Warholism “is an octopus whose tentacles reach in every direction. I never imagined I would be defending Marcel Duchamp, but one of the most disturbing developments in “Regarding Warhol” is the failure to make any distinction between Duchamp’s intricate nihilistic aestheticism and Warhol’s slap-happy cynicism.”
Tag: 11.15.12
Of Machines, Humanity And Art
“In recent years, the age-old discussion about whether technology diminishes our humanity has grown increasingly shrill. Yet Patrick Tresset demonstrates how, when built and implemented thoughtfully, technology can instead enhance humanity.”
Peter Greenaway Says Film Has Missed Its Calling
“It is Greenaway’s long-held belief that cinema has somehow missed its calling. It’s a visual medium in thrall to the written word. ‘Whether you’re Godard or Almodovar or Scorsese, it’s text, text, text. Everything begins with the text and this is a source of great anguish to me. So please let cinema get on with doing what it does best, which is expressing ideas in visual terms.'”
Met Museum Sued Over Admission Fees
“Two members of the Metropolitan Museum of Art have sued the museum, contending that it misleads the public into thinking that its admission fees – $25 for adults, and less for seniors and students – are mandatory and not simply suggested.”
Johannesburg Philharmonic On The Verge Of Collapse
“The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra is playing its last two concerts of the year this week, and possibly its last ever. Mismanagement, lack of funding and dwindling audiences have laid waste to the company’s finances.”
Van Cliburn Foundation President Quits
“Alann Sampson, interim president and CEO of the Van Cliburn Foundation, abruptly resigned this week, the latest in a string of recent departures from the parent of the prestigious Cliburn International Piano Competition.”
Yet Another Theory About Why E-Readers Are Inferior To Books
Andrew Piper: “Reading isn’t only a matter of our brains; it’s something that we do with our bodies. … Unlike books, we cannot feel the impressions of the digital. The touch of the page brings us into the world, while the screen keeps us out.”
Hytner And Boyle Lead Directors In Warning That UK Theatres Are In Peril
“Artistic directors from the UK’s leading regional venues have joined with Olympic opening ceremony director Danny Boyle and National Theatre artistic director Nicholas Hytner to warn that Britain’s local theatres are facing a ‘very real’ threat to their futures.”
Ian McKellen Says Britain Can No Longer Produce Great Actors
“Britain will produce no more actors of the calibre of Dame Judi Dench or Sir Derek Jacobi because repertory theatre has died out, according to Sir Ian McKellen. Sir Ian said he would not have the career he has today without a grounding in regional rep … ‘The situation is desperate. There are no [resident] companies in this country’.”
Neuroscience And The Masks Of Ancient Greek Theater
“Over 2000 years may have elapsed since masked Greek tragedies had their heyday on stage in Athens, but some of the most modern neuroscience may be able to give classicists a better understanding of how the ancients watched and thought about those plays.” The key concept: “embodied cognition”.