The purchase was funded by the sale of visual art by some of Petronio’s famous collaborators.
Archives for December 2016
The Death Photographer Of India’s Holy City
Indra Kumar Jha makes his living taking pictures of the funeral rites at the burning ghats on the Ganges River in Varanasi.
The Wonders Of Neapolitan Christmas Crèches
Garry Wills looks at the spectacular detail and the particular idiosyncracies of the collection of figurines at the Chicago Art Institute.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 12.29.16
Overbuilding of cultural facilities and ‘economic impact’
Followers of this blog are familiar with my thoughts on ‘economic impact‘ studies. But I think I have forgotten to mention yet another way in which these studies are not only useless, but positively harmful. … read more
AJBlog: For What It’s Worth Published 2016-12-28
12 Plays of Xmas: 2. Birth by TW Robertson
What does reality look like on stage? I’ll tell you what it doesn’t usually look like: a play that sets the finale in ivy-covered ruins on an aristocratic estate. … read more
AJBlog: Performance Monkey Published 2016-12-28
It’s Still the Christmas Season
When I wrote two recent seasonal posts here–about art-related Christmas/Chanukkah presents and about the Star Trail at the National Gallery – I had forgotten about an exhibition … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-12-28
Algorithm-Driven Art – How Netflix Is Changing The Way Artistic Decisions Are Being Made (Or Not)
How do you calculate the value of art? In the TV and movie business, given the size of budgets involved and the number of tickets that need to be sold, the commercial business calculation is paramount. A worthy artistic project won’t get very far if the potential audience calculation isn’t right.
Of the many ways Netflix is changing the TV and movie business, calculating audience behavior might be the most revolutionary. Netflix uses an algorithm to calculate how viewers choose what to watch, what they’re watching, when, and for how long they’re tuning in.
When determining how cost-efficient a program is, Netflix analyzes its share of viewing relative to its share of the cost budget, and other factors like impact on acquisition, total raw viewing hours, critical acclaim, and awards performance.
Of course, Netflix doesn’t release audience viewership data, so competitors can’t tell which Netflix projects are doing well and which aren’t, which in itself upends the popularity charts that typically power pop culture and guides producers and studios in which projects get made.
This article suggests that Netflix is also using its viewer algorithms in negotiating how much it will offer producers for projects, though Netflix denies the practice:
Like other entertainment entities, it (Netflix) looks at things like the talent attached to a project and the audience for a particular genre to estimate how much a film or show might be viewed compared to its cost. Every project, Netflix said, is assessed differently.
But why, really? Any studio makes a series of calculations when deciding on what it will buy. Netflix, by virtue of the granular way in which it can chart audience behavior, undoubtedly has the data to be able to algorithmatize the process to its benefit. What does it say that Netflix feels the need to deny it about how we think about the artistic process?
Debbie Reynolds Dead At 84, One Day After Her Daughter’s Death
Before she became known to a younger generation as Carrie Fisher‘s mother, Reynolds was one of America’s biggest stars – on stage, screen, and turntable – of the 1950s and ’60s. (Not to mention being the most famous of the women who lost their husbands to Elizabeth Taylor.)
As The Year Ends, The Oscars Race Heats Up
Who, and what, will get nominated for Academy Awards – and what’s still in the running even as the discussion narrows?
Berlin Cancels Show Of Contemporary Works From Iran After Getting No Approval From Tehran
The best collection of Western modern art outside of Europe and North America will not travel to Germany. The head of the Berlin museum authority says that as far as he knew, “Iran’s culture minister and foreign minister both backed the exhibition. All that was required was the signature of the president, Hassan Rouhani, for the export licenses to be granted, and that signature never came.”
The Young Ballerino Dancing His Way From The Slums To The Stage
Joel Kioko “grew up in Nairobi’s Kuwinda slum and took his first dance class five years ago in a public school classroom, with bare walls, no barre and no mirror, the desks and chairs pushed outside.”
Donald Judd: Artist, Thinker, And Philosopher-Critic
A new book of his writing, edited by his son and a Judd Foundation archivist, shows the artist as “a deeply read student of history who tended to believe Western culture hadn’t yet emerged from the Middle Ages and that, more than people cared to acknowledge, violence, oppression and ignorance continued to be societal defaults.”
