He doesn’t have anything of his own on his living room walls (though he does own, and display, four fakes that were sent to him for authentication). “It’s nice to come home and look at paintings. I don’t have to look at my own paintings. To me, it’s a relief. I like seeing them and not worrying.” – The New York Times
Author: ArtsJournal2
Finding a World
“Welcome to a primordial world that’s fiercer than anything religious texts ordain.” – Deborah Jowitt
Brooklyn Gets An Oslo-Worthy Home For Fiction, And For Writers
Oslo has Litteraturhuset – a place for readers and writers to “to meet, write, debate, read, and discuss writing, ideas, and politics over food and drinks, all with the mission of promoting the greater good of art and literature,” but that kind of physical space “seemed an impossible fantasy” for New York. Until now. – LitHub
Propwatch: The celery in Berberian Sound Studio
Some props have long lives, and others, well: “The celery and carrot, the cabbage and water melons, all make a distinct if self-immolating impact.” – David Jays
Rethinking The Purpose Of British Arts Institutions
Take a look at Battersea Arts Centre, which “no longer focuses on creating the ‘future of theatre’—a laudable purpose, but not one of much interest to the many who doubt theatre is for them. Instead, it concentrates on inspiring and supporting people to take creative risks to shape their own and their communities’ future, whether those people define themselves as artists or not.” – HowlRound
What The Academy Should Drop From The Live Broadcast: The Shorts
The NYT‘s Carpetbagger: “These categories are an island unto themselves, whereas a nominee from any other race — be it an animated feature or a foreign-language film — can conceivably vie for best picture or at least be eligible for other Oscars. If there are categories that have to go, these three provide the cleanest cut.” – The New York Times
Oops: The Live Oscars Broadcast Will Include Cinematography After All
For the second time, the Academy reversed itself about something it planned to cut from this year’s Oscars broadcast. “The announcement came after an outcry by some of Hollywood’s heaviest hitters, including BlacKkKlansman director Spike Lee and Roma director Alfonso Cuarón.” – NPR
Behind The Scenes Of ‘The Great British Baking Show,’ They Really Are Friends
Imagine all of the contestants on Top Chef being buddies, or baking cakes for each other’s weddings. (Alert: This story spoils the season that had Selasi and Val on it.) – The Atlantic
What Was Up With The Crude Racial And Sexual Stereotype Jokes That Filled This Carnegie Hall Performance?
Everyone was in on the joke, or at least everyone on stage was. But the audience wasn’t sure what to do or how to react. “The concept, whatever its good intentions, tempts comparisons with the history of African-American performers in blackface, acting out stereotypes of themselves for predominantly white audiences. It also risks feeding the common perception of Asian-Americans as perpetual foreigners.” (Of course, not everyone agrees.) – The New York Times
Let’s Just Split The Elgin Marbles Between Britain And Greece
Half and half. Equal. “Of course, there would be disputes about who gets what. But those aren’t disputes that can’t be resolved. The marbles don’t consist of one major piece and a lot of minor pieces. There are almost only major pieces. This is a unique situation – and an opportunity – since in many restitution cases sharing doesn’t work.” – The Guardian (UK)