It was a great sculpture. But probably too good to be true…
Tag: 03.05.08
Shakespeare – Poet Or Playwright?
“One of the fascinations of literary scholarship is its hold on writers of our own time. Contemporary poets read Shakespeare almost as if he were a rival, or some sort of perennial vade mecum of technical forms and approaches. Even without the expanding needs of modern education, Shakespeare would be with us in hundreds of studies year by year. What remains to be said that is new?”
Pitchfork To Start Its Own MTV Channel
“The Web site attracts more than 200,000 visitors a day and is widely recognized as the most influential music destination on the Internet. For the last two summers the Pitchfork Music Festival has attracted tens of thousands of fans from around the world to Union Park on the West Side to see the site’s hand-picked bands in concert.”
Art’s Unexamined Assistants
“Today, ambitious modern art – made, perhaps, from space-age materials – is increasingly likely to be constructed by teams in either spark-filled factories or computer-filled design practices. But does it help the assistant to learn, or does it sap their own time and energy? And how do their egos cope with seeing the fruits of their labour applauded under another’s name?”
The Transparency Of Privacy
“If I disclose information to you, your power with respect to me increases. One way to address this power imbalance is for you to similarly disclose information to me. We both have less privacy, but the balance of power is maintained. But this mechanism fails utterly if you and I have different power levels to begin with.”
The Waning Days Of The TV Special?
“In olden days the TV term ‘special’ was derived from ‘spectacular,’ but it retained a more conventional meaning — something distinctive (and rare) enough to stand apart from the crowd. Today, the proliferation of viewing options clamoring for attention has made that a virtual impossibility.”
Story Of A Seattle Artist
“During his long life in the studio, Alden Mason has painted on the edge of a national reputation without achieving one. Something always held him back. Art dealers closed, lost interest or proved unreliable. He has been known to leave a good gallery for a bad one. Book projects have fallen apart. Only last year, a filmmaker who’d spent three years shooting a documentary on Mason had a fatal heart attack before finishing the project.”
Portrait Of The Modern Violin Star
Janine Jansen has crafted a persona. “Times change; today the internet plays such an important role, such a big part of the future,” says Jansen. “In the United States, downloads count for 75% of my Vivaldi recording’s sales. It’s a great way to get new audiences interested; iPods let people enjoy a personal first contact with classical music, and that’s incredibly important.”
Hollywood Had Record Global Box Office In 2007
“A report released Wednesday says box office revenue outside North America climbed 4.9 percent to $17.1 billion, representing nearly two-thirds of all ticket sales. Revenues in the United States and Canada increased 5.4 percent to a record $9.6 billion, with admissions unchanged at 1.4 billion tickets sold but prices 5 percent higher.”
West End Performers Want 44 Percent Wage Hike, Threaten Strike
“The trade union is currently pushing for the existing basic pay rate for actors working in the West End to increase from £381 per week to £550. A new second minimum wage of £650 is also being sought for performers who are required to work on Sundays.”