“Britain’s Royal Academy of Art put a block of slate on display, topped by a small piece of wood, in the mistaken belief it was a work of art. The slate and wooden stick was actually a base meant to hold up a laughing human head made by British sculptor David Hensel.”
Tag: 06.15.06
How Royal Academy Mistook A Plinth For Art
“On a trip to see his work in situ, he came across the slate slab and the tiny piece of wood that supported the sculpture, but the macabre countenance was nowhere to be seen. That, the Royal Academy said, was because the artist had submitted the two components separately and the judges had simply preferred the plinth to the head.”
Music Firm Claims iPod Infringes Patents
“Creative has asked the International Trade Commission to issue an order stopping Apple from marketing, selling or importing iPods into the US. It claims the iPod infringes its patent for a music player navigation menu.”
Do We Overthink What We’re Trying To Appreciate?
“Being culturally and historically informed is one thing, and having an artistic experience is quite another. The danger nowadays is that with musical scholarship calling the shots in ‘early music’, and so much energy devoted to reviving mediocre works, we’re losing sight of that distinction.”
US Museums Buying, European Museums Falling Behind
US museums are buying at this year’s ArtBasel. But “even the largest, state-funded European museums are expressing fears that they are being left behind in the current boom. Most do not enjoy such a rich tradition of philanthropy or such generous tax breaks as US museums, while across Europe governments are squeezing cultural budgets.”