“On the date of a threatened lockout of the Joffrey Ballet’s dancers by company management, in an ongoing dispute over contract negotiations, it appears as if a gallery of current company members has been deactivated on the Joffrey’s website.”
Tag: 07.07.11
Is Britain A Nation Of Abstract Art Philistines?
Jonathan Jones: “Britain has never ‘got’ abstract art. Even articles that appeared this week marking the death of Cy Twombly attracted comments of the ‘my child could do that’ variety. It is tempting to dismiss these attacks as philistine, but that would be to ignore an eminently respectable and artistically sophisticated British tradition of disdain for abstract painting.”
British Arts World Is Too Skittish About Offending Minorities, Says London Official
“Munira Mirza, the Mayor of London’s adviser on culture, has warned that the arts sector has become ‘very nervous’ about offending ethnic and religious minority communities, resulting in an era of self-censorship.”
Violinist Josef Suk Dead At 81
“[He] was a Czech violinist who carried the mantle of his grandfather, the composer Josef Suk, and his great-grandfather, Antonin Dvorak.”
The Silence Of The Lambs, The Musical! (We’re Not Kidding)
“What kind of deranged people watch The Silence Of The Lambs and think: That would make a killer musical? These people: Jon and Al Kaplan, a pair of brothers from New York with a droll sense of humor who work perfectly together, like fava beans and a nice Chianti.”
Another Endangered Japanese Art Form: Bathhouse Murals
The sentos of Tokyo – where people go “to observe the time-honoured ritual of soaking in frighteningly hot water” – are beginning to fade away: the city has fewer than half the bathhouses it had 40 years ago. And fading along with them is the traditional art of painting murals in the soaking rooms depicting Mount Fuji.
Americans For The Arts Calls On NEA To Withhold Arts Funding From Kansas
“The right thing is that state government needs to be a fair partner,” Lynch said. “That partnership is how it works in our country, and you can’t take a piece out of that without unraveling or threatening to unravel the structure.”
The More Creative, The More Arrogant?
“Newly published research suggests the connection between egotism and inventiveness is more than anecdotal. Participants in a large study who consider themselves creative, and regularly participate in creative activities, scored low on a personality test measuring honesty and humility.”
Codex Calixtinus Manuscript Stolen From Santiago De Compostela
“The Codex Calixtinus, a priceless 12th century illuminated manuscript, has vanished from the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. … As well as a major source of historical information, the codex is considered one of the first guidebooks to the Way of St James pilgrimage” and is one of Europe’s most important original sources of medieval music.
Romance Novels Blamed For Real-Life Sexual Health Problems
“Blaming romance novels for unprotected sex, unwanted pregnancies, unrealistic sexual expectations and relationship breakdowns, author and psychologist Susan Quilliam says that ‘what we see in our consulting rooms is more likely to be informed by Mills & Boon than by the Family Planning Association’.”