“Last week the long-running debate contrasting Jack Vettriano’s lack of critical acclaim with his public popularity was reignited by the revelation that The Singing Butler was, in fact, inspired by a £16.99 artists’ reference manual. Long derided by critics, Vettriano has fought artistic battles before. The art establishment is distinctly sniffy about his work. Despite his huge popular appeal, no national gallery shows his paintings. Reference works either ignore him or grant passing mention, but there is a voracious public appetite for both his romantic early paintings and later works which focus more on the highly charged sexual atmosphere of human relationships.”
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The Charlotte Church Phenomenon
Child stars are supposed to burn out, right? It’s wired into their genetic code. So how do you explain Charlotte Church? “Since leaving her Voice Of An Angel days behind, and turning into the party girl and pop star of her late teens, Charlotte has endeared herself to the British public by dint of being more Viz than Vogue.”
Reinventing The Newsmagazine
Newsweeklies are declining in circulation. Can they be saved? Ken Whyte thinks so, and he’s making major changes to Canada’s MacLean’s to try to revive it.
Elementary Watson! It’s the Buildings
“Sherlock Holmes is renowned for his groundbreaking forensic technique. But crucial to Arthur Conan Doyle’s storytelling are the vivid descriptions of late Victorian and Edwardian London, indoors and out. They set the scene for the grisly goings-on in the foggy East End and the murky manoeuvrings of the better-bred in the city’s west. They contain clues to help the reader solve the crime. And they give us insight into the complex inner world Holmes the man. Doyle is a must-read for budding architects.”
When Freedom Crashed – Questions About WTC Project
The Freedom Center at the site of the World Trade Center was a controversial project from the start. But the way New York Governor George Pataki killed it arbitrarily has some people wondering if the whole process for building at Ground Zero is just a sham.
Canadian Network To Telecast Gillers
CTV has picked up national broadcast of Canada’s Giller Prize for literature. “The winner this year will be announced at a black-tie gala in Toronto Nov. 8, during a one-hour telecast live on CTV Newsnet. Three repeat airings will take place on the main network – after midnight, the following afternoon and the following weekend. In the past the Giller was broadcast on CBC and CHUM’s Bravo and Book Television specialty channels.”
Polisi: Today’s Artists Have To Be Missionaries
Juilliard president Joseph Polisi is celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary. “With the future of art at stake, Polisi says Juilliard’s mission is no longer just to teach talented young people to sing, act, play instruments or dance. ‘In my view they’re responsible for more than getting the notes right or the words right or the steps right. They have to be missionaries for the arts. I can’t find a significant national politician who really will take a major stand for the arts because there’s not much political capital in it and in fact there may be some downside.”
Poll: Texas Chainsaw Is Scariest
Readers of Total Film magazine have voted the “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” the scariest horror movie of all time. Made in 1974 “for just $140,000 US, it is based on the exploits of real-life serial killer Ed Gein and stars Gunnar Hansen as the axe-wielding Leatherface.”
Manhattan Development Board Angrily Rebukes Pataki
New York Governor George Pataki’s decision to bar the International Freedom Center’s proposed museum from Ground Zero apparently didn’t sit well with members of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, who yesterday issued an extraordinary rebuke of the governor. “The board cannot do much beyond complain, since the Freedom Center declared itself to be out of business almost immediately after Governor Pataki removed the museum from the cultural building last week. Yet their complaints amounted to remarkable political theater in a process where intramural disagreements are usually kept well hidden. The board members’ willingness to speak openly about their frustration almost certainly reflects a high degree of discouragement and even anger.”
Cash Crisis At Canada’s Nat’l Ballet
“The National Ballet of Canada is in financial jeopardy following a disappointing season that saw a significant drop in ticket sales… The ballet has a deficit of $448,000 for the 2004-05 fiscal year, bringing its debt to $1,140,000 — with the biggest source of the shortfall occurring at the box office. Combining ticket sales at Hummingbird Centre and box office from touring, the ballet was down $541,000 over the previous season. Audiences appear to have voted with their feet on the merits of last season’s mostly contemporary offerings. The 2003-04 season ended with a deficit of $690,000 — attributed to problems with fundraising and lower than expected government support.”