of her remarkable 35-year career she has transformed herself into hundreds of different personas: the movie star, the valley girl, the angry housewife, the frustrated socialite, the Renaissance courtesan, the menacing clown, even the Roman god Bacchus. ... 'None of the characters are me,' she explained ... They're everything but me."
The New York Times 02/19/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:02AM
dance Christopher Wheeldon To Create New Cinderella
The new full-length version of the fairy tale is a co-commission of the Dutch National Ballet, where it will premiere this December, and San Francisco Ballet, which will present the work in 2013.
The new full-length version of the fairy tale is a co-commission of the Dutch National Ballet, where it will premiere this December, and San Francisco Ballet, which will present the work in 2013.
Ballet News (UK) 02/15/12
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Posted 02/17/12@12:00AM
Thursday, February 16, 2012music
UK Musicians Demand Airlines Standardize Rules For Transporting Instruments
"British musicians are calling for a consistent policy on carrying instruments on planes across airlines, after a similar bill was passed in the US. ... The Musicians' Union is asking the British government to standardise requirements because 'musicians regularly have problems taking their instruments on planes due to inconsistent policies from airlines and extortionate fees'."
"British musicians are calling for a consistent policy on carrying instruments on planes across airlines, after a similar bill was passed in the US. ... The Musicians' Union is asking the British government to standardise requirements because 'musicians regularly have problems taking their instruments on planes due to inconsistent policies from airlines and extortionate fees'."
The Stage (UK) 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:59PM
media Bourne Identity Director Is Crowd-Sourcing Documentary On Torture
In a collaboration with PEN American Center and the ACLU, Doug Liman "will create a feature-length film whose script is compiled from various documents on prisoner abuse and torture [during the Bush administration's War on Terror] ... and whose footage will consist of user-submitted videos of their readings of these documents."
In a collaboration with PEN American Center and the ACLU, Doug Liman "will create a feature-length film whose script is compiled from various documents on prisoner abuse and torture [during the Bush administration's War on Terror] ... and whose footage will consist of user-submitted videos of their readings of these documents."
The New York Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:58PM
ideas Wikipedia, Truth, Verifiability And 'Undue Weight'
Historian Timothy Messer-Kruse found a serious error of fact in a Wikipedia article on his particular locus of research. He corrected the error, with citations to the primary sources he'd studied, and his changes were undone within minutes. That was just the beginning ...
Historian Timothy Messer-Kruse found a serious error of fact in a Wikipedia article on his particular locus of research. He corrected the error, with citations to the primary sources he'd studied, and his changes were undone within minutes. That was just the beginning ...
The Chronicle of Higher Education 02/12/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:57PM
issues Should We Just Do Away With Black History Month?
Documentary filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman (yes, he's African-American) suggests that Black History Month is "a double-edged sword that ghettoizes black stories into the shortest month of the year and discourages further attention on them in the remaining months."
Documentary filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman (yes, he's African-American) suggests that Black History Month is "a double-edged sword that ghettoizes black stories into the shortest month of the year and discourages further attention on them in the remaining months."
Los Angeles Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:56PM
visual Marina Abramovic To Create Performance Art Museum
"Marina Abramovic signed a deal with architect Rem Koolhaas earlier this week to design and construct her Center for the Preservation of Performance Art in Hudson, New York. ... and the museum will be devoted to performance art pieces of 'six hours minimum.' Some of them will go on for days."
"Marina Abramovic signed a deal with architect Rem Koolhaas earlier this week to design and construct her Center for the Preservation of Performance Art in Hudson, New York. ... and the museum will be devoted to performance art pieces of 'six hours minimum.' Some of them will go on for days."
New York Magazine 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:55PM
theatre The Joy Of A Great, Big, Expertly Seasoned, Scenery-Chewing Ham
Charles Isherwood on Kevin Spacey as Richard III: "So while there is nary an understated note struck in the performance, those three-plus hours flew by mighty quickly. I can't say I entirely respected Mr. Spacey's endlessly ingratiating performance, but I definitely enjoyed it, as you enjoy indulging in something that you know is bad for you but cannot resist."
Charles Isherwood on Kevin Spacey as Richard III: "So while there is nary an understated note struck in the performance, those three-plus hours flew by mighty quickly. I can't say I entirely respected Mr. Spacey's endlessly ingratiating performance, but I definitely enjoyed it, as you enjoy indulging in something that you know is bad for you but cannot resist."
The New York Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@11:54PM
visual A Need For Curators to Run Museums...
Who will "succeed the 60 or so directors planning to retire by 2019? Instead of candidates steeped in the ethos of museums, the top jobs would increasingly go to people drawn from the business world."
Who will "succeed the 60 or so directors planning to retire by 2019? Instead of candidates steeped in the ethos of museums, the top jobs would increasingly go to people drawn from the business world."
The Art Newspaper 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:50AM
music UK Music Recording Revenue Down In 2011
"UK music industry revenue fell just 3.4% last year to £795m as the steady decline in the popularity of CDs was offset by a 25% increase in income from digital downloads and subscription services such as Spotify and Napster."
"UK music industry revenue fell just 3.4% last year to £795m as the steady decline in the popularity of CDs was offset by a 25% increase in income from digital downloads and subscription services such as Spotify and Napster."
