He was “the one and only Enlightenment thinker who ferociously attacked the very value of art (and science as well) … [His] fundamental idea [was] that art, instead of ennobling us, and offering paths to better and more meaningful lives, mostly makes for miserable modern creatures instead of free and happy ones.” Yet artist and academic Laurie Fendrich finds that “Rousseau’s brilliant railings … offer a road back to discovering the awe lurking in art.”
Tag: 06.28.12
Adieu, Minitel! France Shuts Down Its Old Proto-Internet
“It is known as the ‘Little French Box’, a 1980s design classic now seen as the ultimate in beige plastic kitsch. But once it was an audacious precursor to the world wide web, introduced the first cybersex into people’s living rooms and had a user-friendly design that may have inspired Steve Jobs’s first Macintosh computer.”
How To Make Print More Urgent? Disappearing Ink!
“Once the wrapper is removed and the book is cracked, the ink begins to age; it’s got a lifespan of less than two months. Just months after being opened, The Book That Can’t Wait is filled with nothing but blank pages.”
A Digital-Ready Theatre Readies To Stream Everything, Including Rehearsals
“The decision to live-stream video from different parts of the building is part of a wider move by the east London theatre to make its redesigned website more ‘democratic.’ Theatre Royal artistic director Kerry Michael said the new video stream would act ‘like a shop window.'”
Hey Sponsors: Hands Off Our Stages!
“Today’s funders ask: ‘How can you help us to deliver our vision?’ Someone ought to tell them: ‘Surely it’s the other way round.'”
Art By GPS, And On Two Wheels
“He has drawn Godzilla battling Mothra, the lunar landing, the sinking of the Titanic and a horse running at the Preakness. There’s even a rendition of a gun-toting stickup man modeled after Omar, Wallace’s favorite character from the HBO television series ‘The Wire.’ After he finishes each ride, Wallace downloads his route/drawing onto his website, wallygpx.com. It’s a process that he describes as virtual graffiti, because he can express himself freely without defacing publ
With Absalom, Absalom!, Faulker Forever Changed Writing About Americans And Race
“Absalom, Absalom! has been well described as the most serious attempt by any white writer to confront the problem of race in America. There is bravery in Faulkner’s decision to dig into this wound. He knew that the effort would involve the exposure of his own mind, dark as it often was.”
Google And Apple Want Your Books, Your Videos, Your Credit Card Numbers – Who Will Win?
“There is a version of your life, offered by Google, in which all your friends and household members have Android phones, many have Android tablets, and all of them buy their movies, music, and reading from the Play Store. Your lazy evenings, parties, and beach excursions are all very media-rich, DJ-ed by everybody at once, and every moment is instantly shared in this version. If that sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same vision Apple has for its customers–just change the names of the devices and software. The two tech giants are now battling for your total device gadget allegiance.”
Arts Groups (Mostly) Survive The Return Of A Professional Hockey Team
“Fears that the return of The Winnipeg Jets would divert Winnipeggers’ entertainment dollars away from the arts seem to be unfounded, at least this year.” But arts groups say they do have to change their fundraising strategies to keep limited entertainment dollars coming their way.
Men in Black 3 Made More Than $350 Million – And Lost Money. Why?
“Unlike other decades-old industries, Hollywood not only has a hard time forecasting, but it also has difficulty analyzing past results. Why was The Hunger Games such a big hit? Because it had a built-in audience? Because it starred Jennifer Lawrence? Because it was released around spring break? The business is filled with analysts who claim to have predictive powers, but the fact that a vast majority of films fail to break even proves that nobody knows anything for sure.”