Richard Smith was one of the inventors of pop art in the ’50s. In the ’60s he caused a stir in London art circles with his huge, advert-inspired canvases. In the ’70s he was selling paintings as fast as he could make them. Then he simply disappeared. What happened? And what does his story tell us about the nature of fame in art? – The Guardian
Author: Douglas McLennan
IRVING LOSES
British historian David Irving loses his long-running and controversial libel case over his views on the Holocaust and Nazi Germany. – CBC
THEATER ON THE HIGHWIRE
- Sunday night production was the first live drama shown on American TV in 39 years. Filmed on two sound stages, with 18 different cameras, the production had the boon of an all-star cast. – The Telegraph (UK) 04/11/00
- A success that suggests an underused aspect of the TV medium.– New York Times 04/11/00
A HOLLYWOOD HOME COMPANION
Some see Minnesota Public Radio’s foray into Los Angeles to takeover and makeover a local public radio station as an opportunity. MPR (whose biggest programming asset is Garrison Keillor) promises new local public affairs programming and a significant news operation. Others decry the Minnesotans’ arrogance and lack of familiarity with LA values. – Los Angeles Times 04/10/00
LITTLE SURPRISE HERE
- “American Beauty” repeated its Oscar sweep by cleaning up at this weekend’s Baftas, the UK’s most prestigious film awards ceremony. And, in case you wondered: “Bafta judges were asked to cast their votes ahead of the Oscars so as not to be influenced by the famous US ceremony.” – BBC 04/10/00
- The winners. – The Times (UK) 04/10/00
AND KIWI TOO
Ever since Jane Campion filmed “The Piano” on New Zealand’s craggy coast, more and more international film companies have been traveling south. New Zealand is “fast becoming a desirable location because of the accessibility and high quality of local film crews, production units and film laboratories and the rich variety of locations that change every 10 kilometers.” – The Age (Melbourne) 04/10/00
AUSSIE ENVY
They’re friendly, beautiful, and have the world’s best beaches – now the Aussies also have a reputation for exporting the best cabaret singers in the business. On the eve of the MAC Awards (the cabaret world’s Tonys), the notoriously insular New York cabaret scene is rife with envy over the recent invasion of young Aussie performers. – Sydney Morning Herald
COMING SOON TO A BUS SHELTER NEAR YOU
“This year’s knock-down-drag-out fight in the advertising world has nothing to do with Nikes, Taco Bell, Viagra, Priceline.com, or minor feminine itching. It’s set in the ruthless realm of…ballet.” Rivals American Ballet Theater and New York City Ballet have devised very different marketing strategies to promote their upcoming seasons: ABT’s ads feature sexy, shirtless close-ups of young stars like Angel Corella; NYCB’s showcases their corps de ballet in elegant, costumed poses. Of course, both companies hope their splashy campaigns will go a long way toward “selling tutus to the masses.” – Village Voice
QUESTIONS OF WHERE
All well and good to talk about tracking down provenance of a work of art – of course it’s the right thing to do. But actually doing it and making it stick isn’t always so easy. – Boston Globe
HIT ‘EM WITH A ONE-TWO PUNCH
After more than four years without a major show, Damien Hirst – the “original enfant terrible” of the contemporary British art scene, whose shark in formaldehyde stirred up controversy at the Brooklyn Art Museum – is back with a new batch of work, and it’s just as theatrical and button-pushing as ever. “You get people to think one thing, and then you come round from another direction.” – The Guardian