The Guardian (UK) 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:35AM
music UK Music Magazines Suffer Big Circulation Drops
"Every magazine in the sector that reported a year-on-year comparison saw sales decline against the second half of 2010, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures for the six months to December released on Thursday."
"Every magazine in the sector that reported a year-on-year comparison saw sales decline against the second half of 2010, according to the latest Audit Bureau of Circulations figures for the six months to December released on Thursday."
The Guardian (UK) 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:34AM
media Kodak Gets Its Name Of Off Oscars Theatre
"Eastman Kodak had been seeking to end the $74m, 20-year naming rights deal it signed in 2000. CIM Group, the real estate company that owns the theatre, objected but a judge ruled in Kodak's favour this week." Fun Fact: "Of the nine films nominated for this year's best picture Oscar, seven were shot on Kodak film."
"Eastman Kodak had been seeking to end the $74m, 20-year naming rights deal it signed in 2000. CIM Group, the real estate company that owns the theatre, objected but a judge ruled in Kodak's favour this week." Fun Fact: "Of the nine films nominated for this year's best picture Oscar, seven were shot on Kodak film."
BBC 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:31AM
music Why Web Streaming Is No Substitute For Classical Music Radio
"I miss that idea of a narrative in a musical selection, the idea that the DJ takes you on a journey."
"I miss that idea of a narrative in a musical selection, the idea that the DJ takes you on a journey."
The Globe & Mail (Canada) 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:25AM
music LA Phil's Mahler Performance In Caracas The "Biggest Ever?"
"The performance on Saturday -- which also will include the combined L.A. Phil and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra along with eight vocal soloists, all conducted by Gustavo Dudamel -- will turn Mahler's so-called "Symphony of a Thousand" into something 40% larger. This is said to be the most ever for a Mahler Eighth."
"The performance on Saturday -- which also will include the combined L.A. Phil and Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra along with eight vocal soloists, all conducted by Gustavo Dudamel -- will turn Mahler's so-called "Symphony of a Thousand" into something 40% larger. This is said to be the most ever for a Mahler Eighth."
Los Angeles Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@09:14AM
visual Just How Do You Authenticate A Banksy?
"Fans and prospective buyers turn to Banksy's official website (banksy.co.uk) for photographic evidence of murals, and the second work in Liverpool does not appear online. However, the artist neither officially sanctions his murals online, nor signs the actual street works for fear of legal repercussions."
"Fans and prospective buyers turn to Banksy's official website (banksy.co.uk) for photographic evidence of murals, and the second work in Liverpool does not appear online. However, the artist neither officially sanctions his murals online, nor signs the actual street works for fear of legal repercussions."
The Art Newspaper 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@08:42AM
issues Storytelling Lab The Moth Wins Big MacArthur Grant
"The Moth, a New York City-based group dedicated to the art of storytelling ... [was] among the 15 organizations in 6 countries to receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Leadership ... The money will be used to expand 'The Moth Radio Hour' from 10 episodes a year to a weekly series ... [and to] enable the non-profit group to help preserve its video and audio archive."
"The Moth, a New York City-based group dedicated to the art of storytelling ... [was] among the 15 organizations in 6 countries to receive the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Leadership ... The money will be used to expand 'The Moth Radio Hour' from 10 episodes a year to a weekly series ... [and to] enable the non-profit group to help preserve its video and audio archive."
The New York Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:09AM
music Watching El Sistema At Work In A Venezuelan Slum
"Corrugated tin roofs, ramshackle cinder-block huts, labyrinthine streets caked with garbage and rubble, the possibility of random violence at any turn. And this section of the Sarría barrio is not even bad for Caracas. ... So just across the street from such blighted scenes young children with violins and French horns and trumpets filled the spaces of an elementary school on Tuesday."
"Corrugated tin roofs, ramshackle cinder-block huts, labyrinthine streets caked with garbage and rubble, the possibility of random violence at any turn. And this section of the Sarría barrio is not even bad for Caracas. ... So just across the street from such blighted scenes young children with violins and French horns and trumpets filled the spaces of an elementary school on Tuesday."
The New York Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:08AM
people Met Opera's Longest-Serving Singer, Charles Anthony, Dead At 82
"The number seems almost impossible, but Mr. Anthony" - a comprimario tenor - "sang with the Met in 2,928 performances. He played 111 roles in 69 operas" over 57 seasons; his final performance, as the old Emperor in Turandot, was in January of 2010.
"The number seems almost impossible, but Mr. Anthony" - a comprimario tenor - "sang with the Met in 2,928 performances. He played 111 roles in 69 operas" over 57 seasons; his final performance, as the old Emperor in Turandot, was in January of 2010.
The New York Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:08AM
visual An Art Critic Opines On Leonardo Live Cinema Event
Roberta Smith: "[It's] a strangely hectic, occasionally informative and sometimes even insightful high-definition tour of the [UK] National Gallery exhibition, 'Leonardo da Vinci: Painter in the Court of Milan.' ... Thankful as I am to have an inkling of what the Leonardo show was like, I can't say that it is entirely a promising debut."
Roberta Smith: "[It's] a strangely hectic, occasionally informative and sometimes even insightful high-definition tour of the [UK] National Gallery exhibition, 'Leonardo da Vinci: Painter in the Court of Milan.' ... Thankful as I am to have an inkling of what the Leonardo show was like, I can't say that it is entirely a promising debut."
