John Brockman has a “fundamental opposition to the separation of art and science. Instead, he sees art as science and science as art. This way of thinking beyond the boundaries is a guiding theme that defines his activities, which focus on establishing networks.”
Kenny Wheeler, Jazz Trumpeter And Composer, Dead At 84
“Wheeler’s ECM albums of the Seventies – recorded with Norma Winstone and John Taylor – remain a touchstone of quiet and unflamboyant ensemble playing. Wheeler, also a flugelhorn player, was a fine composer, as he showed in works such as Jigsaw, with its clever harmonic patterns.”
At ArtPrize, Jury Decisions Gain Equality With Popular Vote
“For the first time this year, the public votes and juried votes will run along parallelled tracks. Both the jury and the public will be mulling over the same four categories, awarding prizes with the same amount of money for each category at $20,000 and awarding an equal Grand Prize of $200,000.”
India Develops A Stand-Up Comedy Scene
“Affluent Indian urbanites – till now weaned on a censorship-prone diet of cinema and soap operas – are awakening to this new form of entertainment, fascinated by the prospect of non-stop laughs for an hour. And they’re willing to pay for it.” But comedians doing their usual skewering of taboos face more-than-usual risks.
“It’s Just Gray, Frightened People Holding On For Dear Life”: Terry Gilliam On Hollywood
“In Hollywood, at least when I was making films there, there were people in the studios that actually had personalities. You could distinguish one from the other. And now, I don’t see that at all. … I just want to do what I do. And I don’t even get scripts from Hollywood. I don’t even ask for scripts anymore because I kind of know what they’re going to be.”
Remember That Afghan Town With The Blown-Up Buddhas? It Wants To Be A Vacation Destination
“As manager of Bamiyan’s tourism association, Ibrahim is the brains and muscle behind a push to convince foreigners to visit a town made internationally famous by one of the worst acts of cultural terrorism in recent history. Having enjoyed years of relative stability, Bamiyan wants to open up its cultural heritage to intrepid travelers curious to see more of the country than war.”
How A Combination Art-and-Housing Project Earned Its Creator A MacArthur Grant
“Social sculpture” is the term that artist – and new MacArthur Fellow – Rick Lowe uses to describe Project Row Houses, which functions as both visual and conceptual art, social housing (notably for young single mothers), and art incubator and exhibitor.
The Fox, The Hedgehog, And The Death Of Classic Hollywood
Kenneth Turan: “Simply put, Hollywood has traditionally been celebrated as the fox, entertaining everybody by making movies for a wide variety of appetites and audiences. … Today’s Hollywood, by contrast, has transformed itself into the hedgehog. The one big thing it knows how to do is make sequels and superhero movies and sequels to superhero movies, all aimed at a young adult crowd with no end in sight.”
Southern California Institute Of Architecture’s New Director Has A Plan, But He’s Not Talking About It
“The idea that the next appointed director has one year to establish plans for curriculum and development is a very refreshing thing,” Hernan Diaz Alonso said.
What Virginia Woolf Learned (Some Might Say Copied) From Edith Wharton
“Whether Wharton herself ever noticed the parallel is lost to history, but, from our current vantage point, Woolf’s breezy dismissal of American authors, including Wharton — ‘they do not give us anything we have not got already’ — seems, at best, questionable.”
A Surge Of In-House Creativity At City Ballet
“‘It’s a really exciting time,’ Andrew Veyette, one of six dancers who will perform in Mr. Schumacher’s first work for City Ballet — titled ‘Clearing Dawn’ — said in a telephone interview. ‘They bring out the best version of us. They see us as we really are.'”
The Perfect Environment For Creative Success
Make it dark, make it slightly loud, add some wine: “Recent research has shown that messy, dark, noisy, booze-filled environments … can, in fact, help stimulate creativity.”
Can Getty Images Turn Free Photos Into Money?
As Getty Images makes photos free via a new app,”the person who owns the copyright — the contributor, the one whose creativity made the image — is not getting anything from this.”
So What Exactly Is It About Young Adult Literature That Gets Certain Critics So Upset?
“The idea that pleasure should be relegated to adolescence seems a dreary recipe for adulthood indeed, but whose pleasure, exactly, are we discussing here? What of people who have been persecuted solely on the basis of their pleasures, for daring to be joyful in bodies regulated and punished for those pleasures by the apparatus of the state?”
Does ‘Immersive Theatre’ Even Mean Anything Anymore?
“Standing around watching a show in a room that appears to have been designed by an Oxford Street store window dresser doesn’t magically make the audience experience something immersive, no matter how many stuffed animals you incorporate into the set.”
This Artist’s MacArthur Genius Grant Could Have Far-Reaching Implications For Art And Social Practice
‘Project Row Houses’ artist Rick Lowe’s “award, in many ways, helps confer mainstream prestige to the form. But it also highlights the level of commitment that well-produced activist art can demand.”
Nothing Like Having Your Work Finally Recognized, Says 80-Year-Old Artist Who Just Won A Major Art Prize
“I’m very happy about it. It’s very nice to be included. I’ve always liked the idea of being included in major exhibitions and stuff.”
Still Dealing With An Artistic Crisis? More Advice To Help You Move On
“Mindfulness is critical particularly for artists, who are sometimes naturally inclined to behave instinctively, because it keeps resentments and anger from building up.”
Shonda Rhimes Takes Down NYTimes TV Critic For Offensive Article
Shonda Rhimes had little patience on Friday for the way the television critic of the New York Times wrote about her and her shows.
Iran Sentences Dancers To Being Lashed
Six Iranians arrested for appearing in a video dancing to Pharrell Williams’ song Happy have been sentenced to up to one year in prison and 91 lashes, their lawyer says.
Upping The Ante: California Increases Its Film Tax Credits To Save Productions
“The law, which takes effect next year, increases the annual film and TV tax credit offered by California and eliminates a selection process producers complained is arbitrary and flawed. Advocates say the new law is crucial to preventing other states and countries from continuing to lure away film and TV production by offering their own lucrative incentives.”
Labor War Over, Met Opera’s Army Mobilizes For Opening Night
“The Met is an enormous operation – more than 1,500 people go to work there some days – and the weeks before opening night are among the busiest of the year. … A day spent backstage at the Met this week as the company prepared for its opening night on Monday provided a snapshot of the work, care and expense that go into putting on opera.” (includes video)
New York Jazz Musicians In Poverty As They Get Older
“The sad truth is that some of the most talented musicians in the world have playing at the most famous clubs in the U.S. and now, as they retire, they are literally destitute.”