“The practitioners of the new stuff probably imagine they’re making the performance-equivalent of conceptual art–that the dance is as much about dance as it is a dance. Fine, except where’s the dance? It’s like they’re making a sandwich with mostly only bread.”
Tag: 10.12.06
Eisenberg: New Tax Law Won’t Harm Museums
Pablo Eisenberg writes that museums ought to stop whining about losing one of their tax breaks. “Most other charitable gifts don’t come with the flexibility and big write-offs available for artworks. What’s more, the museum directors dismiss the fact that only about 10 percent of all donations of art are accomplished through fractional giving. And it paints the restrictions on fractional giving as earth-shattering, as though the end of the museum world is about to unfold. What palpable nonsense.”
Nobel Prize Goes To Turkish Novelist
Turkish author Orhan Pamuk, who was prosecuted last year for talking openly about the slaughter of Armenians in Turkey during World War I, has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. “He has published six books in English, the first of these being The White Castle, primarily a historical novel set in 17th-century Istanbul, but also about how stories and fictions build self-perception.”
It’s Official: Tower Records Assets Liquidated
“The disappearance of Tower’s familiar red-and-yellow logo will leave a gaping hole in the landscape of American music retailing. Los Angeles-based Virgin Megastores, which operates 20 Virgin Megastores, now will become the most prominent deep-catalog retailer. One veteran industry observer noted that Tower might have accounted for 40%-50% of some niche-genre labels’ business.”
Art & Science: No Longer Mutually Exclusive
There was a time when scientific journals reveled in an “all substance, no style” approach, sure that their readers were too high-minded to be sucked in by a glossy look anyway. But no more: “The realities of competing for limited readership have caused editors to employ a little pizazz to stand out on the shelf. That means paintings, photos and, most popular, microscopic illustrations (if medical journals were tabloids, the DNA double helix would be J.Lo). Inside, poems and first-person essays often break up the pages of dauntingly technical and data-laden articles.”
Foundation Hopes To Boost Business Acumen of Arts Leaders
“The Joyce Foundation is giving $95,000 over two years to send local leaders of [midsize arts groups] to a new series of business seminars… The sessions will be open to arts leaders from around the country and led by business faculty from major U.S. universities.”
National Book Award Finalists Announced
Richard Powers, Ken Kalfus and Jess Walter are among the nominees for best fiction book of the year, while a chronicle of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King, Jr. will compete with a much-praised review of the events leading up to the 9/11 attacks in the non-fiction category. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Louise Gluck is among those nominated in the poetry category.
Why Aren’t You Watching The Good Shows?
Critics were beside themselves with joy this fall when the major TV networks unveiled a slate of serious-minded programs. But several weeks into the season, critical praise is not translating into high viewership. “Observers have plenty of theories on what’s hampering the latest crop of programs, which critics have praised for their intricate plots, strong casts, and movie-worthy production values.”
Canadian Court Says Newspapers Have To Pay Freelancers
“Newspapers and magazines do not have the right to republish articles written by freelancers in electronic databases without the consent of the authors, according to a Supreme Court of Canada ruling released Thursday.”
When Satire Becomes More Important Than News
That comedian and fake news anchor Jon Stewart has more credibility with much of the public than real journalists or the politicians they cover is old news. But what does such a state of affairs say about our country and this moment in history? Are we sliding towards a desperate decline, or do we just have a highly developed sense of humor? The truth may be more boring: “we live in an era of the most sophisticated and relentless media manipulation ever, but the news media has not adjusted to the new environment.”