“Americans may know the basics of how Martin Luther was said to have nailed his 95 theses to a church door … but they probably don’t realize how Luther strategically used the media of his time: books, paintings, prints and music.”
It Is Harder To Write Funny Stuff Than Serious Stuff? (Of Course)
James Parker: “Oh, much. Much! … My thoughts do not have wings. They are auk-like.”
Rivka Galchen: “I’m naturally inclined to see comic writing as not only more difficult, but also more ethical, more honest, more essential and even more serious.”
Another Pioneering Minimalist Composer Is About To Break Out (Too Bad He’s Been Dead 26 Years)
Julian Eastman’s music is mightily impressive, writes Zachary Woolfe – and the man himself was a train wreck.
Ai Wei Wei: How To Be A Dissident Artist
“I’m an artist, not a priest. I’m not saying this is right or wrong, I’m raising questions,” to which the audience flooded him with applause. He responded to that by declaring “I don’t give a damn shit about it,” which was met him with more applause which he obliged with more swearing, saying “take it or fuck it.”
Barnes Foundation’s New Boss Is Moving Well Beyond The Art
“Would Dr. Barnes, who died in 1951, be surprised to learn that this fall, the foundation’s executive director and president, Thomas Collins, taught a course on the gay subculture, as represented by artists in the collection like Charles Demuth and Marsden Hartley?”
Damian Woetzel Finally Brings His Colorado Dance Experiments To New York
For several summers now, the former New York City ballet principal has been putting together unusual combinations of dance styles, performers and roles at his Vail International Dance Festival. Why is he only now presenting the results in the city? “I’ve always felt a little reticent simply because what goes on in Vail – it’s very much a lab atmosphere. But then it started to feel that there were a number of things that haven’t been seen in New York.”
Big Powerful Hollywood… But Perhaps It’s All An Illusion?
“Titles are a case in point. Once upon a time, there were merely presidents and vps; now there are senior vps and executive vps and senior executive vps and chairmen and co-chairmen and co-CEOs. Each of these ranks is minutely graded, there to remind us of the place we hold in the Hollywood constellation. Fixed in our orbit, we’re so obsessed with moving closer to the sun, we blinker ourselves to what might happen when there’s another Big Bang.”
The Opera Fan Who Spread His Friend’s Ashes And Shut Down The Met Opera
“It was just part of our deal that I would leave bits of him in all the houses I visit,” reads a message attributed to Mr. Kaiser in a Facebook post last month about a trip he had taken during the summer to a Colorado opera house. “The MET is next, late next month.”
Bob Dylan Finally Reacts To His Nobel Prize Win
For his part, Dylan sounds genuinely bemused by the whole ruckus. It is as if he can’t quite fathom where all the headlines have come from, that others have somehow been over-reacting.
Atlanta Symphony Raises $25M Two Years Ahead Of Schedule, Expands Orchestra To 88 Players
The endowment fund had a four-year goal to reach $25 million, the life of the current labor agreement with the musicians. Instead, the endowment goal was reached in two years. Over the past year, nine new musicians have joined the orchestra.
John Killacky’s Pocket Guide To The Culture Wars Of The 1990s And What We Did/n’t Learn
John was one of the most important defenders of freedom of expression, and here he recounts the history and reflects on what we learned or didn’t learn. “The art world got tripped up and confused, supporting only work we liked, but “like” should be criteria at home for above the couch. Freedom of expression is a more precious commodity than taste. Conservative critics were very clear about their moral imperative as they vilified artists and terrorized institutions. No one won the culture war; we lost it.”
Just To Make You Feel Inadequate On Halloween: NASA’s High-Tech Pumpkin Art
“You can holler with delight here on Earth, especially if you were at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory last Thursday for its annual pumpkin carving contest. Although calling it a ‘carving competition’ seems off: It’s more like a science fair on steroids.”
Top AJBlog Posts From The Weekend 10.30.16
Yes, but Can You Dance to It? Lautari and 21st century Mazurka This is my first entry in ArtsJournal, and in presenting Lautari’s performance at Subrosa, I hope to demonstrate something about world music, past, present and possible future. Lautari is a singularly appropriate example. The …read more
‘Tis Autumn: Zoot Sims Autumn 2016 in the inland Pacific Northwest is one rainstorm after another amid the glory of leaves turning color and painting the landscape. Here we see maple leaves outside Rifftides world headquarters. Among songs that … read more
The Met Cancels An Opera Mid-Performance After A Patron Scatters Powdery Substance Into The Pit
“The man told other patrons he was there specifically to sprinkle the ashes during the performance, the police said. Mr. Miller said the act may have been a violation of the city’s health code but that there was no criminal intent.”
A Truly Living Art Form: Chicken Artist Breeds Poultry For Gallery Shows
For his Cosmopolitan Chicken Project, Belgian artist Koen Vanmechelen has spent two decades crossing heritage breeds from different nations to create handsome, healthy, and (yes) cosmopolitan birds, which he shows in art galleries. For an upcoming show in Detroit, he’s taking things to the next level – the Planetary Community Chicken.