The New York Times 02/16/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:06AM
ideas Was It Evolutionary Biology That Made Men Dominate Women? No, It Was Agriculture
"In hunter-gatherer societies, [the] strength differential doesn't allow men to fully dominate women, because they depend on the food that women gather. But ... [s]trength gives men an advantage over women once heavy ploughs and large animals become central aspects of food production. With this, men become the sole providers, and women start to depend on men economically. The economic dependency allows men to mistreat women."
"In hunter-gatherer societies, [the] strength differential doesn't allow men to fully dominate women, because they depend on the food that women gather. But ... [s]trength gives men an advantage over women once heavy ploughs and large animals become central aspects of food production. With this, men become the sole providers, and women start to depend on men economically. The economic dependency allows men to mistreat women."
Psychology Today 02/03/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:05AM
dance Is This The Ken Burns Of Dance?
"Bob Hercules didn't set out to become the Ken Burns of the American dance world. But for the last three years, the Chicago-based documentary film writer and director has turned his focus on two of the country's high-profile dance ensembles: the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the Joffrey Ballet."
"Bob Hercules didn't set out to become the Ken Burns of the American dance world. But for the last three years, the Chicago-based documentary film writer and director has turned his focus on two of the country's high-profile dance ensembles: the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and the Joffrey Ballet."
Chicago Sun-Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:05AM
issues Cash Hemorrhage At Top Venue In Ireland's Second City
"Operating losses at the Cork Opera House almost trebled in 2010/11 to more than €825,000 (£692,000) following a drop of more than a fifth in revenues ... Production volume and audience numbers both fell by nearly a quarter (24%) in the year to the end of March 2011."
"Operating losses at the Cork Opera House almost trebled in 2010/11 to more than €825,000 (£692,000) following a drop of more than a fifth in revenues ... Production volume and audience numbers both fell by nearly a quarter (24%) in the year to the end of March 2011."
The Stage (UK) 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:04AM
media The Very First Recordings Of The Human Voice Revealed
"It must have been excruciating for the National Museum of American History's archivists to have the earliest known recordings of the human voice but not to be able to listen to them. The records, made in the Volta Lab of Alexander Graham Bell in the early 1880s, were too fragile to play. But the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory figured out how to scan them optically and retrieve the sound."
"It must have been excruciating for the National Museum of American History's archivists to have the earliest known recordings of the human voice but not to be able to listen to them. The records, made in the Volta Lab of Alexander Graham Bell in the early 1880s, were too fragile to play. But the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory figured out how to scan them optically and retrieve the sound."
The Economist 02/14/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:03AM
music It's Official: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Is UK's Oldest Orchestra
"The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLPO) was not misleading in its claim to be the 'oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra', it has been ruled." Britain's Advertising Standards Authority "ruled the orchestra had shown 'documentary evidence' to prove the claim."
"The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (RLPO) was not misleading in its claim to be the 'oldest surviving professional symphony orchestra', it has been ruled." Britain's Advertising Standards Authority "ruled the orchestra had shown 'documentary evidence' to prove the claim."
BBC 02/15/12
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Posted 02/16/12@12:02AM
people Remembering Lucian Freud In His Studio
David Dawson, for 20 years Freud's assistant, friend and occasional model: "He was sort of nimble and jumping around at the entrance to his flat. Very, very piercing blue eyes and wonderful manners that immediately sort of put you at ease, or put me at ease, anyway, and [he] was very intimate and caring about how I felt."
David Dawson, for 20 years Freud's assistant, friend and occasional model: "He was sort of nimble and jumping around at the entrance to his flat. Very, very piercing blue eyes and wonderful manners that immediately sort of put you at ease, or put me at ease, anyway, and [he] was very intimate and caring about how I felt."
The Economist 02/14/12 (video)
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Posted 02/16/12@12:02AM
Wednesday, February 15, 2012visual
Great Dachshunds In Art
"Nabokov admired one. Chekhov cuddled with one. E.B. White wrote poetry to them. Gary Shteyngart tweets about one. (Also: Warhol had two. Picasso drew one.)" (And your humble correspondent was raised by dachshunds.)
"Nabokov admired one. Chekhov cuddled with one. E.B. White wrote poetry to them. Gary Shteyngart tweets about one. (Also: Warhol had two. Picasso drew one.)" (And your humble correspondent was raised by dachshunds.)
Melville House 02/14/12 (slideshow)
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Posted 02/15/12@11:59PM
theatre Royal Shakespeare Company Production To Be Beamed Into 3000 Schools
"The project, which is thought to be the first time any theatre company's work has been viewed by so many schools simultaneously, will see the RSC's staging of I, Cinna by Tim Crouch recorded and then streamed into the schools on July 2."
"The project, which is thought to be the first time any theatre company's work has been viewed by so many schools simultaneously, will see the RSC's staging of I, Cinna by Tim Crouch recorded and then streamed into the schools on July 2."
TheStage 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@09:12AM
ideas The Neuroscience Of Love
"It turns out -- based on the levels of activity in the dopamine, serotonin and ocytocin/vasopressin pathways -- it is possible for one person to exhibit that they can love someone more deeply than another person can."
"It turns out -- based on the levels of activity in the dopamine, serotonin and ocytocin/vasopressin pathways -- it is possible for one person to exhibit that they can love someone more deeply than another person can."