As The World Turns Its Back On Art Historical Expertise, Ignorance Will Reign
You can blame the threat of lawsuits for just about all of the problems, including a contraction in the value of Old Masters. And without real experts, “There will be an even greater consolidation and reliance on a small number of powerful artist foundations and committees, who have the money to deter or fight litigation.”
Zubin Mehta Sets A Retirement Date From The Israel Phil
Mehta, the musical director of the Israel Philharmonic for nearly half a century, said that he’ll step down in 2019.
So Why, Exactly, Is There No Emoji For Hummus?
The process involved in getting an emoji through the Unicode approval process is long and vast – and now brands are getting in on the act, including Taco Bell’s influencing the 2015 addition of (you guessed it) a taco emoji.
Carrie Fisher’s Considerable Acting And Writing Skills Turned Into Eight-Shows-A-Week Stamina At A Theatre In Los Angeles
The autobiographical “Wishful Drinking,” which later went to Berkeley Rep, Broadway and HBO, got its start at the Geffen. That theatre’s artistic direector: ‘We found with ‘Wishful Drinking’ her appeal absolutely crossed all boundaries … men just love her, women absolutely love her, from young to old. She was just universally admired and loved and had such a unique brand of humor.’
For New Year’s, Enjoy Some Horror Stories Of Onstage Mishaps And Screw-Ups
“A stage is a dangerous and threatening environment, one in which chaos and calamity are never more than a protruding nail or a malfunctioning revolver away.” Actor Michael Simkins shares some of his favorite (if that’s the word) calamities.
The Internet Has Almost Killed The Curly Quote
And old-school stylists are in pain: “Straight quotes appear as an abomination in a typeface, because their designers rarely love them; they’re included by necessity and often lack cohesion with other characters. The non-curly quote comes from the typewriting tradition, and arose from cost.”
At The End Of A Year Like 2016, Hope May Seem Futile – Here’s Why It’s Not
“Is it naïve to be optimistic? Foolish to harbor hope? Three modes of inquiry – neuroscience, history, and psychology – supply complementary and contrasting perspectives. By putting them together, you can start to see what good hope and optimism might do you. And the country.”
Netflix Has An Algorithm (Of Course) That Determines How Much The Company Will Pay For A Movie Or Series
Also, it’s paying $13 million – thirteen. million. dollars. – per episode of “The Crown.”
Quick, Where’s The World’s Oldest University? (Not Where You Probably Think It Is)
No, it’s not in Paris or Bologna; it’s not even in Europe. Or Asia, for that matter. What’s more, this university was founded, almost 1,200 years ago, by a woman.
Broadway’s So Busy That It’s Bringing Back Standing Room For The Holidays
Wear comfortable shoes to Broadway, people. Along with “Dear Evan Hansen,” other shows “that are regularly offering standing room these days are such favorites as ‘Hamilton,’ ‘The Book of Mormon,’ ‘Beautiful,’ ‘Waitress,’ ‘Kinky Boots’ and ‘School of Rock.'”
2016: The Year American Cinema Was Saturated In Beauty, And American Reality Was Saturated In Ugliness
“Something rare happened this year: the best American film releases – Moonlight, La La Land, and Arrival – were also the most beautiful.”
This Celebrity Reporter ‘Was This Little Island Of Sanity At Every Red Carpet’ – So Why Did He Jump Off A Roof?
“Jeffrey Slonim didn’t shout. While the other red carpet reporters tried to get the attention of celebrities by yelling their names, he usually waited for them to come to him. And they usually did.”
Watch This Cartoon Explain The Physics Behind The 32 Fouettés In ‘Swan Lake’
“Literally meaning ‘whipped’ or ‘whisked,’ the move is comprised of 32 consecutive turns on one pointed foot. If it sounds impossible, it’s because it almost is. So much so, that this video has been made to explain the physics of it.”
Recovering The Acoustics Of Hagia Sophia’s Byzantine Glory Days
“Collaborating with choral group Cappella Romana, [scientists at Stanford] digitally recreated the former holy building’s acoustics … in the university’s Bing Concert Hall.” (includes video)
‘The Opening Of The Blacksonian Is *The* Museum Event Of The Year’
“Yes, ‘the Blacksonian,’ because no one is going say that whole name” – the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture – “and no one’s going to say ‘NMAAHC,’ either, because no one wants to hear ‘God bless you’ every time somebody does.” Wesley Morris, after throwing his bits of shade, describes the experience, both ridiculous and sublime, of his first visit.”