“[A neuroscientist,] Dr. Provine embodied the spirit of the popular scientist, one who takes his or her pursuits out of the laboratory and into the public square, from university libraries to public libraries, and from lecture halls to radio and television. He was the author of two books for popular audiences, Laughter: A Scientific Investigation (2000) and Curious Behavior: Yawning, Laughing, Hiccupping, and Beyond (2012).” – The Washington Post
Category: people
Conductor Raymond Leppard, 92
He was part of a generation of musicians who, aided by the burgeoning recording industry, helped revive Baroque music in concert halls after World War II. That group included Nikolaus Harnoncourt of Austria and Neville Marriner of Britain. – The New York Times
Huang Yong Ping, One Of China’s Most Daring Modern Artists, Dead At 65
“In his sly installations and sculptural work, Huang often melded techniques derived from the history of Chinese art and international avant-garde movements alike. His ability to deftly combine seemingly opposed methods of art-making made him one of the foremost artists in an emergent group of Chinese artists during the late 1980s … [and] allowed him to address taboo subjects in China and beyond with audacity and wit.” – ARTnews
Klaus Friedeberger, Abstract Painter Who Found Inspiration In The Australian Outback, Has Died At 97
Friedeberger was inspired by his time as a European refugee in Australia during WWII. “Whereas many abstract painters of the 60s were working on a large scale with fields of unmodulated colour that emphasised the flatness of the surface of the painting, Friedeberger eventually eschewed colour altogether. Working unfashionably on an easel, he made small, modest monochromatic paintings of abstracted forms that advanced, receded or hovered in space within the confines of a square canvas, never quite abandoning the illusion of pictorial space.” – The Guardian (UK)
Fiery Music Critic And Biographer Nick Tosches Has Died At 69
Tosches, who had a taste for rock and country (and their far fringes) “and his fellow music writers Richard Meltzer and Lester Bangs were labeled ‘the Noise Boys’ for their wild, energetic prose” in the 1960s and 1970s. He also wrote many biographies, including a famous, perhaps infamous, one of Dean Martin. He said of that 1992 book, “Life is a racket. … Writing is a racket. Sincerity is a racket. Everything’s a racket.” – The New York Times
Abstract Expressionist Painter Ed Clark Has Died At 93
Clark was “an African-American expressionist painter who used a broom and bold colors to capture the natural world and to convey emotions about the racial injustice of the 1960s, earning him international acclaim.” Clark, who lived in Detroit, was known for his experimentation with shaped canvases, bold colors, and a seven-decade career. – The New York Times
Mark Morris: Without Bullies, How Would I Know I Was A Sissy?
The choreographer has a new memoir out. In an interview, he describes “the sissy tests” of middle school – and turning those humiliating, degrading moments into dance. – NPR
Julie Andrews’ Biggest Regret Is Losing Her Singing Voice
We regret it an awful lot as well, Dame Julie. But oh, the stories she’s accumulated, this one quite early: “I had forgotten to pack my dress shoes, so my mother painted white ballet slippers over my socks with what they used to call ‘wet white.’ But my socks were still wet and I left little white footprints all over the stage”. – The Guardian (UK)
Architecture Critic And Historian Charles Jencks, 80
Mr. Jencks was an architectural historian who, with a landmark book, put himself at the forefront of the debate over what architecture should do. – The New York Times
Alicia Alonso, Cuba’s (Very) Long-Reigning Doyenne Of Ballet, Dead At 98
“Alonso received recognition throughout the world for her flawless technique and her ability to become one with the characters she danced, even after she became nearly blind. After a career in New York, she and her then-husband Fernando Alonso established the Cuban National Ballet and the Cuban National Ballet School, both of which grew into major international dance powerhouses and beloved institutions in their home country.” She remained director of the company until her death, serving for 71 years, and named a successor only this past January. – Pointe Magazine