Wired 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@09:05AM
media China Limits Broadcast Of Foreign TV Shows
"The new regulations, announced Monday, ban all imported programs during prime time and limit such shows to no more than 25 percent of a channel's offerings each day."
"The new regulations, announced Monday, ban all imported programs during prime time and limit such shows to no more than 25 percent of a channel's offerings each day."
The New York Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:35AM
music LA Philharmonic A Big Hit In Venezuela
"People began lining up at 4 a.m. late last month to buy $8 tickets, which quickly sold out for the Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts. They were limited to four a person, but scalpers were said to have scooped up many."
"People began lining up at 4 a.m. late last month to buy $8 tickets, which quickly sold out for the Los Angeles Philharmonic concerts. They were limited to four a person, but scalpers were said to have scooped up many."
The New York Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:32AM
visual Why So Much Turnover Of Leadership At The Getty Museum"
"With Potts now coming aboard (he starts work in September), four talented museum people will have occupied the director's office in the last 12 years. The turnover is not hard to explain. Alone among major art museums in the United States, the Getty's director reports to a paid president, not to a board of trustees."
"With Potts now coming aboard (he starts work in September), four talented museum people will have occupied the director's office in the last 12 years. The turnover is not hard to explain. Alone among major art museums in the United States, the Getty's director reports to a paid president, not to a board of trustees."
Los Angeles Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:19AM
theatre Pasadena Playhouse Taps Charles Dillingham As Interim Leader
"A spokesman for the Pasadena Playhouse said that Dillingham will stay with the company until a permanent hire is named. Stephen Eich stepped down from the executive director position earlier this month after serving 2 1/2 years."
"A spokesman for the Pasadena Playhouse said that Dillingham will stay with the company until a permanent hire is named. Stephen Eich stepped down from the executive director position earlier this month after serving 2 1/2 years."
Los Angeles Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:16AM
music Grammy Broadcast Gets 39 Million Viewers - Second-Most Of All Time
"The only Grammy telecast with more viewers was in 1984, when 43.8 million tuned in. That was the year that Michael Jackson won a record eight Grammys. Last year's show attracted 26.7 million viewers."
"The only Grammy telecast with more viewers was in 1984, when 43.8 million tuned in. That was the year that Michael Jackson won a record eight Grammys. Last year's show attracted 26.7 million viewers."
Los Angeles Times 02/014/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:16AM
music A Run On Whitney's Music
More than 100,000 albums and nearly 900,000 individual tracks sold in a little over 24 hours.
More than 100,000 albums and nearly 900,000 individual tracks sold in a little over 24 hours.
Los Angeles Times 02/15/12
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Posted 02/15/12@08:00AM
ideas Can Technology Enhance Our Brains?
"Advocates argue that data-management technologies, from low-tech pads to high-tech computers, don't always function as mere memory-prompting tools. Sometimes, they deserve to be understood as parts of our mind."
"Advocates argue that data-management technologies, from low-tech pads to high-tech computers, don't always function as mere memory-prompting tools. Sometimes, they deserve to be understood as parts of our mind."
Slate 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@07:58AM
visual A Link Between Fear And Abstract Art
A newly published study finds people are more likely to be moved and intrigued by abstract paintings if they have just experienced a good scare. This suggests the allure of art may be "a byproduct of one's tendency to be alarmed by such environmental features as novelty, ambiguity, and the fantastic."
A newly published study finds people are more likely to be moved and intrigued by abstract paintings if they have just experienced a good scare. This suggests the allure of art may be "a byproduct of one's tendency to be alarmed by such environmental features as novelty, ambiguity, and the fantastic."
Miller-McCune 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@07:54AM
music Kentucky Opera Hires Non-Union Orchestra; Conductor Quits
The company normally uses the Louisville Orchestra in the pit, but that financially troubled organization is still in a longstanding contract dispute with its musicians. So, for its season-closing production of The Merry Widow this weekend, Kentucky Opera assembled a non-union pit band from local community orchestras - whereupon company music director Joseph Mechavich backed out.
The company normally uses the Louisville Orchestra in the pit, but that financially troubled organization is still in a longstanding contract dispute with its musicians. So, for its season-closing production of The Merry Widow this weekend, Kentucky Opera assembled a non-union pit band from local community orchestras - whereupon company music director Joseph Mechavich backed out.
WFPL (Louisville) 02/13/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:06AM
music Conductor Who Walked Out On Kentucky Opera Walks Right Into San Diego
When Kentucky Opera music director Jospeh Mechavich withdrew from the company's Merry Widow following the hiring of non-union orchestra musicians, he was suddenly available for this weekend. As it happens, the conductor for Saturday's West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick at San Diego Opera fell ill; Mechavich had conducted that very score last month in Calgary, so he stepped right up.
When Kentucky Opera music director Jospeh Mechavich withdrew from the company's Merry Widow following the hiring of non-union orchestra musicians, he was suddenly available for this weekend. As it happens, the conductor for Saturday's West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie's Moby-Dick at San Diego Opera fell ill; Mechavich had conducted that very score last month in Calgary, so he stepped right up.
Union-Tribune San Diego 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:05AM
theatre Why Can't Asian-American Actors Get Cast In New York?
"Over the past five theater seasons Asian-American actors were cast in 2 percent of the roles in Broadway and major Off Broadway productions ... Asian-Americans were found to be the only minority group whose share of New York acting roles declined slightly, and they were also the least likely to be chosen for characters that would traditionally be played by white actors."
