Sixty years after Edvard Much died and 40 years since the Munch Museum opened in Oslo, scholars are trying to track down all the artist’s work. And 70 major paintings are unaccounted for. “The paintings which cannot be found are probably in private collections. ‘In some cases we have an idea who owns the works, but they have not replied when we’ve contacted them’.”
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China Imposes New Censorship On TV, Radio
The Chinese government is imposing new censorship rules on the country’s radio and TV stations. “The notice called for greater ‘political and propaganda discipline’ in the news and drama sectors. The move comes following the Communist Party’s crack down on newspapers and magazines in 2005. Last year, the government imposed a freeze on foreign investment in media ventures, from magazines to television stations.”
A Reprieve For Borderline Theatre?
Two prominent Scottish politicians want to reconsider the decision made earlier this year to cut off funding for the Borderline Theatre. “Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson and Des Browne, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, want to reverse the decision to cut the theatre’s £215,000 funding.”
Networks Appeal FCC Fines
Four American TV networks are appealing FCC fines for “indecent” programming. “The move represents a protest against the aggressive enforcement of federal indecency rules that broadcasters have complained are vague and inconsistently applied. Millions of dollars in fines have been levied based on those rules.”
Doonan: Do Artists Have A Special Place Over Us?
Simon Doonan is under attack for allegedly stealing an artist’s ideas for the store windows Doonan designs. “Underlying the whole debacle is the horribly flawed idea that artists are somehow at the apex of our society. According to this ridiculous thinking, artists are somehow innately superior to us window dressers, or to coffee-shop waitresses and strip-club fluffers. Being an artist is not just a job or vocation, but something holy and infinitely worthy. In this topsy-turvy retarded world, the option to place a monopoly on a found object would automatically fall to an artist over a window dresser.”
Has New York Priced Out Artists?
“According to a recent Freelancer’s Union report, the city’s creative sector—comprised of artists, photographers, designers, composers and writers—is facing increasing economic uncertainty related to a lack of stable employment. Over 40 percent report making less than $35,000 last year, half have little to no personal savings, and over a third lack proper health insurance. Ninety percent cited ‘unstable income’ as the major disadvantage of their chosen profession. All these factors, the study suggests, means that the city’s creative class—including its emerging artists—may leave New York in favor of cities with a “lower cost of living and developing creative centers.”
What Would Beckett Have Thought Of All This?
Samuel Beckett is getting renewed attention this year on the 100th anniversary of his birth. But the author notoriously didn’t like cult of celebrity that engulfed him. So what would he have thought of all this? “Theatergoers have laughed about how the famously reclusive author would have reacted to the sprawling festival, which by some counts is the sixth major posthumous celebration of his work. He wouldn’t have turned up at a single event, and he couldn’t have borne the hoopla element.”
ABT Star Gets Some Good News
Ethan Stiefel has had a rough year. The company the American Ballet Theatre star was trying to build in California postponed its season for lack of funds. Then the company’s executive director quit. And, on the dancing front, Stiefel had knee problems that forced him to cancel several performances. Stiefel’s now had knee operations, and this week they were deemed successful. He should be back to performing this fall.
Dealers Scour Art Schools
Today’s market for contemporary art is so hot, dealers and collectors are turning to art schools. “Though the conventional image of an artist’s mentor is not generally a venture capitalist, such a presence is not so surprising in an era when collectors from Wall Street are underwriting high prices for contemporary art. The art world is, in the end, a numbers game: as collectors, art fairs and galleries keep growing, while first-rate artworks for sale decrease, dealers and collectors are scouring the country’s top graduate schools looking for the Warhols of the future.”
Our Memoirist Age
What do publishers want to publish these days? “Memoirs have been strong sellers throughout this decade. But this year, publishers plan to put out twice as many as last year – there are likely to be as many as 40, according to Simba Information, a book-tracking company.”