It’s New Jersey-based WWFM, which has just expanded into New York and Philadelphia on HD. Says station manager Peter Fretwell, “The day I walk into a doctor’s office and hear WWFM is the day we’ve failed, unless the doctor happens to be a serious aficionado. … If it’s art, it deserves full attention. Front and center.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Turning Klimt Into Street Art
“At first sight, it is an unlikely concept: a crew of leading lights from the street art scene making new works inspired by the great Austrian artist Gustav Klimt. What to expect?”
The Perfect Plainness Of America’s First Poet
“Anne Bradstreet (1612-72) was born in England, but lived, married, raised her family, and died in Massachusetts: the first American poet, or certainly the first to write in English. Her work is plain in a way that might tempt some readers to condescension, but she knew the Latin poets and writes fluently within the conventions she chose, reaching considerable intensity of emotion and idea.” Robert Pinsky considers Bradstreet’s meditation on the dangers of childbirth.
Does God Damn It? Does Scripture Really Forbid Profanity?
“The Old Testament and other religious texts prohibit taking the Lord’s name in vain, but do the gods have a problem with words like s— and f—?” The answer isn’t straightforward: Of the Abrahamic religions, only one explicitly prohibits what one might call obscene language in its scriptures.
Saudi TV’s Ramadan Specials (Gently) Push Some Boundaries
“Women are driving in Saudi Arabia. Not on the streets. That would be illegal. But on a recent episode of Hush Hush, a new comedy on Saudi state television, a lilac sedan comes to a halt and a woman climbs out of the driver’s seat.”
Meet YouTube’s Favorite Classical Pianist
Valentina Lisitsa “was born in Kiev and started playing piano at the age of three. In the space of five years she has gone from almost quitting the business to being one of the internet’s most watched classical musicians, dubbed ‘the Justin Bieber of the classical world’ for the reported 43 million visitors to her YouTube channel.”
Samuel Beckett, Varsity Athlete And Sports Nut
In secondary school, “he played cricket and rugby for the first teams; won medals for swimming and boxing … played golf and tennis, ran, cycled and motorcycled. He loved diving from high rocks. He followed many of these sports with interest, even passion throughout his life.”
Hadrian’s Wall Becomes ‘World’s Longest Artwork’
“Connecting Light will consists of 450 giant balloons fitted with LED lights, hovering above the Roman structure … The balloons will transmit ‘messages’ to each other that translate into different colours. As the messages move from one balloon to another, the installation will become a line of pulsating colours stretching into the distance.”
Raul Ruiz’s Widow Finishes His Final Film
“You wouldn’t have put it past Raul Ruiz to direct a film from beyond the grave. The Chilean master was hard at work on a new feature, The Lines of Wellington, at the time of his death last August, aged 70. … Rather than abandon the project, … Ruiz’s editor and widow Valeria Sarmiento took over directorial duties.”
Crowdfunding Is Changing Digital Culture, And Vice Versa
“When Kickstarter started out it decided not to prioritise (or curate) which creations were most important. It stayed away from the term ‘art’ and spelled out its mission statement as a new way to support any kind of ‘creativity’. The public would decide what was important and increasingly their dollars are veering away from art to invention. A profound shift is under way – from the aesthetic to the interactive.”