"Over the past five theater seasons Asian-American actors were cast in 2 percent of the roles in Broadway and major Off Broadway productions ... Asian-Americans were found to be the only minority group whose share of New York acting roles declined slightly, and they were also the least likely to be chosen for characters that would traditionally be played by white actors."
The New York Times 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:03AM
visual Getty Museum Names Timothy Potts Director
"A Sydney native who early on ran the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, Potts, 53, is currently the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge in England. He is best known in the U.S. for running the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1998 to 2007."
"A Sydney native who early on ran the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, Potts, 53, is currently the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at the University of Cambridge in England. He is best known in the U.S. for running the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, from 1998 to 2007."
Los Angeles Times 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:02AM
dance New Company Ballet Next Brings Audience Closer (Much Closer) To Dance
Ballet Next, founded last year by former ABT principal Michele Wiles and former NYCB principal Charles Askegard is launching a new series of "exhibitions" in a small performing space that "will combine well-known choreography, new works, and discussions among dancers, musicians, choreographers and audience members."
Ballet Next, founded last year by former ABT principal Michele Wiles and former NYCB principal Charles Askegard is launching a new series of "exhibitions" in a small performing space that "will combine well-known choreography, new works, and discussions among dancers, musicians, choreographers and audience members."
The Wall Street Journal 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:02AM
issues England Expected To Have £200M Extra Funding For Arts
"Arts Council England is expected to have around £160 million of extra funding at its disposal over the next five years, thanks to increased National Lottery ticket sales, culture minister Ed Vaizey has claimed. ... An additional £40 million is also projected to go to the British Film Institute."
"Arts Council England is expected to have around £160 million of extra funding at its disposal over the next five years, thanks to increased National Lottery ticket sales, culture minister Ed Vaizey has claimed. ... An additional £40 million is also projected to go to the British Film Institute."
The Stage (UK) 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:01AM
issues UK Government To Prepare National Plan For Cultural Education
Culture minister Ed Vaizey told a conference of arts professionals that the new plan would include everything from "archaeology to architecture and the built environment, archives, craft, dance, design, digital arts, drama and theatre, film and cinemas, galleries, heritage, libraries, literature, live performance, museums, poetry and the visual arts."
Culture minister Ed Vaizey told a conference of arts professionals that the new plan would include everything from "archaeology to architecture and the built environment, archives, craft, dance, design, digital arts, drama and theatre, film and cinemas, galleries, heritage, libraries, literature, live performance, museums, poetry and the visual arts."
The Guardian (UK) 02/14/12
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Posted 02/15/12@12:00AM
Tuesday, February 14, 2012music
Elgar Manuscript Found In Local Government Storage Closet
"An Edward Elgar manuscript dating back nearly 90 years has been discovered in a council building in Leicestershire. Staff found the musical score while clearing out a storage room at Charnwood Borough Council's headquarters in Loughborough."
"An Edward Elgar manuscript dating back nearly 90 years has been discovered in a council building in Leicestershire. Staff found the musical score while clearing out a storage room at Charnwood Borough Council's headquarters in Loughborough."
BBC 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:59PM
people Dancer-Choreographer Zina Bethune Killed In Road Accident
"Bethune, 66, a former New York City Ballet soloist and the founder of a Los Angeles multimedia dance and theatrical company, was struck by two vehicles and killed shortly after midnight Sunday after she apparently stopped to help an injured animal along Forest Lawn Drive in L.A."
"Bethune, 66, a former New York City Ballet soloist and the founder of a Los Angeles multimedia dance and theatrical company, was struck by two vehicles and killed shortly after midnight Sunday after she apparently stopped to help an injured animal along Forest Lawn Drive in L.A."
Los Angeles Times 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:59PM
theatre Why Do So Many Ticket-Discounting Schemes Discriminate Against Grown-Ups With Day Jobs?
"[If] you work 9 to 5, and aren't under 26 or over 60, it's much harder to find affordable ways of seeing a show - even more so when it comes to commercial theatre."
"[If] you work 9 to 5, and aren't under 26 or over 60, it's much harder to find affordable ways of seeing a show - even more so when it comes to commercial theatre."
The Guardian (UK) 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:57PM
visual More Than 400 Stolen Expressionist Artworks Turn Up In Warehouse
"Karel Appel, a leading expressionist, died at 85 in 2006. He never recovered from the loss of a lifetime's worth of drawings, sketches, notebooks and other works believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds." A logistics company found the trove while cleaning out a recently warehouse.
"Karel Appel, a leading expressionist, died at 85 in 2006. He never recovered from the loss of a lifetime's worth of drawings, sketches, notebooks and other works believed to be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds." A logistics company found the trove while cleaning out a recently warehouse.
The Guardian (UK) 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:56PM
ideas Just Can't Appreciate Abstract Art? Try Watching The Shining First
"A newly published study finds people are more likely to be moved and intrigued by abstract paintings if they have just experienced a good scare. This suggests the allure of art may be 'a byproduct of one's tendency to be alarmed by such environmental features as novelty, ambiguity, and the fantastic,' argues lead author Kendall Eskine."
