Vettriano Success: All About The Market Forces

“Self-taught and sneered at by the art establishment, especially in his native Scotland, Jack Vettriano has become arguably one of the best known painters in the world.” How does he feel about artists who resent his success? “Artists say, how can I get only X for my work and Vettriano gets X thousand for his? Think, you stupid bugger. It’s not a bit about being a better painter than me, it’s about market forces.”

Do Books Still Belong In UK Libraries?

Some are debating whether UK public libraries should continue buying books. “We have to ask whether fiction should remain in libraries when most people buy books.” But Louise Tucker begs to differ: “There is an incredible assumption here that ‘most people’ have the means to pay for reading matter, similar to arguing, as I often think the government does, that ‘most people’ can afford private health care, so why bother supporting the NHS?”

CBGB’s Founder Dies At 75

Hilly Kristal, founder of the defunct New York music club CBGB, died of complications of lung cancer. “Kristal opened CBGB in December 1973 on the Bowery in the East Village, an area that was synonymous with poverty, crime and alcohol abuse. He gave the stage to young, then-unknown bands such as the Ramones, Television, Blondie and Talking Heads. Those musicians, especially the Ramones, inspired a generation of punk rockers in London, Los Angeles and around the world.”