|
Arts
Watch
Perspectives on the
Arts
BETTER
LIVING THROUGH ART: Russia's economy is in shambles, and
its social system is controlled by criminals; some are proclaiming
that Russia
is finished as a force in the world.
Russian art, on the other hand, after a difficult decade,
seems to be doing better and better. Can Russia-the-country
learn some lessons from Russia-the-art?
By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
06/06/01
IN-COUNTRY
- THE BATTLE FOR NATIONAL CULTURES: Canadian support for
their own culture may seem impressive from the outside, but
take away the loaded deck and what's left? Are cultural subsidies
the only way to preserve national cultures?
By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
05/09/01
GLOBAL
CROSSING: Countries around the world
struggle to shore up their local cultures in the face of pervasive
and seductive American popular culture. Are Americans the
bad guys? Part I - The Movies.
By Jack Miles
& Douglas McLennan 04/27/01
THE
NEXT BIG THING?
Some critics say there's no such thing as digital art. Some
museums and curators say different. Now that digital has hit
the Whitney and SFMOMA, can artworld credibility be far behind?
By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
04/18/01
GOING
OFF-SCRIPT: What
if TV and movie writers go out on strike and no one notices?
Fact is - no one will. If last summer's Screen Actors Guild
strike was any indication, viewers aren't likely to care -
or even notice - if movie writers go out on strike next month.
Nothing against writers, but movies are about a lot more than
the script. By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan 04/13/01
THE
DANCE PROBLEM: Archaeologists suggest that dance may be
the oldest art form. But of all the major arts, dance seems
to struggle the most to survive. Is it somehow a lesser art?
By Jack Miles
& Douglas McLennan 04/06/01
THE
POLITICS OF SAVING ART: The urge to conserve works of
art is powerful (witness worldwide outcries over the Taliban's
destruction of art). But increasingly the question has to
be asked: Conserve what? And for what? Conservation often
has more to do with the present than the past. By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan 04/04/01
THANKLESS
JOBS: Who
wants to head up an arts organization these days? Really.
Do it poorly and the world dissects your mistakes. Do it well
and it can be even worse. By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
03/30/01
SILENCING
THE GREAT VIOLINS: Violins
aren't just musical instruments, they're also - unfortunately
for musicians - art. Increasingly, only banks and investors
can afford to own them. Are musicians just out of luck?
By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
THE
THUNDERING HERD: The fiberglass art animals are taking
over. From a humble exhibit on the streets of Zurich in 1999,
the artist-decorated Animals-on-Parade concept has swept the
US. Why? Some say it's because the public has fallen in love
with them. Others contend it's for the money (Chicago raised
$3 million selling its cows) But maybe someone should take
a hard look at the Swiss. They may appear harmless, but...
By Jack Miles &
Douglas McLennan
THE
MOST DANGEROUS RELIGION (HINT: IT'S NOT ISLAM): The world
has watched in horror as Afghani fundamentalists willfully
destroyed cultural treasures. But destruction of art
is only a piece of a larger cultural battle going on here.
Is
international cultural conflict replacing political Cold War
conflict?
By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
03/16/01
BITING
BACK AT TOOTHLESS CRITICS: Why the thumbs up/down review
has damaged critics' power to set agendas. By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan 03/14/01
THE
SLOW-MOTION REVOLUTION: For some
time now e-publishing has been the hype and hope of the publishing
industry. But lately the revolution has seemed to sputter.
Is it because the technology isn't there yet or is it the
way publishing's power structure is set up? By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan 03/09/01
THE
ESSENTIAL NAPSTER: Wondering about the fuss over Napster?
Check out ArtsJournal's annotated primer on the subject. It
should surprise no one that the issue is neither about the
sacred principle of intellectual property rights nor about
the need for fair compensation to artists. It’s about who
gets to keep the profits of a lucrative worldwide multi-billion-dollar
business. By Jack Miles &
Douglas McLennan 03/02/01
A
CURE FOR BLOCKBUSTERITIS: If museums get tangled up in
themselves chasing the next blockbuster show, maybe a New
World Order for museums is called for. Maybe something French
perhaps? 02/28/01
IS
CLASSICAL MUSIC DYING?
For some time now, the classical music press has been holding
a virtual deathwatch. But what does the evidence really say?
By
Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan 02/23/01
BLOCKBUSTERITIS:
Museums seem more and more obsessed by the blockbuster show,
the need to program "event" exhibitions designed
to pull in the crowds to prove their success. It's long been
a question whether such shows serve art. But do they even
serve the institutions themselves?
By Jack Miles & Douglas McLennan
02/21/01
|