"A newly published study finds people are more likely to be moved and intrigued by abstract paintings if they have just experienced a good scare. This suggests the allure of art may be 'a byproduct of one's tendency to be alarmed by such environmental features as novelty, ambiguity, and the fantastic,' argues lead author Kendall Eskine."
Miller-McCune 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:55PM
ideas What Makes Germans Laugh? (Yes, There Is Something)
There's an old English music hall sketch, "Dinner for One", that was ubiquitous there in the 1920s and '30s, was recorded for German television in 1962, and somehow caught on in the '70s, airing every New Year's Eve and becoming the most popular program in German history. Philip Oltermann explores what the sketch's popularity explains about the German sense of humor.
There's an old English music hall sketch, "Dinner for One", that was ubiquitous there in the 1920s and '30s, was recorded for German television in 1962, and somehow caught on in the '70s, airing every New Year's Eve and becoming the most popular program in German history. Philip Oltermann explores what the sketch's popularity explains about the German sense of humor.
The Guardian (UK) 02/12/12
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Posted 02/14/12@11:54PM
media We're In A Golden Age Of Documentaries (So Why Don't We Celebrate Them?)
Of the more than 800 feature films released theatrically in America last year, more than 300 were documentaries. (At premiere marketplace festivals like Sundance and Toronto, the ratio is similar.) Yet at the Academy Awards, where the film industry lavishly celebrates itself, all of those films compete for one measly award: best documentary. By comparison, dramatic features get 20 chances for an Oscar.
Of the more than 800 feature films released theatrically in America last year, more than 300 were documentaries. (At premiere marketplace festivals like Sundance and Toronto, the ratio is similar.) Yet at the Academy Awards, where the film industry lavishly celebrates itself, all of those films compete for one measly award: best documentary. By comparison, dramatic features get 20 chances for an Oscar.
Slate 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:55AM
media "Halftime In America - Political Metaphor
Set to music and narrated by the nation's last living cowboy, "Halftime" has considerably more rhetorical pow than the prosaic platitudes of Obama's 2011 State of the Union speech: "We're the nation that puts cars in driveways." Indeed, Eastwood's manager couldn't resist representing the spot as a personal statement from his client: "Chrysler just sponsored what he had to say."
Set to music and narrated by the nation's last living cowboy, "Halftime" has considerably more rhetorical pow than the prosaic platitudes of Obama's 2011 State of the Union speech: "We're the nation that puts cars in driveways." Indeed, Eastwood's manager couldn't resist representing the spot as a personal statement from his client: "Chrysler just sponsored what he had to say."
New York Review of Books 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:52AM
visual Maldives National Museum Is Vandalized
"The broken glass from an attack by vandals on the National Museum here has been swept away, and the remnants of the Buddhist statues they destroyed -- nearly 30 of them, some dating to the sixth century -- have been locked away. But officials say the loss to this island nation's archaeological legacy can never be recouped."
"The broken glass from an attack by vandals on the National Museum here has been swept away, and the remnants of the Buddhist statues they destroyed -- nearly 30 of them, some dating to the sixth century -- have been locked away. But officials say the loss to this island nation's archaeological legacy can never be recouped."
The New York Times 02/013/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:42AM
issues Obama Proposes Five Percent Increase In Arts Funding
"Obama aims to boost outlays from $1.501 billion to $1.576 billion, encompassing the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities (NEA and NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Gallery of Art."
"Obama aims to boost outlays from $1.501 billion to $1.576 billion, encompassing the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities (NEA and NEH), the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Smithsonian Institution, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Gallery of Art."
Los Angeles Times 02/014/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:18AM
ideas Brainstorming - Effective Or Misguided?
"The fatal misconception behind brainstorming is that there is a particular script we should all follow in group interactions. The lesson of Building 20 is that when the composition of the group is right--enough people with different perspectives running into one another in unpredictable ways--the group dynamic will take care of itself. All these errant discussions add up. In fact, they may even be the most essential part of the creative process."
"The fatal misconception behind brainstorming is that there is a particular script we should all follow in group interactions. The lesson of Building 20 is that when the composition of the group is right--enough people with different perspectives running into one another in unpredictable ways--the group dynamic will take care of itself. All these errant discussions add up. In fact, they may even be the most essential part of the creative process."
The New Yorker 02/01/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:07AM
media 100-Year-Old Athens Theatre Destroyed In Riots
"With lit candles in their hand and tears in their eyes, a crowd of sorrowful citizens gathered outside Attikon yesterday to mourn the cinema's destruction. Among the Athenians in the crowd who had fond memories of watching movies at the Attikon since they were children, were a number of artists who came to commemorate the building's significance for the arts in Greece."
"With lit candles in their hand and tears in their eyes, a crowd of sorrowful citizens gathered outside Attikon yesterday to mourn the cinema's destruction. Among the Athenians in the crowd who had fond memories of watching movies at the Attikon since they were children, were a number of artists who came to commemorate the building's significance for the arts in Greece."
Greek Reporter 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:02AM
people Ricardo Legorreta, 1931-2011, Mexico's Essential Architect
"No discussion of contemporary architecture in Mexico could pretend to completeness without a discussion of the work of the Legorretas and their firm. Part of Legorreta's legacy has been to show that there are many Modernisms, not solely a smooth narrative from LeCorbusier to Mies to Johnson."
