The broad cupolas in Italian churches of the era were constructed by laying bricks in a “complex cross-herringbone spiraling pattern” called a double loxodrome, according to a team of engineering researchers at Princeton and the University of Bergamo. – Artnet
Author: Matthew Westphal
Pioneering Op Art Painter Richard Anuszkiewicz Dead At 89
“[He] devoted his career to studying how some of the fundamental elements of art could be manipulated to create perceptual effects. His experiments with color led him to make paintings of geometric shapes that seem to vibrate and emanate light.” – The New York Times
With Lockdown Lifting, This Country’s Bookstores Are Having A Boom
“Booksellers around the country say they’re experiencing ‘Christmas’ levels of demand post-lockdown, as many readers have sworn off shopping offshore following the Covid-19 crisis, which claimed 21 lives in New Zealand.” – The Guardian
The Dangers And Delights Of Choreographing Over-Familiar Music
Carmina Burana. Bolero. Arvo Pärt’s Spiegel im Spiegel. Even The Rite of Spring. They’re good pieces, they work for dance, and audiences are familiar with them. “Still, many choreographers have been sabotaged by the formidable nature and Muzak-y overuse of these iconic compositions,” writes Joseph Carman, who talks to several choreographers about how they’ve successfully pulled the feat off. – Dance Magazine
Africa’s First Million-Selling Singer, Mory Kanté, Dead At 70
“[He] came from a family of griots, the dynastic West African musicians whose songs carry news and chronicle history. Steeped in those traditions, he electrified the kora, the traditional griot’s harp, and he fused African music with styles and instruments from Western pop. … [His] 1987 single “Yé Ké Yé Ké” was a hit, first in Africa and then across Europe. It became the first African single to sell more than a million copies and has been licensed frequently for commercials and film soundtracks.” – The New York Times
Michael Moore’s ‘Planet Of The Humans’ Yanked From YouTube
The controversial documentary — produced by Moore, directed by Jeff Gibbs, criticized by many mainstream scientists, and championed by parts of the far right — incorporates a clip from the project Rare Earthenware by videographer Toby Smith, who opposes Planet of the Humans and went to YouTube alleging copyright infringement (which gets a video automatically removed). Gibbs and Moore invoked the fair use doctrine and say their work is being censored. – The Guardian
How Will Art Schools Reopen In The Fall? In California, They Really Aren’t Sure
“Hyperallergic reached out to several art schools in California to see how they are planning to address the need for social distancing while maintaining the integrity of their arts curriculums.” The consensus: there’s no telling yet what the rules will be in September, so administrators and faculty are working out multiple scenarios. – Hyperallergic
London’s Southbank Centre Says It Must Close Until April 2021 Unless It Gets More State Money
“The UK’s largest arts and cultural organisation, the Southbank Centre, has warned that it will have used up its financial reserves by September, forcing its closure until April 2021 unless it gets further government support. The centre, which puts on more than 3,500 events every year” and contains three concert halls, an art gallery, and a library “and is home to eight orchestras, revealed details of the crippling financial pressures it is facing as a result of the coronavirus crisis.” – The Guardian
Salzburg Festival 2020 Will Go Ahead — In Reduced Form
“Bucking the trend of the vast majority of international festivals and opera companies that have been forced to shutter due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Salzburg Festival announced today that it plans to present a modified festival this summer, with fewer performances in shortened formats taking place from August 1 through 30.” No details of the programming were revealed. – Opera News
Frantisek Uhliř’s Welcome New Album
Some time ago, I wrote on Rifftides, “The Czech Frantisek Uhliř is one of the greatest bassists in the world.” Leading his septet on his new release, Story of my life, he is as powerful as when I first heard him in Prague in 1993. – Doug Ramsey