Matthew Westphal – Page 2039 – ArtsJournal Wayback

Moscow’s Cultural QR Codes (They’re All Over)

The Russian capital’s myriad cultural and history sites – from the Taganka Theater5 to the Bolshoi to the writers’ union clubhouse in The Master and Margarita – have signs posted with codes that lead to a surprisingly rich web site (available to people at home, too) full of history, maps, biographies, and gossip.

Does ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Shortchange Men?

Noah Berlatsky: “Female prisoners on the show are treated very differently. They may be violent and may be queer, but they are, for the most part, presented as sympathetic. This seems like a feminist move, on the surface. But the inability to extend that sympathy to male inmates, raises a disturbing possibility: that the show is condescending to women while reinforcing old and destructive attitudes about men.”

Garrison Keillor On The Difference Between Novels And Radio Shows (And The Future Of His)

“A novel takes more than a week. … Novels tend to be too long, and they sink under their own weight – has anyone ever finished Moby-Dick? Anyone? They’re lying. A two-hour radio show is a hop, a skip, and a jump, with a bathroom break in the middle, and I am going to keep working on mine and maybe write one more Lake Wobegon novel, one with a dozen narrators.”

The Secret Of Brian Eno’s Genius: Cluelessness

Sasha Frere-Jones: “Eno is widely known for coining the term ‘ambient music,’ and he produced a clutch of critically revered albums in the nineteen-seventies and eighties – by the Talking Heads, David Bowie, and U2, among others – but if I had to choose his greatest contribution to popular music it would be the idea that musicians do their best work when they have no idea what they’re doing.”

When Meditation Goes Bad

A psychiatrist and researcher at Brown University is studying an aspect of (now-trendy) mindfulness practice that most in the field avoid: the people for whom meditation leads not to serenity or increased focus, but terror, severe depression, or, occasionally, a psychotic break.

Opera Isn’t In Trouble, It’s Just In An Awkward Phase

“Opera ain’t what it used to be. More to the point, opera companies aren’t what they used to be. The art form is not standing still. It’s growing, uncontrollably, by leaps and messy bounds,” writes Mark Swed – who argues that the problems at U.S. opera’s flagship, the Met, are more about the Met than the art form, and that the controversy over The Death of Klinghoffer demonstrates opera’s innate power.

Shouldn’t Artists Benefit When Their Paintings Sell For Millions, Or Even Thousands? (In Favor Of Droit De Suite)

“U.S. copyright law protects ‘published’ works, and a work of art is not ‘published,’ simply made and sold – so once a work of art is out of an artist’s hands, the future profits, too, are gone. … In the music world, a minor scandal arose when Chuck Berry was cheated out of part of his royalty rights for ‘Maybellene.’ In the art world, everybody is Chuck Berry.”

Egypt’s Superstar Archaeologist Is Back

Zahi Hawass, whose energy, media savvy and telegenic personality made him the modern face of Egyptian antiquities, had a difficult few years as Egypt’s political turmoil unfolded. But he’s at work once again, telling the world, “With all this, I have to tell you that Egypt is safe.”

ARTnews Sold To New Owner That’s Now Called ARTnews

“The venerated New York art magazine that has had a tough time in recent years adapting to digital media … will become part of Abbey House Group, a Polish art and media company. Abbey House will take on the name ARTnews starting July 1.”

Author: Matthew Westphal