"No discussion of contemporary architecture in Mexico could pretend to completeness without a discussion of the work of the Legorretas and their firm. Part of Legorreta's legacy has been to show that there are many Modernisms, not solely a smooth narrative from LeCorbusier to Mies to Johnson."
Adobe Airstream 02/012/12
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Posted 02/14/12@08:00AM
music Computer To Recreate Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue With Live Orchestra
"George Gershwin's part will be played by a Yamaha Disklavier PRO - a kind of super-computer player piano mechanism inside a classic, nine-foot concert grand. It's essentially a "playback" instrument; what's truly special here is what will guide the Disklavier: the Zenph Sound Innovations software that meticulously replicates a musician's performance as computer data."
"George Gershwin's part will be played by a Yamaha Disklavier PRO - a kind of super-computer player piano mechanism inside a classic, nine-foot concert grand. It's essentially a "playback" instrument; what's truly special here is what will guide the Disklavier: the Zenph Sound Innovations software that meticulously replicates a musician's performance as computer data."
Art&Seek (KERA) 02/12/12
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Posted 02/14/12@07:56AM
ideas How Nietzsche Turned Me Christian
Giles Fraser: "As a good communist, atheism had always been my unexamined default position. And because Nietzsche was so passionate an atheist, I had my defences down to his unusually intense religiosity and elliptical desire for salvation. Which, I suppose, is how the question of God crept under my intellectual radar."
Giles Fraser: "As a good communist, atheism had always been my unexamined default position. And because Nietzsche was so passionate an atheist, I had my defences down to his unusually intense religiosity and elliptical desire for salvation. Which, I suppose, is how the question of God crept under my intellectual radar."
The Guardian (UK) 02/05/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:12AM
dance Joffrey Ballet Returns To Cutting-Edge Choreography
Says artistic director Ashley Wheater, "The Joffrey has a phenomenal history, and in my time" - he danced with the company in the 1980s - "there was an incredibly eclectic repertoire. We did Ashton and Fokine but also Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe. But in the last 20 years the company did very little new work." Wheater has just changed that.
Says artistic director Ashley Wheater, "The Joffrey has a phenomenal history, and in my time" - he danced with the company in the 1980s - "there was an incredibly eclectic repertoire. We did Ashton and Fokine but also Mark Morris, Twyla Tharp, William Forsythe. But in the last 20 years the company did very little new work." Wheater has just changed that.
The New York Times 02/12/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:09AM
theatre The Agony And Ecstasy Of Steve Jobs Now Available For Free - As Download Or Performing Script
"On Monday, after nearly 200 performances, the monologuist Mike Daisey was to release a theatrical transcript of his latest one-man show ... through his Web site, mikedaisey.blogspot.com. It will be free to download and in a rare twist, if an aspiring performer should want to mount a production of the show, Mr. Daisey will not ask for payment."
"On Monday, after nearly 200 performances, the monologuist Mike Daisey was to release a theatrical transcript of his latest one-man show ... through his Web site, mikedaisey.blogspot.com. It will be free to download and in a rare twist, if an aspiring performer should want to mount a production of the show, Mr. Daisey will not ask for payment."
The New York Times 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:08AM
people Lloyd Dykk, Admired And Feared Vancouver Critic, Dead At 67
"Dykk was one of the last of his breed, a classic old-style Critic, with a capital C. His reviews were impeccably written, incredibly witty, and often utterly withering."
"Dykk was one of the last of his breed, a classic old-style Critic, with a capital C. His reviews were impeccably written, incredibly witty, and often utterly withering."
Vancouver Sun 02/08/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:07AM
music David Finckel Leaves Emerson String Quartet After 33 Years
The 60-year-old cellist, "who has been multitasking of late in ventures with his wife, the pianist Wu Han - as co-artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center ... and Music@Menlo in California, and as co-producer of the record label ArtistLed - is leaving to pursue 'his personal artistic endeavors'."
The 60-year-old cellist, "who has been multitasking of late in ventures with his wife, the pianist Wu Han - as co-artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center ... and Music@Menlo in California, and as co-producer of the record label ArtistLed - is leaving to pursue 'his personal artistic endeavors'."
The New York Times 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:05AM
media Spotting The Anachronisms In Downton Abbey's Dialogue
"The post-Edwardian period décor, costumes, and sumptuous scenery all seem just right. But with drama that is so dependent on dialogue, one aspect of the show has come in for particular attention from sharp-eared fans: the accuracy of its language."
"The post-Edwardian period décor, costumes, and sumptuous scenery all seem just right. But with drama that is so dependent on dialogue, one aspect of the show has come in for particular attention from sharp-eared fans: the accuracy of its language."
The Boston Globe 02/12/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:05AM
people How Charles Dickens And America Fell In And Out Of Love
"On his first visit to America in 1842, English novelist Charles Dickens was greeted like a modern rock star. ... But a visit which had started so well quickly turned into a bitter dispute, known as the 'Quarrel with America'." (It seems author and country loved each other not wisely, but too well.)
"On his first visit to America in 1842, English novelist Charles Dickens was greeted like a modern rock star. ... But a visit which had started so well quickly turned into a bitter dispute, known as the 'Quarrel with America'." (It seems author and country loved each other not wisely, but too well.)
