“Art and artifacts are expressions of the intangible; they are by definition tenuous and fragile. Pakistani art and music poised at the cusp of actual annihilation is even more so.”
Tag: 10.20.11
Emily Dickinson And Baked Goods
“Dickinson discussed baking in many of her letters – evincing both her trademark wit and a zest for life that belies the common image of her as a depressed figure. … [She] was known to lower a basket full of cakes from the window of the home she rarely left to crowds of expectant children on the street below.”
How Do You Say “To The Moon!” In Mandarin?
“There’s several reasons why China might want the moon, not the least of which is its trove of mineral resources that include water and helium-3, a potential fuel for fusion energy reactors. Laying claim to the moon also would have a powerful psychological impact, displacing America’s Apollo forays and catapulting China’s international status in one fell swoop.”
Racing To Collect A Movement’s Artifacts, Even As They’re Being Created
Staffers from NY museums snag cardboard signs and far more at Occupy Wall Street. “Most ephemeral events having to do with the city are worth saving. These items document a particular moment in time which may become significant in the future. If the events fizzle, the objects are still important documents of urban variety and culture.”
A Decade Of The iPod: What Has It Done For, Or To, Music?
“In the pre-digital music world, acquiring music below the mainstream radar involved something akin to a treasure hunt. If you grew up in a small town or rural area especially, you often had to chase the music … There was lasting value attached to the prize.”
Art Can Be Hard To Handle, Say Locked-Out Sotheby’s Workers
“Our job is about trust. People have to be comfortable with you because some of these pieces are thousands of years old.”
Occupy Arts And Culture? With A Lot Of Hand Movements, Yes
What happens at the meetings of Occupy Wall Street’s Arts and Culture Committee? Lots of talk, lots of hand signals — and a familiar discussion about arts funding as less important than “other pressing issues.”
Barbara Kent, 103, One Of The Last Surviving Silent Movie Stars
“A brunette, baby-faced beauty, both shapely and petite – most sources say she was under five feet tall” – she acted alongside the likes of Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo and Harold Lloyd during the 1920s and ’30s, making the transition from silents to talkies with relative ease.
England’s National Theatre Shelves Tori Amos Musical
“The Light Princess, an adaptation of George MacDonald’s 19th-century fairytale of the same name with music and lyrics by the American singer-songwriter, had been due to open in the Lyttelton theatre next April.” The premiere has been postponed indefinitely “over fears [the show] will not be ready in time.”
How Cloud Gate Dance Theatre Links Choreography And Calligraphy
Artistic director Lin Hwai-min: “Calligraphy is not simply about movement of the wrists. … It is an exercise in breathing, with movement of the total body. Our company takes its inspiration from the aesthetic of calligraphy. The dancers take weekly classes in calligraphy. … We don’t pretend our bodies could replace the brush. We take it as a metaphor.”