“In [an open] letter, the signees say that the work is symbolically inappropriate to its subject matter, that it will obstruct views of the Eiffel Tower, that erecting it would be financially irresponsible, that the pavement below couldn’t possibly support the 30-ton work, and that no open call was made for artists to submit plans for the monument.”
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Hugh Masekela, ‘Father Of South African Jazz’ And Anti-Apartheid Champion, Dead At 78
“[He] came to the forefront of his country’s music scene in the 1950s, when he became a pioneer of South African jazz as a member of the Jazz Epistles, a bebop sextet that included the pianist Abdullah Ibrahim and other future stars. After a move to the United States in 1960, he won international acclaim and carried the mantle of his country’s freedom struggle.”
One Of Hong Kong Booksellers Kidnapped By Chinese Police Abducted Again, ‘Snatched’ From Swedish Escorts
“Hong Kong-based publisher Gui Minhai, one of the Causeway Bay booksellers whose disappearance two years ago caused an international storm, was snatched again by mainland Chinese authorities from a train heading for Beijing over the weekend, his daughter reported on Monday.”
Neil Diamond, Suffering From Parkinson’s Disease, Will End His Touring
The 77-year-old singer “made the announcement while in the midst of his ’50-Year Anniversary World Tour.’ In March, Diamond was set to visit New Zealand and Australia on the third leg of the tour. … He is one of the world’s most popular recording artists, having sold more than 130 million records.”
Naomi Parker Fraley, 96, Real-Life Model For Rosie The Riveter
“Over the years, a welter of American women have been identified as the model for Rosie, the war worker of 1940s popular culture who became a feminist touchstone in the late 20th century. Mrs. Fraley … staked the most legitimate claim of all. But because her claim was eclipsed by another woman’s, she went unrecognized for more than 70 years.”
The Guy Who Helps Hollywood Celebrities Resemble Professional Ballet Dancers
Kurt Froman trained Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman for Black Swan, and more recently he’s been training Jennifer Lawrence for the upcoming Red Sparrow. “One of the biggest things, I think, for a non-dancer is just understanding dancers hold their arms from their backs. … When I was working with Jen, as well as with Mila and Natalie, getting them used to holding their backs that way and understanding that their arms are an extension of their backs, that’s the first thing that I need to instill in them and I have to remind them of that the entire time.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.22.18
CultureGrrl Confidential: Leaks from La Salle President’s Student Forum on Art Sales
In explaining why the 46 artworks deaccessioned by La Salle University were spirited away from its museum by Christie’s during intersession (while the Philadelphia campus was mostly devoid of students and faculty), … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2018-01-22
Spotify, David Lowery, and the Future of Artists’ Rights
The conquest of the music industry by a small number of technology companies has continued on schedule, but there has been some resistance by musicians and their advocates. One of the most stalwart … read more
AJBlog: CultureCrash Published 2018-01-22
Monday Recommendation: Django, A Motion Picture
Director Étienne Comar’s Django portrays guitarist Django Reinhardt’s life during two years when it seemed that Europe might fall to Germany. His account emphasizes the greatness of Reinhardt’s music and the … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2018-01-22
Translation Is Not Just About Trading Words
Since there is no such thing as a truly literal translation — no two languages’ grammars match, their vocabularies diverge, even punctuation has a different weight — there can be no such thing as a translation that is not “creative.” And while most of us translators think of ourselves as “faithful,” definitions of faithfulness can differ. Because languages function differently, much of translation is about achieving a similar effect by different means; not only are difference, change, and interpretation completely normal, but they are in fact an integral part of faithfulness.
Why Feelings Deserve A Starring Role In Culture
“We procure energy so that the organism can be perpetuated, but then we do something very important and almost always missed, which is hoard energy. We need to maintain positive energy balances, something that goes beyond what we need right now because that’s what ensures the future. What’s so beautiful about homeostasis is that it’s not just about sustaining life at the moment, but about having a sort of guarantee that it will continue into the future. Without those positive energy balances, we court death.”
Oslo’s New Opera House Is The City’s Most Striking, Democratic Building
The most striking modern building in the capital of Norway proudly identifies itself as the Oslo Opera House. Yet a more democratically accessible building in this hereditary kingdom would be difficult to imagine. When I paid my first visit last year, young people were dangling their feet in the water from its roof. Yes, its roof. In an audacious move, the Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta extended the roof line right into the city’s harbour, creating an enormous sloping public space, regularly inhabited by citizens and non-citizens alike.