BBC 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:04AM
visual Faith Ringgold Removes Her Name From New Harlem Children's Museum
The artist and author, known for her painted story quilts, had been enthusiastic about the planned Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling attached to an affordable housing development in her old neighborhood. Then, two months ago, she cut all ties with the project, saying that the developers hadn't provided for art insurance, security or storage. The developers counter that it's too early in the process - construction hasn't yet begun - to finalize such arrangements.
The artist and author, known for her painted story quilts, had been enthusiastic about the planned Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling attached to an affordable housing development in her old neighborhood. Then, two months ago, she cut all ties with the project, saying that the developers hadn't provided for art insurance, security or storage. The developers counter that it's too early in the process - construction hasn't yet begun - to finalize such arrangements.
The New York Times 02/13/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:03AM
theatre Pygmalion In Rhodesia
"In Pygmalion, Henry Higgins takes a poor flower girl named Eliza Doolittle and teaches her to speak the king's English. In [Zimbabwean-American writer Danai Gurira's] The Convert, Jekesai, a young woman from the Shona people, runs away from an arranged marriage and is taken under the wing of a black Catholic missionary named Chilford.
"In Pygmalion, Henry Higgins takes a poor flower girl named Eliza Doolittle and teaches her to speak the king's English. In [Zimbabwean-American writer Danai Gurira's] The Convert, Jekesai, a young woman from the Shona people, runs away from an arranged marriage and is taken under the wing of a black Catholic missionary named Chilford.
NPR 02/10/12 (includes audio)
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Posted 02/14/12@12:02AM
issues Craigslist's Missed Connections Ads Become Mother Lode Of Source Material
"A surprising number of writers, poets, comedians and illustrators have come to regard missed-connection classifieds for what they truly are - an inexhaustible treasure chest of heartbreak, longing, obsession and hopefulness, waiting to be ransacked and appropriated."
"A surprising number of writers, poets, comedians and illustrators have come to regard missed-connection classifieds for what they truly are - an inexhaustible treasure chest of heartbreak, longing, obsession and hopefulness, waiting to be ransacked and appropriated."
The Chicago Tribune 02/14/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:00AM
music Why Adele's 'Someone Like You' Makes People Cry: A Scientific Explanation
Based on existing neuropsychology studies and an analysis of the Grammy-winning song, it seems that the answer involves crescendos, appoggiaturas, and dopamine.
Based on existing neuropsychology studies and an analysis of the Grammy-winning song, it seems that the answer involves crescendos, appoggiaturas, and dopamine.
The Wall Street Journal 02/11/12
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Posted 02/14/12@12:00AM
Monday, February 13, 2012media
Old Hat: Toys Based On Movies. New Hotness: Movies Based On Toys.
"Hasbro has long been known for making toys and games based on movies and TV shows. Lately, the multinational toy company has been making movies and TV shows based on its toys and games."
"Hasbro has long been known for making toys and games based on movies and TV shows. Lately, the multinational toy company has been making movies and TV shows based on its toys and games."
The New York Times 02/13/12
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Posted 02/13/12@11:58PM
ideas Flying, And Living, Solo, Within The Constant Chattering Stream
"In prosperous societies, where social media is common, social lives are affordable and accessible, and families are no longer a financial necessity, is the era of communal living over and done? If so, are we losing our ability to be intimate, or are we simply evolving into creatures with different needs?"
"In prosperous societies, where social media is common, social lives are affordable and accessible, and families are no longer a financial necessity, is the era of communal living over and done? If so, are we losing our ability to be intimate, or are we simply evolving into creatures with different needs?"
The New York Times 02/12/12
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Posted 02/13/12@08:04AM
theatre How Can Audiences Fall For New Plays? Passion - And Marketing
"We need to choose stories for that part of the human soul much more often than we do. We need to learn how to market those stories to people, too. We need to expand this city's understanding of what going to the theater can be: not only familiarity, but discovery; not only comfort, but a healthy rattling of the cages."
"We need to choose stories for that part of the human soul much more often than we do. We need to learn how to market those stories to people, too. We need to expand this city's understanding of what going to the theater can be: not only familiarity, but discovery; not only comfort, but a healthy rattling of the cages."
Gwydion Suilebhan 02/13/12
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Posted 02/13/12@08:00AM
media Without Books, Can Cinema Survive?
No. In making movies, "the key factors are ideas and money - and both are currently in short supply."
No. In making movies, "the key factors are ideas and money - and both are currently in short supply."
The Financial Times 02/10/12
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Posted 02/13/12@07:58AM
visual The Necessary Persistence Of Christo
"Christo sits stone-faced as they call him a liar, a cheater, a con man, a killer, as they politely suggest he is a fool, as they angrily denounce him as an enemy of nature. He is the world's most famous artist and this is what he must endure for these odd projects he dreams up."
"Christo sits stone-faced as they call him a liar, a cheater, a con man, a killer, as they politely suggest he is a fool, as they angrily denounce him as an enemy of nature. He is the world's most famous artist and this is what he must endure for these odd projects he dreams up."
Denver Post 02/10/12
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Posted 02/13/12@07:57AM
dance A Worthy Biographer For A Worthy Dancer
How Brenda Dixon Gottschild came to write the biography of Philadelphia's Joan Myers Brown, legend of African-American dance.
How Brenda Dixon Gottschild came to write the biography of Philadelphia's Joan Myers Brown, legend of African-American dance.
Philadelphia Inquirer 02/12/12
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Posted 02/13/12@07:54AM